The Most Important Part of Your Home Search Might Happen Before Your First Showing
One of the biggest misconceptions about working with a Realtor is that the process begins when we schedule our first showing.
You find a home online, send it to your agent, and meet at the property to walk through it.
Simple enough, right?
But I approach buying a home a little differently.
I believe some of the most valuable work we do together happens before we ever step foot inside a house. From understanding your financial position and identifying your priorities to reviewing property disclosures and researching potential concerns, there’s a tremendous amount we can learn before deciding whether a home is worth seeing.
And in Vermont, where properties can have unique characteristics, older infrastructure, private roads, and sometimes complicated histories, I think that preparation is especially important.
I’m Erin McCormick, a Realtor with Keller Williams Vermont, and my goal is to make your home search as thoughtful, efficient, and informed as possible.
I don’t want us to spend an afternoon touring a property only to discover afterward that it has a history of flooding, needs a roof you can’t afford to replace, or can’t legally be used for the short-term rental you were planning.
Some issues won’t become apparent until inspections or further due diligence. But when information is available beforehand, I want us to use it.
Here’s what my process looks like before we ever walk through the front door.
Step 1: We Talk About Your Goals, Needs, and Wants
Before we start looking at listings, I want to understand what you’re actually hoping to accomplish.
That conversation goes well beyond bedrooms, bathrooms, and square footage.
Of course, we’ll discuss your ideal price range, preferred locations, and basic property requirements. But I also want to understand how you plan to use the home and what matters most to your lifestyle.
Are you looking for a primary residence, a second home, or an investment property? Do you want to live in a walkable village, or are you hoping for acreage and privacy? Is a short commute important? Do you need reliable internet for remote work?
If you’re relocating to Vermont, I want to understand what draws you to the state and what kind of day-to-day life you’re envisioning.
And if you’re already a Vermonter, I want to know what you like about where you live now and what you’d like to change.
We’ll also talk about the difference between needs and wants.
Maybe a first-floor bedroom is essential, but a finished basement would simply be nice to have. Perhaps you need a two-car garage, but you’re flexible on the kitchen finishes.
Understanding those distinctions helps us make better decisions when inventory is limited.
Because the reality is that the perfect home rarely exists at the perfect price in the perfect location.
My job is to help you identify what matters most and understand where flexibility makes sense.
Step 2: We Establish Your Budget and Get Preapproved
Before we get serious about touring homes, I want you to have a clear understanding of your purchasing power.
That typically means connecting with a qualified mortgage lender and obtaining a preapproval, unless you’re planning to purchase with cash.
A preapproval helps establish what a lender may be willing to finance based on an initial review of your financial information. It’s not a final loan commitment, but it’s an important starting point.
Just as importantly, I want you to understand what the purchase will actually cost.
A home’s asking price doesn’t tell the whole story.
We’ll want to consider your down payment, estimated closing costs, property taxes, insurance, potential mortgage insurance, and other ongoing ownership expenses.
In Vermont, that might also include heating costs, private road maintenance, snow removal, septic maintenance, or other property-specific expenses.
And here’s something I emphasize: the amount you’re preapproved to borrow isn’t necessarily the amount you should spend.
I want you to be comfortable with your monthly payment and have sufficient financial flexibility for the responsibilities that come with owning a home.
If a property has an aging roof or heating system, for example, your available cash reserves may influence whether it makes sense to pursue it.
Establishing your financial comfort level early helps us avoid falling in love with a property that doesn’t align with your budget.
It also positions us to act more confidently when the right opportunity becomes available.
Step 3: We Build a Search Around Your Actual Priorities
Once I understand your goals and financial parameters, we can establish a more targeted home search.
That means identifying the towns, neighborhoods, price ranges, property types, and features that make sense for you.
But I don’t want to rely solely on automated listing alerts.
A property can meet all the basic search criteria and still be a poor fit.
Maybe it has the acreage you’re looking for, but most of the land is steep or wet. Maybe the home has enough bedrooms, but the floor plan doesn’t function well for your needs.
Or perhaps it’s located in a town you love, but the actual commute would be longer than you’re comfortable with.
Through Travel Like a Local® Vermont, I’ve spent years visiting communities throughout the state, and that firsthand knowledge helps me look beyond the listing details.
I want you to understand what it might actually be like to live in a particular location.
We’ll also revisit your criteria as we learn more.
