Home hunting tips: How to find a house

Eager to find and purchase a home? It’s natural to feel excited. But be prepared: This process can also be stressful, especially considering the high costs involved and increased buyer competition nowadays. Consider that about 800,000 buyers purchased homes in the United States in August 2025 alone.

Before you decide to move forward on a home purchase, it’s important to ask yourself a few questions and explore how to balance your wants and needs with your budget.

Rocket Mortgage® can be a helpful resource to you during this home hunt. Read on to learn how to start looking for a house and how to find a house more efficiently, why it’s important to use a real estate agent, the differences between real estate agents and REALTORS®, house shopping best practices, and tips on finding open houses and for-sale-by-owner properties.

How to find a house to buy: 5 steps to follow

Getting off on the right foot as you embark on your home search requires following several proven steps, which can help you feel better prepared and confident. Let’s take a closer look at each stage of the journey and what’s involved.

Step 1: Determine your budget

Before you begin house hunting, it’s smart to figure out how much home you can afford. Use the Rocket Mortgage home affordability calculator to help determine an appropriate budget. Keep in mind that your mortgage payment isn’t the only cost you’ll incur each month as a homeowner. Be sure to factor these expenses into your budget, too:

• Property taxes
• Homeowners insurance
• Home maintenance and upkeep
• Homeowners association (HOA) fees
• Utilities (gas, electric, water, trash)
• Unexpected expenses (unforeseen home repairs)

“Determining your budget is the first and most important step in buying a home. Your income, monthly debts, credit score, and down payment size all play major roles in setting a limit on what you can truly afford without financial stress,” says personal finance expert Baruch Mann.

Use a mortgage calculator to estimate your monthly payments based on factors such as the home price, down payment, loan repayment term, and mortgage interest rate. In addition, be sure to get mortgage preapproval along with a preapproval letter, which is different from a prequalification letter. Here’s a breakdown of the two:

• Prequalification letter: When a lender says you’re prequalified for a certain amount, they’re providing a rough estimate of what you can afford based on a verbal confirmation of your income and any outstanding debts.
• Preapproval letter: A preapproval letter from a mortgage lender states the mortgage loan amount you’re likely to qualify for. With a preapproval letter, you’ll have a better understanding of your budget and spending. Since the amount is calculated from financial documentation, including your income and credit history, and not just self-reported numbers, it carries more weight than a prequalification letter.

Keep in mind that many real estate agents won’t work with buyers until they secure a mortgage preapproval – even if they’re prequalified.

Want to boost your chances of making a successful offer? Consider getting a Verified Approval Letter (VAL) from Rocket Mortgage. A VAL can make your offer stand out in a competitive market because it shows sellers that your financial profile – including your assets, credit score, and income – has been thoroughly vetted by our home loan experts. Verified Approval shows that you’re qualified and ready to buy.

Step 2: Create a list of must-haves, nice-to-haves, and deal-breakers

To ensure you start off on the right foot, take some time to prioritize what you want before you begin shopping for a home. Consider listing each room you’d like your house to have, then going room by room and describing the ideal amenities in that space.

Organize these features into three categories: must-haves, nice-to-haves, and deal-breakers. After going room by room, consider must-haves versus nice-to-haves for the home as a whole.

Must-haves

When something is a must-have, that means you simply can’t live without it. You can use this criterion to weed out homes that just won’t work. For example, you might absolutely need at least three bedrooms to accommodate your family. Perhaps you suffer from seasonal affective disorder and require a room with plenty of natural light for your remote home office. Or maybe you covet lots of garage space for extra storage – adding it to a list of must-haves means you can filter out garage-less homes from your search.

“Must-haves are nonnegotiable features, like being in a safe neighborhood, having a minimum number of bedrooms, or being within a certain school district you covet,” says Mann.

If a home doesn’t include one of your must-haves but boasts the space or potential for renovations to make it happen in the future, you may want to keep the house on your list as a viable option.

Nice-to-haves

Nice-to-haves are wishes, not essentials. They’re features you’d like to have in a home, but they aren’t at the top of your priority list. You might prefer that your new abode has a pool, updated appliances, a walk-in closet, a spiral staircase, or a fire pit, but it’s not a deal-breaker if any of these preferences are missing.

“Nice-to-haves are personal wants. These can include an extra bathroom, office space, an updated kitchen, and nice landscaping,” says Martin Feinberg, a REALTOR®/broker with Keller Williams in southern California.

Once you’ve narrowed down your house candidates, you can use your nice-to-have list to help make a final decision.

Deal-breakers

Home amenities you strongly prefer or absolutely require but are not included in a property for sale are considered deal-breakers. Likewise, undesirable features present in and around the home can also be deal-breakers. Examples include a home on a busy street, a house without central heating and air conditioning, a property with outdated electrical and plumbing systems, and an address in a high-crime area.

“At the top of your list of dealbreakers should be location – since that’s not something that money can change,” Feinberg says. “Ask yourself: Are you okay with the traffic in the area? Is there a noise that won’t be going away? If it’s a condo, is there a neighbor who has a history of disruption complaints?”

It’s a good idea to create a physical list of deal-breakers and must-haves that you can share with your real estate agent. This can eliminate a lot of unnecessary home viewings and frustrations as you hunt for the right property. Remember that agents use the multiple listing service to find homes for you; giving your agent this list helps them plug your preferences into their MLS search.

