Do houses in your future hometown sell days after being listed, or weeks? Or months? The answer can affect your long-distance homebuyer strategy. If you’re able to take your time, you might be able to flag a number of listings and plan a trip to visit them. If you have to make decisions in a hurry, you’ll want to plan your house-hunting process in a super strategic way for maximum efficiency.

Use internet sleuthing and the advice of local real estate agents to understand your expected timeline, as well as other potential quirks of the local market.

No matter how great the house is, if it’s not in the right neighborhood, it’s not the right home for you. Whether you’re hoping to walk to your favorite bar at midnight or make sure your kids can fall peacefully to sleep at 8 p.m., internet searches can only take you so far in finding your perfect match.

Get the real story from those in the know: locals. Trulia’s What Locals Say feature gives homebuyers unique insights from real residents about their own neighborhoods, like how many people decorate for the holidays, and how dog-friendly the area is.

Neighborhoods also often have a Facebook group or another online presence that can be worth checking out. “Don’t be shy to interact with the group, and ask all of your questions about the area,” says Evan Roberts, a Baltimore real estate agent.

Perspective is valuable when buying a home, and the more listings you look at, the more perspective you have. “Buyers often search online prior to contacting me,” says Bruce Ailion, an Atlanta real estate agent and attorney. “This is how the search for a specific home begins.” He recommends paying close attention to the following in every listing:

• Valuation tools, like home value estimates and comparable home sales info
• Detailed demographic info, like school ratings and crime rates
• Sales histories
• Tax records

A trusted agent is essential for every home purchase, but even more so when you’re house hunting from afar. Getting personal referrals and prescreening agent candidates are critical steps to finding an agent willing to the extra mile for you. Ailion says to pick someone who “will go to the property and take pictures and videos—see if the property and neighborhood pass the smell test.” Ask potential agents if they’re willing to take you on a live video call walk-through in every potential home.

When strategizing how to find a home from afar, avoid hiring just any old inspector. Like your local agent, this person’s judgment could make or break your home buying decision, so do your homework. It’s worthwhile to hire a home inspector who may cost more than others, but has stellar ratings and is willing to share references for you to call.

Of course, you don’t want to lose every home you put an offer on because of too many contingencies, but you don’t want to skip your due diligence either.  Relying on the advice or your agent, build as many contingencies (like an inspection, appraisal, or final walk through) into your offer as you can while still submitting a competitive offer.

Ideally, you’d fly in to see a home before making an offer, or at least during the contingency period. But if you do, spend your time wisely. “During your whirlwind weekend of home searching, spend several days as if you lived there,” says Ali Wenzke, founder of the blog The Art of Happy Moving. She suggests doing the following on your trip:

• Stay in a hotel or Airbnb in your target neighborhood
• Try your work commute during rush hour
• Visit the local grocery store
• Check out the things you’ll want to do, like visiting the local dog park
• Ask yourself if neighborhood feels like the best fit

Once you understand how to find a home from afar, if you’re not comfortable with the process, rent a house or apartment for a month or two (or six) until you are. “Renting gives you the flexibility to search for homes at your leisure,” says Wenzke.

About Empire Appraisal Group, Inc.

Establish in 2005, Empire Appraisal Group, Inc., is Broward County’s leading residential appraisal company as a result of their accurate and reliable appraisals, excellent customer service, and quick turn times.  When working with an appraiser, integrity and professionalism are essential, and Empire Appraisal Group has a well-established reputation for providing the best appraisal experience.  Daniel Lindeman, the Chief Appraiser, is considered one of the top property appraisers in Florida, with nearly 15 years of expertise and 7,000+ appraisals to his credit.

We ‘specialize’ in helping people who need appraisals for estate purposes, divorce, bankruptcy, FSBO’s and more.

We also work closely with realtors to help establish listing prices, these pre-listing appraisals ensures sellers get top dollar for their home.

In addition, to homes of all shapes and sizes, we also appraise condos, multifamily homes, boat docks, land, as well as specialty properties. No job is too big or too small, from manufactured homes to mansions.

Call Empire Appraisal Group directly with any questions concerning your real estate values at 561-441-9298.  Also, check out our ‘Reviews’ page and see what others are saying about Daniel Lindeman and Empire Appraisal Group, Inc.

We provide residential appraisal services to all cities in Broward County:  Parkland, Coral Springs, Coconut Creek, Dania Beach, Cooper City, Davie, Deerfield Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Sunrise, Hallandale Beach, Hillsboro Beach, Hollywood, Lauderdale by the Sea, Lauderdale Lakes, Lauderhill, Lighthouse Point, Margate, Miramar, North Lauderdale, Oakland Park, Pembroke Pines, Plantation, Pompano Beach, Sea Ranch Lakes, Tamarac, Weston, Wilton Manors.