Sometimes buyers discover that something they initially considered essential isn’t as important as they thought. Other times, they realize a feature they hadn’t considered is actually a priority.
That’s a normal part of the process.
Step 4: We Research the Property Before Scheduling a Showing
When a listing catches your attention, my next step isn’t automatically to schedule a tour.
It’s to start asking questions.
Depending on the property and the information available, I may review listing details, municipal property records, maps, permit information, tax records, and other relevant documents.
I’m looking for anything that helps us better understand the home and identify potential concerns.
For example, is the property served by municipal water and sewer, or does it have a private well and septic system? Is it located on a public road or a private one? Are there recorded restrictions that could affect how you want to use it?
Does the property appear to have improvements that warrant additional permit research?
And if you’re buying a home with acreage, are there wetlands, flood hazards, easements, or other land-use considerations we should investigate?
Not every question can be answered before a showing, and public records may be incomplete or outdated.
But preliminary research can help us identify whether a property deserves further consideration.
Step 5: We Review Seller Disclosures and Available Documents
This is one of the most important parts of my pre-showing process.
When seller disclosures and supporting documents are available, I want us to review them before we become emotionally invested in the property.
Disclosures can provide useful information about known defects, past repairs, water intrusion, system ages, and other conditions that might affect your decision.
But the information available varies by property and transaction. A seller may not know about every issue, and the absence of a disclosed problem doesn’t mean the home is free of defects.
That’s why I use disclosures as a starting point for additional questions, not as a substitute for inspections or professional evaluations.
Has the Property Experienced Flooding or Water Intrusion?
If a property has a history of flooding, basement water, drainage issues, or other moisture concerns, I want to know about it as early as possible.
We’ll review available disclosures and, where appropriate, look at flood hazard mapping and other relevant information.
In Vermont, this is especially important given the flooding many communities have experienced in recent years.
A property being outside a mapped flood hazard area doesn’t guarantee it won’t flood, and a seller’s disclosure may not tell us everything we need to know.
But if there’s a known history of flooding, that’s information I want you to consider before scheduling a showing.
Is the Roof Near the End of Its Useful Life?
Let’s say a home looks beautiful online, but the available information suggests the roof is nearing the end of its expected useful life.
That doesn’t automatically make it a bad purchase.
But replacing a roof can be a significant expense, and I want you to understand that possibility before deciding whether the property fits your financial plans.
We may need a qualified roofer or inspector to evaluate its actual condition.
The same applies to aging heating systems, major structural concerns, or other potentially expensive repairs.
A home that needs work may be a great opportunity for one buyer and completely inappropriate for another.
The important thing is knowing what we’re getting into.
Can You Actually Use the Property the Way You Want?
This is a big one, especially for buyers considering second homes or investment properties.
Imagine you’re purchasing a Vermont home with the intention of renting it on Airbnb or another short-term rental platform.
Before we tour it, I want to begin investigating whether that intended use is permissible.
Are there municipal zoning restrictions, registration or permitting requirements, or applicable state regulations? Is the property part of a condominium association or subject to recorded covenants that restrict rentals?
And even if a property has previously operated as a short-term rental, that doesn’t necessarily establish that the use is currently permitted or that approvals will transfer to a new owner.
We may need confirmation from the municipality, association, or appropriate professionals.
The same principle applies if you’re hoping to build an accessory dwelling unit, add another cabin, operate a business from the property, or make significant changes.
I want us to investigate those plans before assuming they’re possible.
Step 6: We Identify Vermont-Specific Questions
Vermont homes can come with considerations that buyers from other markets may not be accustomed to.
And even buyers who have lived here for years can encounter unfamiliar issues when moving from one type of property to another.
If we’re looking at a rural home, I may want to understand what wastewater permits are available, how the water supply is provided, and what maintenance responsibilities come with the property.
If the home is accessed by a private road, we may need to investigate recorded rights of access and maintenance agreements.
If it’s an older property, we may want to pay particular attention to heating systems, insulation, moisture, and past renovations.
If the property has a shared driveway, an inactive homeowners association, or unusual deed restrictions, those details may require additional review.
Some questions can be answered through documents. Others require an attorney, inspector, engineer, lender, or municipal official.
I don’t pretend to have every answer myself.
But I do believe in identifying the right questions and connecting with the appropriate professionals early.
