Guidelines for buying your home from Deb Olender. Your Realtors job is to be an objective medium in the process to ensure your needs and interests are met and protected.

• Be open and upfront with your realtor. They work for you and can do their job best when they have all the details of your needs and preferences. 
• Buy a home in the best neighbourhood you can afford, not the best house you can afford in a less-desirable neighbourhood. It is nearly always better to have the least expensive home in the area, rather than the priciest.
• Location, Location, Location – still rings true through the years!
• There is no “perfect home”, so be familiar with your needs and preferences, and be prepared to make compromises (and also to enjoy unexpected surprises!)
• If you are likely to resell soon, stay away from unusual or unique homes.
• School districts vary in quality, and even if that doesn’t matter to you personally, it may one day be important to another buyer.
• Visualize the homes that you view as though they are vacant. Decorating that is not to your taste should not steer your decision, and the current furnishings will go with the owner.
• Vacant homes look much bigger than they are. If your home is vacant when viewing, take measurements to be certain your furniture will fit comfortably.
• Changing layouts, doorways, and renovating kitchens and bathrooms can be very expensive, so if possible you should look for a home you won’t want to change significantly. 
• Educate yourself on the market as much as possible before you buy it. Your realtor can help.
• Be mindful of the original listing dates on properties you are interested in. Sellers will be more open to price negotiation if their home has been on the market for a while.
• Obtain a mortgage pre-approval before you make an offer, and choose a fixed-rate mortgage if interest rates are low at the time you plan to buy. Compare mortgages carefully, some carry hidden costs.
• Many buyers just ‘know’ when they have found the right home. Your realtor is there to objectively ensure your needs are met, and then to protect your interests during the buying process.