On any given day there are about 5000 homes for sale in Calgary and the surrounding area. With a systematic and targeted search you should be able to find the home you're looking for in a relatively short period of time.

If you are not ready to buy a home within the next 10 weeks, but plan to buy a home within the next year, you should begin familiarizing yourself with the Real Estate market. The best way to do this is to review the local Real Estate newspapers on a weekly basis, browse the MLS.ca website and attend open houses whenever it's convenient. Try and visit several different districts with a good mix of styles and ages of homes. This will help you determine the features you like most, gain a good understanding of what market rates are and where you will concentrate your search when you begin in earnest.

If you are ready to buy a home within the next 6 to 10 weeks, follow these steps to maximize the effectiveness of your search.

Pre Qualify

If you are going to require financing of any sort or any amount, it will save you a world of frustration if you go through the motions now. Pre Qualifying will enable you to determine exactly how much you can afford. You will usually also be offered a set interest rate for a period of time. This can save you thousands if interest rates rise while you're looking for your home. When you find the home of your dreams and there is someone else who also wants to buy it, you want to be in a position to act fast and with confidence. Read the Obtaining Financing section of this website for more information.

Choose a Realtor

In addition to getting professional representation to help you through the logistical and legal process of buying a home, you will get access to up to the minute MLS information. The data on the public Internet version of the MLS is a minimum of 48 hours out of date, and as such the best deals are often missed without a Realtor. Best of all, the services of a Realtor are usually free when you're buying (Real Estate commissions are usually paid by the seller). Alpha One Real Estate offers all our Buyer services free of charge.

Create a Checklist

A home search can last several weeks and involve dozens of homes. You should have a uniform method of evaluation and keep a record of each home you visit. It can be as simple as giving each home a number from 1-10, or can be a checklist of all your desired features that you fill out as you view each home, or anything in between.  This will allow you identify easily which homes work best for you regardless of when in your search you actually visited them.

Start Looking

Be sure to include homes that are a little outside your range in all respects. If your financial limit is $400,000 you may want to look at homes listed up to $410,000 as they may be overpriced and willing to sell within your range. If you are ideally looking for a 2 storey home 1800 sqft., you may want to visit some which are a little less. The way square footage is measured, it is possible for a 1700 sqft. 2 storey home to have more total living space in many cases. Plus some floor plans can make a home seem larger than it is.

Make sure you take your Realtor with you to any home you visit, even if it's an open house or a show home. This will ensure you don't unintentionally create a situation where it is unclear who legally represents you.

Revisit the Short List

After you have viewed all the potential homes, get out your checklist and have your Realtor setup appointments to see the highest ranked homes one more time. This is an important step as over time the way in which you determine a rank may have changed slightly. You may discover you like the "8" you saw two weeks ago better than the "9" you saw yesterday. During this second visit, be sure to imagine yourself living there. Sit on the couch, open cupboards, take an extra good look at the little things you may have overlooked before.

Determine Market Value

Before you put in an offer on a house, be sure you have a good idea of its market value. Many homes are listed way too high and a good Realtor will always take the time make sure you don't unknowingly pay too much.

Negotiate

Once you know the value of the house, you will know what you're willing to pay for it. Never offer that amount right off, always offer less. How much less and by what increments you increase your offer will depend on the dynamics of the individual situation. In addition to money, there are plenty of other things that can be negotiated. Appliances, possession dates, deposits, conditions and just about anything else can be negotiated to help get the best deal possible. A Realtor with strong negotiation skills can assist in this process and often save you thousands of dollars.