Get Real Tacoma

Before I became a Realtor, I was a buyer.  I bought 2 houses before I became licensed, and I remember obsessively searching on different real estate companies websites.  It was always a struggle to sort through their layers of branding, “featured listings”, and mandatory sign-up sheets.   My fabulous Realtor (and now Real Estate BFF) Craig Bergstrom would find houses for me based on my criteria.  As a buyer on a budget, my criteria was changing constantly, and I loved searching through all the listings myself.

These days buyers have so many great home search sites beyond those offered by real estate companies.  I recommend Trulia to my clients, but there are many others.  My #1 Client Matt just sent me this article about using Google Maps in your real estate search, which I thought was fantastic.

What are some other sites that you have used successfully?

“Now is the time to buy.”  This is something that I hear a lot out there.  Most people look at the low interest rates and  huge price redutions going on in the housing market and say this.   In my opinion, whether or not it’s the time to buy depends entirely on your situation.  Are you planning to move in the next 2 years?  How secure is your job?  Is your family going to be growing or shrinking in the next couple years?   

Trulia has a great rent vs. buy calculator that can help you answer the question for yourself here.  These caluculators are fun and can be a great jumping off point for starting your decision making process.