If you are a first time home buyer, the excitement of finding your dream home may turn into a chore because of the number of things that have to be kept track of and the important decisions that have to be made. Any undue stress and headaches in your property search and purchase can be eliminated by going about your search in an organized manner. It is of utmost importance to spend some time to assess new neighborhoods and looking at prospective homes. It may also be necessary to do your own research to discover which neighborhood is the ideal area for you to live in.

One of the most important things to do as a first time homebuyer is to explore at least a five-block radius of your ideal neighborhood to see all of the homes available on the market. You can do this by driving around the area, or navigating your way through the neighborhood using an online mapping tool. This will give you a chance to narrow your focus to only the areas that you are most interested in and give you a relatively large inventory to work with.

As a first time homebuyer, it's also a good idea to find out where the nearest gas stations, public library, grocery stores and access points to the interstate or major highways are. Remember, you need to imagine what it would be like to actually live in this neighborhood. Make a mental note of the locations of different stores, service centers and roadways so you can be confident about running errands and commuting to work with peace of mind.

It is also good to be aware of the zoning laws of each specific neighborhood, especially if your target area is entirely new. This is important because you may decide to renovate or remodel the house that you buy. Being aware of the basic zoning laws and regulations for building pools, decks and adding extensions to your home will serve you well for your future plans.

You also have to find out if there any taxes, association fees, and any other fees that have to be paid if you decide to buy any of the homes for sale in that specific area. You can get this information by contacting a real estate professional or checking the local county tax collector's office website. Most tax collector offices have a website which will allow you to input an address and find out tax information. To find out association fees and other fees related to the purchase of any of the homes for sale, contact a local lender or a licensed realtor for an estimate.

Doing your homework about the prospective neighborhood is an important step as a first time homebuyer. You can uncover some important details about taxes, zoning laws and fees associated with a property purchase by doing some basic research online and making a few calls to local real estate or mortgage professionals. Compile all of this data and organize it in a way that you can reference later. You will need this information to be available at your fingertips as you start narrowing down your decision for your new home!

Alexandria P. Anderson is a licensed Minnesota Realtor that uses the Edina real estate to help her clients to find and purchase Edina homes and other quality Twin Cities properties.

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