Originally Posted by
maxpower220
First, you know where you are going. Cruise the internet for homes, check schools for where you need to be location wise, and check the crime reports for "bad areas". It is helpful if you know people who have lived there to give you pointers on good/bad areas and schools.
.... Hopefully you can be very specific about your housing needs. Plan on house hunting and set that up early with the real estate agent. I found that I needed to be rudely specific with agents. Some don't plan routes for looking at homes (which wastes your time which is probably not a lot), they show homes that don't meet your requirements, or are out of your budget restaints. You don't have time for someone who doesn't work for you and your requirement. You will also need to get pre-approved for a loan prior to going there and be prepared to submit an offer with earnest money. Have a back-up house in mind if a deal doesn't work. Also check the rental market in case you can't make a deal House hunting is a highly stressful week of your life...