Step 7: We Evaluate the Asking Price and Market Conditions
Before touring a promising property, I also want to understand how it’s positioned in the market.
Is the asking price consistent with recent comparable sales? How does the home compare with other available properties? How long has it been listed? Have there been price reductions?
And are there property-specific characteristics that make it difficult to compare with more conventional homes?
This research helps us understand whether the property may represent a reasonable opportunity and what an offer strategy could look like if we decide to pursue it.
It doesn’t replace an appraisal, and we won’t always know what a seller is willing to accept.
But it gives us useful context.
If a property is significantly overpriced relative to the available evidence, that’s worth discussing before we invest more time in it.
And if it appears competitively priced in a low-inventory market, we may want to schedule a showing promptly.
Step 8: We Decide Whether the Home Is Worth Seeing
After we’ve reviewed the available information, we can make a more informed decision about whether to schedule a showing.
Sometimes the answer is an enthusiastic yes.
The property checks the important boxes, the available information doesn’t reveal any obvious dealbreakers, and we’re excited to see whether it feels as good in person as it looks online.
Other times, our research identifies a concern that changes the equation.
Maybe the property doesn’t permit your intended use. Maybe the known repair needs are beyond your budget. Maybe the location or access doesn’t work for your lifestyle.
And sometimes there are unanswered questions, but enough potential that it’s still worth visiting.
That’s okay, too.
The goal isn’t to eliminate every uncertainty before a showing. That’s not realistic.
The goal is to use the information available to make thoughtful decisions about where we spend our time.
Step 9: We Tour With a Purpose
By the time we walk through the front door, I want us to have a clear idea of what we’re evaluating.
We’re not just deciding whether we like the kitchen or whether the living room feels inviting.
We’re looking at how the home functions, whether the condition aligns with the listing, and whether the property meets the priorities we’ve established.
We’re also paying attention to anything that raises additional questions.
Does the basement show signs of moisture? Are there visible maintenance concerns? Does the layout work as expected? How does the location feel compared with what we saw online?
And, of course, there’s the part of buying a home that can’t be fully captured in documents or photographs.
How does it feel to be there?
Can you picture yourself living in the space?
Does the property feel right for the life you’re hoping to build?
That emotional connection matters. I just want it to be supported by thoughtful research and a realistic understanding of the property.
Step 10: If We Love It, We’re Already Better Prepared to Make an Offer
One of the biggest benefits of doing this work in advance is that we’re not starting from scratch if you decide you want to pursue the home.
We’ve already discussed your budget and financing.
We understand your priorities.
We’ve reviewed available property information, identified potential concerns, and considered the home’s position in the market.
That puts us in a better position to discuss an offer strategy, including price, timing, contingencies, and any additional due diligence that may be appropriate.
We may still need inspections, specialized evaluations, legal review, financing approval, and other steps before closing.
But we’re approaching the opportunity with a much stronger foundation.
And in a competitive market, preparation can be one of our greatest advantages.
Why You May Tour Fewer Homes Than You Expect
When people imagine house hunting, they often think the value of working with a Realtor is measured by the number of homes they see.
I look at it differently.
We might evaluate dozens of listings online, review property documents, investigate potential concerns, and eliminate homes that don’t align with your goals.
But perhaps only a handful of those properties are worth visiting in person.
That’s not a shortcut.
That’s a thoughtful search process.
I’d much rather help you identify the right home efficiently than spend weekend after weekend touring properties we already know aren’t a good fit.
Your time matters, and so does the quality of the decisions we’re making.
The Goal Isn’t Just to Find a Home. It’s to Understand What You’re Buying.
Buying a home is a significant financial commitment, and I believe the process deserves more preparation than scrolling through listings and scheduling showings.
I want to help you understand your options, identify potential risks, and evaluate properties based on more than their photographs.
Sometimes that research will lead us to a showing.
Sometimes it will save us from one.
And sometimes it will help us recognize a great opportunity quickly because we’ve already done the work.
The homebuying process doesn’t begin when I unlock the front door. It begins with understanding your goals, asking the right questions, and doing the research that helps protect your investment.
If you’re thinking about buying a home in Vermont, I’d love to help you approach the search with local knowledge, careful preparation, and a strategy built around your priorities.
Let's Find Your Place in Vermont
Erin McCormick | Realtor, Keller Williams Vermont
Founder, Travel Like a Local® Vermont | Live Local Vermont