I would drive around and learn as many areas as I could, see as many homes as possible from the exterior that met my needs, and then contact an experienced rebate broker who would share 50% of the real estate commission with me. Chandler and Gilbert are great places to live.

J Reeves,

Wow, well, I can see by the book of answers below you should probably have you head spinning off your shoulders by know with continual questions.

First of all, you should be looking at this if you are unfamiliar with Arizona:

http://www.trulia.com/blog/stew_keene/2009/02/how_to_researc…

Second, have a buyers Realtor set you up on an automated search for homes for sale in those areas so you can see what will and won't work for you. Be sure they have set up a portal (free service we can provide) where you can save those homes you spotted so you and the Realtor will have a reference to look back on and or in to before you arrive. Don't rely on internet search engine sites working off IDX info as most are very outdated. You want current information, not things a month old.

A Realtor earning your business should be providing you with things to see before you arrive such as these for example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=379ELMyNb9E and this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KS4I4o5fBA8

You also need to know how you plan to finance your purchase as does your Realtor.

So many more questions, so little time to type.

Regardless of who you choose to have provide you with the level of service you will need, I will be happy to help you on your way.

All The Best,


Stew Keene
Signature Realty Group
2008-2009 Master of Real Estate
GRI, ABR, E Pro, MRE, CNE, AHWD

Jreeves,

I think that one of the most important aspects of house hunting is the financing. I would recommend that you have a lender, and a real good idea about how much home you can afford before ever going out and looking at homes.

Once you have your finances established, then you need to decide what you are looking for in a new home. You should have an idea of what type of neighborhood you would want to live in first, and how far away from any job you are willing to live. Then you can think about the number of bedrooms, yard size, pool or not, garage size, etc. Some of this can be done on the internet before you arrive.

Once you have all this in place, then you are ready to come here and start your search. I would recommend that you spend at least the first several days driving the area to get a feel for travel times, freeway access, local shopping, schools, restaurants, entertainment, neighborhoods, etc.

At the same time, I would start talking/interviewing a few Realtors to determine who you may want to work with in purchasing your new home. Make sure you find someone you can trust. For the next several days during your stay, you and your agent can then start getting more specific about neighborhoods, and actually previewing homes.

Keep in maid that if you are not ready to purchase for 6 months, it really does you no good to find a home that you love now, as they may sell within your six month timeframe. However, you may find a neighborhood, model, builder, or general area you know you want to buy in. I would recommend that you allow at least 45 days to close on a home once an offer has been written, unless you are purchasing a short-sale, or a new build. If you are in a position to buy now, and move in 6 months, then you may be able to accomplish all this in one week.

Good luck, and let us know if we can help in any way. We have lived in Chandler for 13 years, and absolutely love it here in the East Valley. You can search for homes on our website as well.

It's not just the home you are buying. You are also buying into the neighborhood, community and lifestyle. So, spending all your time house hunting would not be the best use of time. Spend maybe a day or two looking at homes but the rest of the time should be spend investigating the neighborhood, schools, shopping, entertainment, dining, etc. You'll also want to spend a bit of time interviewing and finding the right Buyer's Agent for you and your needs. Jay is right that most experienced, full-time Buyer's Agents are booked up for about a week.

Before just randomly driving around looking at neighborhoods, where the homes may not be in your desired price range, here are my suggestions:
1- find the right Buyer's Agent for you and your needs
2- with your agent's help, find the homes in your price range
3- drive through those areas for a few days, looking at traffic, shopping, neighborhood feel, schools, etc.
4- if time allows, look at a few of them to get a feel for what you get for your money

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PAUL WELDEN
HomeSmart
480-241-0081

Jreeves,

Your first step will be to gather as much information as you can before your trip. It looks like you have already made up your mind on a specific are, which by the way those are two very nice cities in the valley. From there you need to decide what is important to you and your agent will be able to guide you in the right direction.

Your agent will also be able to set you up with a search containg all the properties that match your criteria. That way you will know what to expect before arriving and you will be able to start filtering them out. Those steps are very important to make the most of your time here.

I live and do most of my work in the East Valley (especifically Chandler) and will gladly assist you. Please visit my website for more information.

Welcome in advance to The Valley, I'm sure you are going to love it here!

Carlos J. Ramirez, PC, ABR, CNE
Associate Broker, HomeSmart -
http://www.SmartAZRealty.com

GREAT question!

We get a lot of buyers from out of town/state/country. Without fail, they seem to get the most out of a house hunting trip by spending the first day (or two) simply driving around. Eat at local restaurants, go into the grocery stores, drive through neighborhoods at night. If you have kids, and it's school season, set up an appointment to see a few schools up close and personal.

A week long house-hunting trip is grueling, but it's *really* important to get a feel of the areas, not just look at houses. My wife, bless her, has showed house hunters over 100 homes in a week. It's TOUGH on everyone, but it's important. You may only have a week to find a new place to live -- that's not much time for a decision of this magnitude. And what you *think* you want /have to have in a home may also change as you see homes. Be sure you're working with an agent that is flexible and able/willing to change course swiftly.

It never ceases to amaze me when we get calls (and it happens a lot) that go like this:

"Hi, we're in town for a week and would like to see some houses today."

Most of our agents are booked up at LEAST a week in advance. We can't drop everything to show a home. Be SURE to find an agent *in advance* that can help you house hunt. Sometimes appointments need to be made. If you come in town on a Monday, cruise some areas and call an agent on Wednesday, you may find it difficult to actually SEE homes. Plan in advance.

I agree completely with Patty. Look on-line. You can get a LOT of feel for homes and areas that way (though nothing beats seeing things in person). You're welcome to use my home search (linked below).

Call a few realtors and "interview" them. Trust your gut, you'll know if you're talking to the right agent.

Keep in mind too that it typically takes at least 30 days to close, once you've got an accepted offer. Plan accordingly! You'll want to have already spoken with a lender before you get to town so you'll know what you qualify for.

And it may be premature, but welcome to the East Valley! We've lived in Gilbert over 10 years and love it.

Hi! My name is Patty Fisch and I'm a Realtor in Chandler. I'd recommend that you work with a Realtor - they can make appointments for you and let you in to house - that way you can see all the ones you want without having to make phone calls and appointments yourself. I'd also recommend that you start your house hunt on-line first so you have a good idea of what you can get for the price range you're looking in. There are many internet sites with information, however I'd recommend that you get connected via a Realtor website that has direct access to the MLS listing services. That way you get info the same day as new listings hit the market or price changes occur. On weekends, there are many open houses as well.

I'd be more than happy to set-up a custom search for you in Chandler and Gilbert and let you know about various areas as well. I can recommend some neighborhoods if you give me more information about what you're looking for. If you're interested, just click on my name in blue and press the contact button.

Best wishes in your house hunting!