Househunting Tips

The Next Step: Finding Your Home

Once you are pre-qualified, or pre-approved, it’s time to go shopping for a home! (Not ready for this step yet? Read our article for how to get started as a first time home buyer.)

How to Narrow Down Your Search

There are many online tools available to help you research the market, look at neighborhoods, learn about schools and more. The amount of information may be overwhelming. So, how do you know what type of property to buy or which location where you should look?

Here are some tips:

Look for homes below your loan budget. In some highly desired areas where the market is competitive, you may have to bid against multiple offers. If you leave yourself some room to negotiate, you won’t have to worry about going over budget.
Make a wish list of everything you want. These would include things like the number of bedrooms and full bathrooms, square footage, front and back yard space, green capability and more. Prioritize based on “must haves” and those you are willing to let go of. Be prepared to give and take as you are looking at homes.
Know the difference between cosmetic repairs and serious work needed. Homes that appear to be a bargain often need work. The idea is to look as closely as you can to determine if the home needs major renovation or just some cosmetic updates. Old paint or floor coverings are relatively low cost and can make a huge difference. On the other hand, if a home needs a kitchen or bath remodel or a new roof, those are serious costs to consider. Your licensed Realtor® may help you determine this prior to making an offer. The real details will come out during a home inspection once you’re in contract. Some sellers may have already had an inspection and offer it for review prior to the offer.
Visit the neighborhood at different times of day and different days. Perhaps there are traffic patterns that you aren’t aware of, or neighborhood noises on certain days of the week. For example, if you are looking near a school, visit the neighborhood during start and end times to see if you’re home would be impacted by an increase in traffic during those times. If you visit on a weekend and people are out and about, don't be shy! Ask them what they love or don't love about the neighborhood.
School districts may matter. Looking for a home in a highly credited public school district could benefit you in several ways:
- If you’re planning to start a family or already have children, good public schools are coveted.
- Your ability to resell a home in a good school district is something to consider even if you won’t have kids in public schools. Good school districts tend to increase the value of a home. Ask your real estate professional about this when you’re looking.

Consider other factors, such as commute times, HOA dues, crime rates and accessibility to resources. These are all things to consider when you’re shopping for your first home. If something is a deal-breaker, such as a long commute, that will help you narrow down your search radius and neighborhoods.

Finding your perfect home can be fun, yet daunting. If you're looking for a real estate agent to help you, check out our post with tips for finding your Realtor®.

See What Our Customers Are Saying

"Scott made the process seamless from end to end. My questions were answered with honesty. If he did not have an immediate answer, Scott will research with his organization, and get back with me within the committed time. My out-of-state mortgage refinancing transaction closed within three weeks to my satisfaction. Great job and professional courtesies received from Scott and his team members who interacted with me. Would recommend Scott to anyone without hesitation."

Dominique from North Carolina

Jon Mullinix and Chris Channell both helped me with the purchase of my first home. They were both very professional and knowledgeable about the purchase. Being a first time homebuyer is never easy, I had a lot questions that needed to be answered about my mortgage and did not know what to expect. Jon and Chris were always available and answered every question that I had. I was impressed with both their patience and low pressure attitude. They were both available during weekends, holiday weekends at that. The process went very smoothly and I look forward to working with them more in the future. Thank you both!

Charles from Indiana

Right from the start, Jon was personable and intelligent. After the circus that is lending companies, Jon's help and advice was absolutely priceless!

I had been getting completely ambushed by other lending companies fighting to refinance my home at cut throat rates.

AT COST TO HIMSELF, he helped me simply because it was in my best interests. If thats not customer care, i dont know what is.

Jon listened to my entire situation, considered it from all angles, and recommended the best course of action while educating me on why it was and most beneficial.

Thank you.

Customer from Clarksville, TN

Ted was a pleasure to work with, he really took his time to explain things and educate us about the process. Never pushed for us to do anything we weren’t comfortable with (as previous lenders tried), I did not start the process initially with him, I really wish I had though, things would’ve been so much more smooth for us. His assistant was also always helpful. I was always able to reach them both when needed via email text and phone. I will definitely call him for any future needs.

