Things you should and shouldn’t do before you buy a home.

There are two sides to this: the financial side, and the lifestyle side. Last week I dove into the financial side, so today I’ll be looking at the lifestyle side.

On the lifestyle side, think about why you want to move and when you need to move. Is it the low interest rates, do you need more room, do you want to live in a different neighborhood?

Make a list of wants and needs.

Attend some open houses and see what your dollar can buy.

Use the HAR.com app when exploring neighborhoods. It will show you what’s available, what it costs to live there, how the schools are rated, parks close by, commute times, tax rates, everything.

Meet with a Realtor so you have a trusted advisor in your corner. Use your Realtor as a resource for market information, scoop on the neighborhoods you are interested in, or for vendors and service providers.

Once you have a trusted local team of a lender and a Realtor, and an idea of what you want in a home, you’re ready to tour some homes!