There are probably few things in life that are as exciting -or as nerve-racking - as the search for a house. All the good emotions and the bad emotions seem to converge when the house hunting begins. Don't worry, this is a normal reaction, and is found in seasoned home buyers as well as those who are looking for their first home. The very first decison you need to make is whether you want to do your house hunting on your own, or by using a real estate agent. With an organized house buying plan, you can minimize a great deal of the emotional impact. By determining your buying power, your wants and needs, and having an organized search plan, your chances of a stress-free experience are much better. Tips On Finding The Right House - Get your financial house in order first! Doing this will save you a lot of time and aggravation and prevent disappointments later. - Determine what your budget will comfortably allow. - Determine the minimum requirements - your needs. These are the "Must Haves" in your home. - Determine additional desired features--your wants. These are the "Like to Haves" (if they are affordable) in your home. - Take note of any items that you don't want in a house. - Determine the desired location (schools, work, etc.). - Get mortgage pre-qualification. Your agent will ask for it, and more and more sellers want evidence of pre-qualification submitted with an offer. - Choose an agent that you feel comfortable with and who understands your needs. - Be completely aware of the agency issue. If you look for houses before you have your own agent, you may not have the representation you want. - Let friends and relatives know that you are looking for a house. They often know of someone who is planning to sell or who has just put their home on the market. - As you are looking, use a scorecard to compare homes. It is easy to forget which house had which features as soon as you look at more than a few. Click here to view: Reality And Wish Lists Click here to view: Ontario New Home Warranty Program Click here to view: Watch Out For Real Estate Scams