First I would like to say THANK YOU for asking this very important question. I think that you need to find an agent that stands out in the crowd. Someone who is going to work for YOU not just the general buyer. You need to have a face to face meeting to go over your "must haves" and then have another list of things you would like to have in your new home. Your agent will then have an idea of what you are looking for and can send you the more specific listings that meet your criteria.
It does sound like you are an educated consumer and I can gather that just by reading your in-depth question. If you go to my website at
http://www.LisasHomeListings.com you can get more info on my services. You can also search thousands of homes in the Atlanta Area market and get local school info as well as neighborhood info.
Remember to be up-front with your Realtor in the beginning so that they can help you better in the long run!!
- Wed Feb 13 2008, 15:38