how to research the area I want to buy

[James.wu]

Hi guys

I have been attending open home since Feb this year, about 2 house per week. I still don't have an idea of what house on what street could sell for how much. I just want to know how you guys research an area? What info do you look at? Who do you talk to.

And what can you suggest me to do to get a better idea of an certain area. Thanks guys!

James

[roughy]

Best thing is to do exactly what you are doing. View as many homes as you can. Trawl Trademe, get in touch with the realestate agents, find out how much they sell for. Gain pre approval, have a plan and be ready to buy if you find one.

The Trademe property app is good as it now has property sales history for a growing number of areas. This is also at the bottom the page of any house for sale on the Trademe website. Homes.co.nz is good although it can be quite outdated it is also free. Read these forums. There are a lot of people on here that have some great information. I have been looking most of this year and have just brought my first investment property off the back of our home I have renovated. Good luck!

[Connor]

Do you follow up on how much those properties sold for? Look at the size of the property, zone, hazards, unitary plan zoning, condition of buildings on property, proximity to points of interest e.g. beach, CBD, parks/reserves, view etc. I think you should start to get a feel for the value by now.

[James.wu]

Best thing is to do exactly what you are doing. View as many homes as you can. Trawl Trademe, get in touch with the realestate agents, find out how much they sell for. Gain pre approval, have a plan and be ready to buy if you find one.

The Trademe property app is good as it now has property sales history for a growing number of areas. This is also at the bottom the page of any house for sale on the Trademe website. Homes.co.nz is good although it can be quite outdated it is also free. Read these forums. There are a lot of people on here that have some great information. I have been looking most of this year and have just brought my first investment property off the back of our home I have renovated. Good luck!

Thanks roughy, I guess I need to work harder.

[James.wu]

Do you follow up on how much those properties sold for? Look at the size of the property, zone, hazards, unitary plan zoning, condition of buildings on property, proximity to points of interest e.g. beach, CBD, parks/reserves, view etc. I think you should start to get a feel for the value by now.

I did not follow up at start, I start to follow up at around April or May. I guess I need to do another 3-6 month. Thanks pointing out the thing I need to look for. I didn't pay too much attention to those stuff. But I will add to my something I need to look at from now on.

Thanks Connor

[BigDreamer]

James - attending open homes every week is not enough. You need to ensure you follow up and check with agent how much the house you viewed sold for as that will give you a better view of the market in the area you are interested in.

[BigDreamer]

The Trademe property app is good as it now has property sales history for a growing number of areas.

TradeMe Property App only provides sale history for main cities so smaller cities such as Hamilton do not currently provide sale history.

[James.wu]

James - attending open homes every week is not enough. You need to ensure you follow up and check with agent how much the house you viewed sold for as that will give you a better view of the market in the area you are interested in.

Thanks for your reply big dreamer, will do that.

[BigDreamer]

Good luck James - which areas have you been researching?

[Bobsyouruncle]

And when you attend every open home always be looking for an agent you connect with. The faster you find an agent to bring you deals the more traction you will get.

[James.wu]

Good luck James - which areas have you been researching?

Hi BigDreamer, I am currently looking at Wainui (I live in Lower Hutt, Wellington), and keeping an eye on Tawa.

[James.wu]

And when you attend every open home always be looking for an agent you connect with. The faster you find an agent to bring you deals the more traction you will get.

I am a nerd, connecting with people is not something I am good at. But that's definitely something I would like to learn to do. What do you suggest I can do as a start?

[Bobsyouruncle]

Great question James. Some agents are also nerds. In fact many of the agents I know are quite introverted and non salesy. It's really just a matter of trying to build a relationship with someone. Invite them for lunch or coffee so you can pick their brains about the area is an easy thing to ask for example.

[James.wu]

Great question James. Some agents are also nerds. In fact many of the agents I know are quite introverted and non salesy. It's really just a matter of trying to build a relationship with someone. Invite them for lunch or coffee so you can pick their brains about the area is an easy thing to ask for example.

that sounds simple but I have actually never thought of that, I will try that, thanks for your advice. That definely will push me outside of my comfort zone.

[ChuckNorris]

Use websites for searching properties in this area to looka at their prices