When buying a house, everyone has priorities. The buying process is complex and takes time, and it’s easy to get off track. Having written priorities is a helpful way to guide you through the process without forgetting some of the features that are important to you and your family. Your realtor will also want to understand your prioritized list. Understanding which features mean the most will help eliminate houses that won’t work for you and compare the homes that will.

Buyers want to find a location that allows easy access to the places they frequent the most (work, school, shopping, recreation, place of worship, friends and family). Look for easy access to the main roads and check traffic flow. Checking this out before a purchase can help save you from hassles getting out of the neighborhood and onto the main thoroughfare or from an unreasonably long commute.