Most MLS systems that agents use to find homes contain search parameters. Some will let you exclude certain types of criteria, which might be more helpful to you than you may first think. If, for example, you absolutely do not want to buy a home with carpeting, your agent can exclude all homes with carpeting from your search requirements.

The more closely you define parameters, the fewer homes you may find that are available to you. If you include too many parameters, you may not find any homes at all. If is best to be more general and less specific. Plus, bear in mind that information exported is only as good as the information imported, and some agents might leave certain fields blank.

Location, Location, Location

This is the first rule of real estate. Location is the most important yet the most often overlooked rule. If you have to choose between a home with all of the amenities you want in a bad location or a home in a good location with only some of the amenities, choose the home with the good location.

Narrow your list to your top 3 to 5 neighborhoods. Talk to the neighbors to find out if these areas are indeed where you might want to live. Let your agent know the ZIP codes you would like, or define the area by street boundaries so your agent can draw a map search.

• Types of Locations
  1. View of Coastal, City or Hills
  2. Waterfront — River, Ocean, Lakefront
  3. Greenbelt
  4. Golf Course
  5. Suburban
  6. City
  7. Raised Elevation or Mountains
  8. Cul De Sac
  9. Dead End Street
  10. Gated Community

Construction, Exterior, Style, Roof and Yard Amenities and Features

As a child, I drew home layouts in the street with drywall chalk from new construction sites. My dream home back then looked like Cinderella’s castle at Disneyland. We all have some idea of what our perfect home would look like. But again, you’ll get better results from excluding certain types than by choosing too many particulars.

• Home Construction
  1. Adobe
  2. Brick
  3. Concrete Block
  4. Log
  5. Metal
  6. Stone
  7. Straw
  8. Wood
• Home Exterior
  1. Brick
  2. Cement Siding
  3. Lap Siding
  4. Metal Siding
  5. Vinyl Siding
  6. Shingle
  7. Stone
  8. Stucco
  9. Veneer
  10. Wood
• Style of Home
  1. A-Frame
  2. Bungalow
  3. Colonial
  4. Contemporary
  5. Cottage
  6. Dome
  7. Log
  8. Mediterranean
  9. Ranch
  10. Spanish
  11. Tudor
  12. Victorian
• Roof
  1. Composition Shingle
  2. Concrete Tile
  3. Metal
  4. Rock
  5. Shake
  6. Slate
  7. Tar
  8. Tile
  9. Wood
• Yard
  1. Size of Lot
  2. Swimming Pool / Sport pool
  3. Spa
  4. Sauna
  5. Steam Room
  6. Fireplace or fire pit
  7. Built-in BBQ
  8. Outdoor Kitchen
  9. Courtyard
  10. Patio — Covered or Uncovered
  11. Deck
  12. Tennis Courts
  13. Trees and Landscaping
  14. Gardens
  15. Lawn
  16. Automatic Sprinklers / Drip / Misting System

Basic Home Amenities, Types of Rooms and Flooring

Rather than picking a specific age of home, try choosing a range of years. If you do not want a newer home, you can ask your agent to limit your search to homes built prior to a certain year. Bear in mind that if your cutoff is homes built before 1970, you will not receive a home listing for a home built in 1971.

• Single Family — Attached or Detached — Duplex, Halfplex, Condo, Townhome, Manufactured Home
  1. Age of Home / Year Built
  2. Number of Bedrooms
  3. Number of Baths
  4. Number of Stories or Levels
  5. Orientation (direction home faces)
  6. Utilities — Gas / Electric
  7. HVAC — Central Heating & Air Conditioning, Propane, Gravity, Floor or Wall
  8. Parking / Garage
  9. RV Parking or Boat Storage
• Types of Rooms
  1. Number of Masters / Junior Masters / Ensuites
  2. Loft
  3. Den
  4. Bonus Room
  5. Great Room
  6. Home Office Area
  7. Home Theater
  8. Media Room
  9. Family Room
  10. Gym / Workout Room
  11. Library
  12. Butler’s Pantry
  13. Sun Room
  14. Downstairs’ Bedroom
  15. Basement
  16. Guest Quarters
  17. Wine Storage