Step 3: Browse local homes on your own

Be proactive and start shopping for homes on your own, without your agent’s help. Doing this independently is a good first step. That’s because when you connect with your agent, you can present different examples of your most desired properties you found.

Browse houses for sale on your phone or computer to get a feel for your local housing market. Free house hunting websites and apps like Redfin can reveal how much homes sell for in your area, on average, and provide a more realistic idea of the type of home you can afford. Researching homes online also allows you to scope out potential neighborhoods for schools, shopping, crime rates, and anything else you might want to consider. Resources like Redfin allow you to filter homes by features and price, streamlining the process and providing organized access to listings.

Also, note that you can sometimes locate homes in local classified ads or social media groups that are not listed on other sites.

Additionally, drive around your desired neighborhoods and look for “For Sale” signs. Keep an eye out for For Sale By Owner (FSBO) homes, as well. These old-school tactics are still effective today and can even help you locate properties that will be for sale soon so that you can get a showing scheduled early.

“Owners will often have garage sales before listing their home for sale to clear out things. Drive around to those garage sales and ask the owner if they are planning on selling. You might get an inside track on an opportunity before the fact,” says Feinberg.

Compare your home buying budget to marketplace prices. Then, write down a few addresses and contact your real estate agent or the real estate companies that listed the homes you’re interested in.

Step 4: Connect with a real estate agent

A reliable real estate agent is an expert in your local market who can make house shopping easier and less stressful. They can help narrow your search and expedite the process, suggest how to get the most out of your budget, explain the complicated steps and jargon involved, and show you more homes than you’ll be able to view on your own. An agent is especially helpful if you want to make an offer on a short sale, foreclosure, or fixer-upper property.

Rather than steering you toward homes with a higher asking price that will likely boost their commission, a good real estate agent will carefully consider your individual needs when suggesting homes for you to view. Among the specific services they offer, an agent can:

• Conduct an MLS search to help you find the right home.
• Arrange home viewings.
• Communicate your questions to the seller’s agent.
• Help you draw up an offer.
• Handle home price negotiations and concessions.
• Walk you through the closing process.

“A good agent is a true professional who will give you way more insight than you can find online,” says Cynthia Mattiza, an agent with Kuper Sotheby’s in Austin, Texas. “If you hire a true local expert, they will give you all the insider scoop, describe the culture of the area, and provide all the education you need to feel informed.”

Mann agrees, noting that in an environment of high mortgage rates and slower sales, agents can use local expertise to negotiate better terms and lower closing costs on your behalf.

“This expert acts as your advocate, helping you avoid costly mistakes while keeping your emotions balanced throughout the entire buying process,” he says.

You may be wondering: What’s the difference between a real estate agent and a REALTOR^®?

• A real estate agent is a professional who has passed the necessary licensing examinations to do real estate business in your state.
• REALTORS^® are real estate professionals – including real estate agents – who are members of the National Association of REALTORS^®. They must hold a valid real estate license, be active in the market, adhere to a strict code of ethics, and have a clean professional conduct record.

Whether or not you choose an agent or REALTOR^®, this expert can be a great help while house hunting. It’s best to work with one who is also certified as an Accredited Buyer’s Representative (ABR^®). You might also consider a professional who holds a real estate broker license, which means they’ve furthered their real estate education.

Ask for references from previous home buyers and interview a few candidates before committing to an agent. You’ll be spending a lot of time together, so pick an agent whose personality meshes well with yours, and make your expectations and needs clear upfront.

Step 5: Visit houses in person

There’s no substitute for seeing a home in person. Being present on site can give you a better idea of the size and features of the home. You can note areas of improvement or repairs that may be needed before you make an offer. And you’ll be able to test things on site, like sinks and toilets, to ensure they function and are quiet. If you notice any defects with your own eyes, you can consult with your agent and determine if you want to ask for a seller credit to resolve any major fixes needed.

“There’s a special feeling you get when walking into a house. I’ve seen buyers experience this countless times,” says Mattiza.

The primary ways to see a home in person are:

• Open houses, during which anyone can tour the home for sale.
• Private showings, which are personal viewings you can schedule with your real estate agent.

Visiting in person also allows you to inspect the neighborhood.

It’s hard to gauge aspects like traffic and noise by simply looking at photos. Remember that where you buy a house is just as important as which home you buy. If you haven’t yet narrowed down a home you like, your real estate agent can help you explore different neighborhoods as well as properties. Drive around areas you’re interested in and compare local amenities and features while keeping your budget top of mind. As you tour more homes and check out each neighborhood, you’ll get a better idea of the right home and community for you.

“While driving around, check out the local parks, see who the potential neighbors may be, and get an idea of the lifestyle that the area offers by immersing yourself in the neighborhood,” adds Mattiza.

The bottom line: You can house hunt with confidence if you have a plan

Finding the right home can take some time, and shopping around for houses often requires some careful planning. Start by setting a realistic budget and getting a mortgage preapproval from a lender. Then, look closely at your local housing market and partner with a trusted and knowledgeable real estate agent who can help you find houses in your price range and make an offer. Decide on your ideal home needs, and narrow your search from there. When you find a few properties that interest you, schedule visits and attend open houses in person.

Ready to start house shopping? Begin the mortgage approval process today.