Now that you have your list of needs and wants and you know how much you can afford to spend, there are a few more things to consider. Step back for a moment and consider the larger picture. People don't just buy a house; they buy the neighborhood and the schools the house is in. Think about that...if you found the perfect house but it was in a neighborhood or school district that was not to your liking, would you make an offer on it? Most likely the answer would be, "No."

So, you will need to make another list of what type of neighborhood you want to live in. You will want to consider things like how living in the neighborhood will affect your drive time to and from work, what amenities are offered (swimming pool, tennis courts, park, etc.), and, if you have children who are attending school or soon will be, what school district you will be in and how close the schools are. You may even want to make two lists just like you did with your home criteria.

If you don't know much about the Atlanta area that you are considering moving to you will want to start your search by speaking to your Thompson Evans Realty Consultant to find neighborhoods that meet your criteria.  Then you will be able to narrow your search to homes in those areas.

Another good way to help decide where to look is to browse our website to find the right school(s) or study the maps to see where you are and or will be working, then discus the commute with coworkers that live in various directions from your office to see which commute is the best (then drive it yourself).

Your Thompson Evans Realty Consultant can save you time by taking the information from your list of needs and wants for your home, your pre-approval, and your list of needs and wants for the neighborhood and incorporating them into a broad search profile which will then be narrowed down to specific areas dictated by the market in which you will be looking. Your Thompson Evans Realty Consultant's experience in the local market will be an invaluable resource during this step.

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