House Hunting: Open Houses

For some potential homebuyers, open houses provide a way for them to start making a list of what they like and what they don’t. Often, open houses provide a casual environment to determine how online photos translate into the real world. For other homebuyers, open houses provide opportunities to see many homes with their real estate agent without setting up appointments with all the different sellers.


 If you choose to visit open houses, here are three ways to ensure that you don’t waste any time during your house hunt when you visit open houses.

    1.    Prepare in advance. Make sure you do your research and have a plan. Know what homes you are going to see and what order you’ll see them in. This will save a lot of time and potential headaches. Discuss your plan with your real estate agent in advance.
    2.    Take notes and compare properties. Right after you visit an open house, take some time to write down notes about the home. Identify property features, initial impressions, concerns, what you like, and what you don’t like. Don’t rely solely on your memory. You can view 10-20 houses before you start finding those you would consider buying, and often, you’ll want to go back and review a home you’ve visited. Once you’ve completed your open house tour for the day, compare your notes about the properties you saw. Discuss what you liked and didn’t like with your real estate agent.
    3.    Ask questions while visiting the open house. Don’t automatically assume that you can get all the information you need just by walking through the home. Ask the person on-duty if they are the listing agent and can answer questions you may have. Ask questions such as:

-       How long has the home been on the market?
-       Have the owners received any offers? If so, why were those offers rejected?
-       Why are the owners selling the home?
-       What amenities and/or furniture are being sold with the house?
-       What other costs are associated with owning the home (i.e. HOA fees, etc.)?

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