How do you find a new home in a city in which you don't yet live?
If you're anything like Ritch Holben and Ken De Loreto, you have a specific idea of what you're looking for — and you send a lot of emails. Holben and De Loreto sent real-estate agent Ines Hegedus-Garcia 649 emails while they were hunting for a winter home in Miami in 2008.
"(They) sent very descriptive 'wants.' They showed up one weekend, I showed them a few properties and they bought one of them," Hegedus-Garcia says of the couple, who now spend half of the year at their Miami condo and the other half at their home in Massachusetts.
Before she met her new clients, Hegedus-Garcia knew not to show them anything with diagonal tile or a cookie-cutter floor plan, that they needed a dog-friendly place and that they wanted to be close to water. These are only a few of the must-haves and don't-wants the couple outlined in their many exchanges.
"The last thing we wanted was to fly down to Miami and see things that didn't fit," De Loreto says. "We figured the more we could describe and depict what we wanted, the more a potential Realtor could fine-tune what we might look at together."
Hunting for a house or apartment remotely is certainly tougher than finding a new place in a market you're already familiar with, but there are a few tricks that can make it a little easier.
1. Decide whether you want to rent or buy
Before you can start hunting, you need to know what you're looking for.
If you know you're going to live in the new place for a while and are familiar with the area, you may feel comfortable finding a home to buy.
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But because buying a home is such a huge decision, many people who relocate choose to rent before they buy, says real-estate agent Julie Holden of Austin, Texas.
"By renting, you can get to know your new home a little better before making a permanent decision," she says.
2. Do your research
Just because you're not there doesn't mean you can't gather as much information as possible to aid in your search. Here are a few resources you can use:
Your network. Even if you don't have a friend or family member in your new city, someone you know likely does. Ask everyone you know if they have a contact you can use while hunting for a home. This contact could recommend neighborhoods or point you in the direction of a good real-estate agent or apartment-hunting service. Offer to buy dinner for your helper once you get settled, and maybe you'll make a new friend while you're at it.
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The Internet. You can do a lot of research online. These sites can help you get to know a new community.
- Community message boards: On sites such as City-data.com, you can ask about a community and get feedback from people who live there.
- Chamber of Commerce websites: Most cities have sites that will give you information about demographics, climate and even housing options in the area.
- Local news websites: Get a feel for what's newsworthy in the community. You may also find information about up-and-coming areas or spot trends in crime.
- Crime data: Some police departments have online crime databases that can show which parts of a city have higher crime rates. If you can't find this information online, call the police department and ask if it can share crime data.
- Schools: If you have children, you want to live somewhere with quality schools. Sites such as Greatschools.org can provide insight.
- Walkability: If you're looking for a walkable community, plug potential addresses into a site such as Walk Score and see how close the nearest park, grocery store and restaurant are.
- Apartment communities: Many larger apartment communities may have online reviews on sites such as Apartmentratings.com.
- Check out the manager: Research apartment-management companies by checking for complaints on the local Better Business Bureau website.
- Find an agent: Sites like Realtor.com can help you find a real-estate agent to help narrow your search. (Realtor.com is an MSN Real Estate partner.)
The phone. Online research is one thing, but sometimes you need to talk to an actual person, even if it's just over the phone. You can call and talk to a real-estate agent or apartment broker to help in your search, or call and chat with a property or apartment manager. Even on the phone, you can get a feel for how responsive a potential landlord or agent will be.
3. Get professional help
You can — and should — enlist the help of a real-estate agent in your new city, whether you're renting or buying.
Chicago real-estate agent Linda Kemp specializes in relocation services. Having moved across the country nine times herself, she understands what her clients are going through. She encourages people to contact a real-estate agent or broker to help in the search.
"I wouldn't understand why someone would want to go it alone," she says. "(Agents are) not going to turn up their nose at you because you are a renter. They want the repeat business and want you to refer them to a friend.
"(An agent) may not make a lot of money on the rentals, but my gosh, you have a client for life if you help (a renter)."
Agents and brokers aren't your only options if you want help from a professional. Many apartment-hunting services are free to renters or charge only a small fee.
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Seattle Apartment Finders is one such service that's free to renters. President Becki Beusch says most of the company's clients are relocating from out of state, and many have never even visited.
The service helps renters find a place that fits their budget and other needs. But sometimes, one of the most valuable things it can do is provide a reality check when it comes to things such as prices and commute times.
Another advantage of working with a professional company to find an apartment: safety. Many apartment-search companies will work only with rental companies that do background checks on all tenants.
"We want to make sure that wherever you move, everybody has had a background check," Beusch says. "That's something that's important no matter what city you live in."
If you're moving for a job, your company may provide assistance in finding a place. Be sure to ask your new co-workers where they live; you could narrow down potential locations based on their commute times.
"Don’t be swayed by the best 'deal' you can find or the awesome gourmet kitchen in that building that is too far from your job," says Tammy Kotula, public-relations and promotions manager for Apartments.com. "If it’s in the wrong location or doesn’t have the fitness center you need, it could end up being an unpleasant living experience or costing you more in the long run."
4. Be specific
The more your agent or broker knows about exactly what you want, the better the results will be. Holden uses a client's wish list to create custom searches based on things such as geographical location, price point and neighborhood amenities. A buyer can use virtual tours and photos to get a feel for architecture, interior design, age of homes and features. Holden can then narrow and adjust the search based on what the buyers like and dislike.
A real-estate agent can also provide information about schools, parks, entertainment options, shopping, local taxes and living expenses. A buyer who has only a few days to house hunt in person can arrive armed with information on the best places to look.
In a few rare situations, an agent will need to understand a buyer's preferences well enough to make decisions on behalf of the buyer.
"Our experience tells us that people need to look at a place before buying it, especially if they are going to live there," Hegedus-Garcia says. "We have, however, sold properties sight unseen on numerous occasions."
5. Make a trip or two
You can use an agent or broker to do some of the heavy lifting in a long-distance search, but you're the one who will live in the home. If possible, plan to visit your new city and look at a few properties in person. If you've done your research and found a professional to help in the search, you should only have to look at properties that fit your wish list.
If you can't visit in person, consider temporary housing for the first few weeks to give yourself time to get to know the area and find a place that works for you.
6. Tap into social media
One of Holden's colleagues sold a home on Twitter.
"It was in a very hot area, and some out-of-state buyers saw a tweet about one of her new listings," Holden says.
Based solely on photos and the house's description, they decided it was the right home for them.
"That's an unusual situation," Holden says, but it highlights the power of social media like Twitter and Facebook. "They make it that much easier for buyers to have up-to-the-minute information."
You probably won't want to buy a home through social media, but many agents have Facebook pages and Twitter feeds that can provide listings for homes in the area, as well as the inside scoop on a hot neighborhood or quality school district.
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