Helpful tips to keep in mind when finding your new house:

It is important to visit the house various times of the day.  See how much traffic the street gets during rush hour times.  You can also see if there are any disturbing lights at night such as bright street lights, passing car’s headlights that shine directly into a window and so on.

Check with the city or county to see if there are any proposed projects that are planned for your neighborhood such as a proposed power line going in that may obscure your view.

Get familiar with the neighbors.  See who is actually renting around your house and who actually owns.

Find out if there is an association.  Find out how often the community gets together, if they do.  If they plan events such as block parties this is a good sign they care about their community and will want to keep it safe and nice.

Ask the sellers what problems the house has had in the past.  If any, inquire as to whether they have been fixed or not.

Without a doubt, get a home inspection.  Some problems are obvious while others may not be.  Staying knowledgeable about what needs to be fixed once the home is yours will help you be able to negotiate a lower price or at least prepare you for costs you’re soon to incur.

Ask about utility bills so you can get an idea of extras you will be paying if you are to purchase the house.  While high ceilings or walls of glass may look beautiful, remember that during the summer and winter months your energy bills may be costly.

Rethink the extras such as a pool or only having a one car garage.  While a pool is nice, it is also expensive to keep up.  And can you live with a one car garage?

If you are new to the area, explore it first.  You will want to find out if your nice quaint little neighborhood backs up to a dumpy commercial area or if it is near an airport, train station, etc where you may experience excessively loud noise.