I know it sounds obvious, but knowing what you are looking for isn’t always as simple as it sounds. Once you are pre-approved for a mortgage, decide what your ideal neighborhood and home would be. Are schools important or is it more important that you be close to work? Determine what the “must haves” are. These are the specifics of the property or neighborhood that you are not willing to give up but would be willing to sacrifice a “nice, but not necessary” for. This could be an extra bedroom, pool, specific school district, waterfront criteria etc. Knowing what you are looking for both in a neighborhood and home is extremely important as it will help keep you focused. Once you narrow down your wants, you will realize you don’t have to look at everything on the market, only those specific properties that meet your criteria.