Buying a Home in Oregon Part 2: Home Shopping

Part 2: Choose your Nest

House Shopping! How do I start?

You and your agent will work together to make a plan that best suits your needs. Most homes are posted to consumer websites like Redfin and Zillow, and our back end website at the same time, so what you see is what we see. Most agents are happy to set up an automatic search for you, or communicate about homes via email or text.

Touring Homes

Once you are pre-approved, you and your agent can go together to look at homes. They can set up private showings, usually for 30 minutes at a time, to look at a home together.

How do I decide which home is the right home for me?

Much of this is a personal decision. You will want to make a list of wants and needs in your future home, and a budget. Some things on your list may be flexible, some may be non-negotiable. Some examples are location, size, style, number or bedrooms/bathrooms, accessibility, age, etc. When touring a potential home your agent will help make you aware of how many items fit your list, and if there is anything in the house outdated or needing repair.

I like to also get an idea of how you spend time in your home. Do you love cooking? Do you work from home? Are you a gardener? Do you have children? That will help give me an idea of the priority of your various wants and needs.

How long will it take to find my home?

I wish I had a good answer for you, but it can really vary. It depends on how many houses fit the criteria you are searching for, how soon they show up, and how competitive the market is while you are writing offers. It also depends on your decision making style, and how long you are willing to be on a house hunt. Most people take a few weeks to a few months to find their home.