Open House Tours Help You See for Yourself

It's no secret: There's no shortage of homes for sale. Navigating the many online listings can be overwhelming. Attending open houses is a great way to cut down your search time and get a firsthand feel for how properties compare. Create a fun Saturday afternoon out of your open house tour, and promise your companions breaks for lunch and ice cream! Online listings are a great start, yet visiting a property is the best way to see its unique characteristics. Seeing it for yourself allows you to get a true sense of the scale of the home and the lot, as well as the surrounding neighborhood. Create a loose itinerary for your tour and include four to eight properties within reasonable driving distance of one another. Be sure to allow at least 30 minutes for each stop. Bring copies of each property's online listing, taking time before your stop to note specific questions you have for the Realtor. Take notes during the open house for later reference.