Home buyers usually spend several months in the browsing stage. And that’s all to the good. Learning about the market and your own needs and wishes will help you make better decisions when you’re ready to look seriously.

Setting up a simple search [‘search’ hyperlinked to Buy landing page] based on price and location is the best way to browse. You can have new listings that match your search criteria delivered to your email address.

If you don’t know what you can afford, click here for a mortgage calculator. If you’re new to Portland or would like to learn more about its neighborhoods, click here and here.

While browsing and researching online, you should also get out and about. Try driving, walking, shopping and dining in neighborhoods of interest at different times of the day. Attend open houses for properties you like. Opens are often announced when a new listing hits the market.

Especially if you’re a first-time buyer, it can be very helpful to meet with a mortgage broker or lender. You can start taking steps now to ensure that you qualify for a mortgage on the best possible terms. To learn more about financial preparations for buying a home, click here. [‘here’ hyperlinked to “How do I prepare financially to buy a home?” above]

If you don’t know a good mortgage broker, contact me [‘contact me’ hyperlinked to Contact page] for some recommendations.