Are you looking for a home? Before deciding which house to buy, think about your lifestyle, your current and anticipated housing needs, and your budget. It's a good idea to create a prioritized list of features you want in your next home - you'll soon discover finding the right house involves striking a balance between your "needs" and your "wants."

First, consider your lifestyle. If you love to cook, you'll want a well-equipped kitchen. If you're planning your office at home, you may want a room for a study or home office. If you have several cars, you may require a larger garage. Use this list as your search guide.

Second, think about what you might need in the future. As you consider your housing needs, it's important to consider how long you may live in your home. If you're a newlywed, you might not be concerned with a school district right now, but you could be in a few years. If you have aging family members, you may want to look at homes that offer living arrangements for them as well as you (i.e. in-law suite, guest house, etc.).

Location is a huge part of any move so it's important to think about your new home's location just as carefully as you do about a house's interior and exterior features.. In addition to considering the distance to work, you need to evaluate the availability of shopping, police and fire protection, medical facilities, school and day-care, traffic and parking, trash and garbage collection, even recreational facilities.

Another important decision is the type of home you want. A town house or a detached single-family home? Do you want brick, stone, stucco, wood, vinyl siding, or something else? Do you prefer a new home or a pre-owned home?

Single family homes offer the opportunity for gardens, provide more privacy, and are generally quieter. But, they're usually more expensive than Condos and Townhomes and require more maintenance. Alternatively, Condos & Townhomes are typically less expensive than comparable single-family homes and usually require no yard or exterior maintenance. However, they do offer less privacy, tend to be noisier, and have common walls, floors and/or ceilings, not to mention additional expenses, like association fees.