We view houses without a system in place to compare one house with another. And it can cost us.



You probably know what follows. You visit several houses for sale. But within minutes of walking back through your front door, your memory becomes muddled. You saw one house too many and can't recall which floor plan was best.

How can you keep track of the homes?

You will find buying a house is all about comparison. For most home shoppers, the search for homes begins with affordability. In fact if you have been preapproved by your mortgage lender, most of the homes you preview will likely fall into a similar price range.

So you will need additional criteria other than price to avoid confusion.

In order to compare homes it is wise to have a system. The Department of Housing and Urban Development, or HUD as it is commonly called, has created its own score card. But before I explain how it works, I recommend that you also include a camera as part of your previewing system.

Continuing this thought, you are about to tour a few homes with your Realtor. To remember each house, use a camera to photograph important attributes. This way you can analyze comparable pictures.

First, take a picture of the outside of each house. Then photograph the major rooms such as living room, family room, and kitchen.

Second take photos of the yards and any extra features about each house that you like as well as dislike.

Don't forget problem spots too.

Keep in mind that if you are systematic in your approach, you will be able to easily compare pictures of the major rooms of each house, the yards, extra features you thought were beneficial, and potential problems.

Now you need the HUD Home Buying Scorecard. Print out the pictures for each house and attach them to your score card.

Have you heard of the HUD Home Buying Scorecard? It is a home buying checklist designed to remind you of important features in each home and to score each feature with a good, average, or poor score.

Before you go on tour with your Realtor, print out or copy several HUD Scorecards so that you have one for each individual house. At the top write the address and list price for each home you are previewing.

Basically the scorecard highlights features from 4 important categories that everyone buying a house needs to consider.

In a nutshell, the initial section covers aspects such as floor plans and fireplaces to yard space and energy efficiency. Score each one.

The following section compares surrounding environment such as traffic noise or the number and type of pets allowed.

Equally important, schools are the third category itemizing questions of age, condition, reputation, and curriculum.

Lastly, buying a house should take convenience into consideration. Rank features such as parks, shopping malls, places of worship, and hospitals.

Now use this system to analyze. Clip the pictures to corresponding scorecards. Begin evaluating the houses using the photos and scorecard criteria. You will be able to easily analyze and decide which house is best for you.

Who says buying a house has to be confusing? Good luck and happy shopping!

Always consult your real estate professional before taking pictures within a private residence.