How Do You Find the Right Home and Area?

Quick Answer

Make your list before you shop: needs, wants and deal breakers, in priority order. Shop the monthly payment you are comfortable with, not the most you are approved for. Choose an area by what matters to your daily life — price, commute, and distance to work, recreation and services — rather than by a ranking of "best" cities. Then read each listing closely and see the home in person, because photos and listing copy don't show everything.

Make the list before you fall in love

The most common mistake in a search is falling for a house first and working out the rest afterward. Once a backyard or a kitchen wins you over, the list you started with tends to bend. Write it down first: what you need, what you want, and what would make you walk away. Then put it in order. You won't take the emotion out of buying a home, but you can make sure the list is in charge.

Shop the payment, not the approval

Your approval is calculated on gross income and the debts on your credit report — not on utilities, groceries or the rest of your life. Most buyers can be approved for more than they would be comfortable paying each month. Decide the payment you want first, and search inside it.

There is no "best city" — only the best one for you

Rankings that name one Treasure Valley city as the best don't know your commute, how often you want to be near the trails or the river, or how far you are willing to be from the services you use. The right area is the one that fits those things at a price that fits your payment. Narrow from the whole valley to a few areas, then to a few streets, with your list in hand.

What the photos don't show

Listing photos are taken to sell. Wide-angle lenses make rooms look larger, and photos can be edited or enhanced; ask what was changed. The listing copy is short by design — there is a character limit — and it won't tell you how close the next house is or how loud the road is. Remodels vary in quality, and new flooring over old flooring photographs the same as a careful job. See the work in person.

Read the whole listing

Days on market tells you something about where a seller may be. Your agent can also read the parts of the listing written for agents, and can call the listing agent to ask what isn't written anywhere. Together, those shape what you can reasonably ask for in an offer — which is Episode 5.

Start with a lender, then narrow

The order that works is the one from the first three episodes: know your cash to close, get pre-approved, understand how your agent is paid — then search. When you land in a home, you should feel good about how you got there, not wonder how a kitchen talked you out of your list.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I decide what I need in a home?

Write three lists before you shop — needs, wants and deal breakers — and put each in priority order. Bring the list to every showing so a single feature doesn't override the things that matter most.

Which city in the Treasure Valley is best to buy in?

There isn't one best city for everyone. Compare areas by price, commute, and distance to work, recreation and the services you use, and choose the area that fits your list and your payment.

Should I search up to my full pre-approval amount?

Usually not. Approvals are calculated on gross income and the debts on your credit report, so most buyers qualify for more than they are comfortable paying. Choose your monthly payment first and search inside it.

What don't listing photos show?

Room size can be exaggerated by wide-angle lenses, photos can be edited or enhanced, and the listing won't show noise, how close neighboring homes are, or the quality of a remodel. See the home in person and ask your agent what the listing doesn't say.