Jen from Columbia, MD

very good rate; low fee; save me $2000 at closing with lender credit;

quick settlement in 2-3 weeks;

amazing service; will use again;

hard working (work weekends and quick response overnight)

Xiahe from Herndon, VA

Bin (Lillian) was great. I had my reservations when we began my refi process because her and I did not have an existing relationship, but everything went very smoothly and closed as expected. She was responsive, transparent and flexible in meeting my requirements. She’s knowledgeable and professional

Cole from Redwood City, CA

I found Brian through Zillow. He is the main reason that today I am sitting in my home typing this review. He was the one who referred and introduced me to a great real estate agent who helped me find my current home. Brian helped in closing my home on time in under 10 days after an internet lender put weird conditions for loan approval. Importantly, Brian did not take advantage of my dire situation 10 days before closing. He was able to convince his Manager and was able to closely match the interest rate offered by the internet lender. He was honest, open and always very responsive to my questions. He even was kind enough to speak to the Sellers Agent and ally her fears about closing on time. He literally worked 24/7 to get the my paper work ready for submission to the under writer and as promised helped me close my home on time. I strongly recommend him to anyone on the lookout for a loan officer with very high integrity and ethics.

Chandra from Aldie, VA

Brian and his team were extremely helpful and quick to get my loan done as seamlessly and worry free as I could have ever asked for! Highly recommend you giving them a call!

Sean from Arlington, VA

All you need from a lender when you have never met him in person, is for him to inspire trust and be truthful to his word. Jon has been all of that for me and my family during our Mortgage refinancing process. He was always available and was able to answer every concerns or questions we had. He gave us the peace of mind during the process and for that we are very thankful Jon. Job well done

Stephane from Novi, MI

Brian is a hard-working individual and was a pleasure to work with. He was dedicated to working with the bank underwriters directly to help my family finance the home of our dreams at only 3.5% interest. Brian made himself available to guide us every step of the way and answer any questions. He was even able to refer me to an amazing realtor, Zach. We were able to close within a month. I 100% recommend Brian to anyone searching for financing for a new home.

Ashe from Fort Washington, MD

This is my first time refinancing my home since purchasing it last year. Brian made everything easy, answered all my questions no matter what time the day or night, and kept me up to date every step of the way. I highly recommend Brian Callan of WEI Mortgage LLC. Thank you Brian and I look forward to doing business with you again in the future.

Customer from McDonough, GA

My experience with Jonathan was great. Not a lot of lenders are familiar with streamlining a VA loan, he knew what I needed and the service was great. He kept in contact with me throughout the process and we closed the loan in 13 days.

Customer from Ogden, UT

This is the second mortgage we are getting from Brian and WEI Mortgage and his competence is unquestionable - especially guiding you through the intricacies of the mortgage process and his responsiveness to questions and concerns. I will not hesitate to use him again and recommend him in the strongest possible terms.

Malu, Washington D.C.

Brian worked with my fiancé and I to get us the best loan for our first home purchase. Day or night by email, phone, or text: Brian responded to all of our questions so quickly! He walked us through anything that we didn’t fully understand and he always checked in with updates to make sure that we had a clear picture of everything needed prior to and on closing day. Brian referred us to a great realtor and he has worked with several of my family members to refinance or buy a home. Brian is extremely knowledgeable and reliable! We highly highly recommend him!

Melissa from Frederick, MD

Jon contacted me to refinance my home and gave me a very good deal. He was very attentive and checked in often to make sure everything went smoothly, even later in the day. He was on top of everything, and I would highly recommend him to any home buyer or anyone looking to refinance.

Elise from Franklin, MA

The Next Step: Finding Your Home

How to Narrow Down Your Search

Get in touch with Arc Home.

See What Our Customers Are Saying