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You should be looking for the condition of the house. Does the structure look and feel sound? Are the walls and doorways and windows straight? Is the floor level or is it slanted or "bouncy"? Is there significant damage that would need to be repaired? Would the carpeting or other floor covering need to be replaced right away? Is there visual or smell evidence of mold? Is there any visual evidence of infestation by bugs or critters? Is there evidence of water damage on the walls, ceiling and around or under sinks and tubs? Have major systems been updated – electrical, heating/cooling, water heater, sump pump, water pump, etc.? Do light switches work? Does the roof have missing or warped shingles?

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Does the house meet my criteria? Are the rooms large enough for my furniture or for what furniture I'd like to have (you can't put a King-sized bed in a little 10' X 10" bedroom and expect to have room to walk around)? Is the layout of the house OK and the flow through the rooms? Does it have the basement or garage or other features that I thought were important? Is the yard OK for me? How about the neighborhood and the immediate neighbors?

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Read all of the information that is available about the house. Most houses that are listed will have some form of information packet in them when you visit. That information normally would include all of the room measurements, any updated features of the house, a list of appliances (if any) that are staying with the house, the name of the school systems that the house is in and other important information, including the price.

·	Take lots of notes, so that you can compare houses later. It can get confusing real quick and houses will start to run together in your memory.

·	If the house has any Sellers Concessions or Subsidies mentioned in the listing or in documents at the house, make sure that your Realtor explains those to you and how they might affect what you end up paying for the house or for your mortgage,