House hunting generates its share of horror stories. As soon as you announce your decision to buy a home in Destin, FL, friends will start regaling you with tales of long, arduous months spent tromping through home after home in their search for the perfect Destin vacation home. Don’t believe everything you hear. Finding a lovely residence or vacation home on Florida’s beautiful, beach-lined Gulf Coast needn’t be a nightmare. With the help of an experienced Destin Realtor , house hunting can be pleasant, quick and painless.
Use these tips to speed up the house hunting process:
· Know what you want. Spend some time reviewing homes on Destin Realtor websites and make a list of features you want in a home. Rank the features in order of how important they are to you with “must haves” at the top.
· Know what you can afford. Choose a mortgage lender and go through the pre-approval process. While pre-approval is not a guarantee that you’ll receive a loan (much depends on the home appraisal and your credit report), it gives you a price range to shop in.
· Know where you want to live. Research the area on the internet. Look at neighborhoods that meet your personal criteria. If you have children, you may want a community with excellent schools and activities for children. If you’re devoted to protecting the environment, you may want to live in one of the green Beaches of South Walton communities that are designed for pedestrian and bike travel. If golf is your game, one of the many golfing communities in the Destin area may suit your needs. Your South Walton Realtor can point out communities that have the atmosphere you’re looking for.
· Hire a Destin Realtor. An experienced Destin Realtor with an intimate knowledge of the local real estate market will be able to minimize house-hunting time by showing you homes that best meet your criteria.