Finding Your Perfect Home

buying a home

Here are some tips for finding your new house:

1.) Always allow at least 24 hour notice to see any properties. Many listing agents don't use lockboxes yet, or the properties may have tenants in them, so don't ever plan on seeing anything the day you find out about it. It may happen occasionally, but you shouldn't plan on it.

2.) Weekend open houses - A great way to see a lot of houses quickly is to check out open houses on Saturday and Sunday. You can find out which ones are open by checking out the Real Estate section of the Times Picayune or going on Craigs list. Just beware, a lot of agents use open houses as an opportunity to look for new clients, so if you're working with an agent, be sure to tell that to the agent on duty at the open house.

3.) What should you look for when you're checking out a historic home? Maybe I should start by telling you what not to look for - the little things. If you're looking at a 150-year old home and you're worried about whether the door is level or the windows open smoothly, you may be looking at the wrong kind of house.

Historic homes in New Orleans were built with superior craftsmanship, but that doesn't mean they won't show their age a little. For one, historic homes won't be level. This means interior doors may catch a bit and you could even notice a slope in the floors, especially on a second floor. Inspectors have told me that because of the expansive soils in the area, the average historic, raised home in New Orleans will have a 4-6 inch differential between the highest and lowest point. It will be important for your inspector to determine what the slope is and to rule out any foundation problems.

Ask about the basics. Has the electric been upgraded to circuit breakers, or is it the old fuses? Has the interior wiring been changed? How old is the roof? What kind of roof is it? The three most common in New Orleans are sealtab, asebestos shingle and slate. Also check out the heating and cooling systems. This information should be in an MLS description sheet, but also verify it at the house. Is there central air? If not, and if there are only window units, verify the source of heat. It doesn't stay cold long here, but when it's cold, it's a wet cold, and you'll want heat! Do the window units have heaters or are there gas heaters or a floor furnace? Be aware that if you're getting an FHA loan, you'll need either a floor furnace or central heat to get your loan.

Also take note of the floorplan. Many homes in New Orleans are shotguns, what other parts of the country call railroad homes, where one room follows another without any hallways. A sidehall shotgun, on the other hand, has a hall on one side that allows for more privacy and some double (or duplex) shotguns have been renovated into singles with private rooms.

You'll also want to verify if there's a termite contract on the property. If there's not, you want to get one. Whether you pay for it or ask the seller to pay for it, or try to do it yourself, you're going to want to do something in New Orleans to guard against Formosan and drywood termites. You'll also want to have an inspection done to check for termites if you decide to buy the home.

4.) Making an offer - Let me know how motivated you are when you write your offer so I can work with you to present the best price and terms. For example, if you really want the house, I'll work hard to make sure we know about any other offers. However, if you only want the house if you can get it at a certain price, I'll present it to the listing agent or owner in a different manner. Remember, your designated agent can never disclose confidential information without your permission, so don't worry about saying "too much." Click here to find out more about how agents in New Orleans work. (link to buying a home - agency doc.)