As you are preparing to make a trip to your new location in order to search for the home you want to buy, in my experience there are some important things to consider (I alluded to some of this in a previous post).

Mentally, you really need to be ready to make an offer on a house and buy, unless you know, going in, that you have time and do not need to buy right away, or because you will be making a second trip to look. Making the decision to buy is often pretty stressful, even when buying in an area you know. But then you generally have plenty of time to look and can make the decision to put in an offer when you are ready. But when you are relocating you often don't have the luxury of time. So prepare yourself you make that offer and know that is the goal you are to accomplish on your trip.

People often ask, how many houses should I see? That's a tough question, and there is no real right or wrong answer - it depends on you and how you buy, but also on the available inventory (there may only be a few homes in your price range, or hundreds). Some people can see 5 or 6 homes and know they have found the right thing and can make the decision. Others need to see more homes before they can decide. One thing to be aware, and cautious of, if the "kid in the candy store" approach. This is especially common in the current market, at least here in California because there are so many homes on the market. Some buyers are taking the approach that they want to see everything before they decide. This can take forever, and you can risk losing a house you really like while you are out looking at everything else. PLus if your house hunting trip has a time limit, you simly will NOT be able to see everything. I know of people who have looked at 50 or more houses in 3 days, trying to decide. Personally I think this is overkill - after a while they will all start to seem alike, and how can you really decide among that many homes? But if this is what you feel you need to do, then you should do it. I would, however, talk about this with the Realtor in advance so everyone is on the same page.

I mentioned using a digital camera to help keep track of homes. You might also want to take your  video camera if your enjoy that. The nice thing about a digital camera is you can easily delete pictures as you go along, eliminating houses as you do. But either will work well and help you keep track of what you have seen.  This an be especially helpful if you return home to ponder the decision, then make you offer from a distance.

If you know you need to make an offer while away, make sure you take a checkbook  to pay for the downpayment with your offer (and verify that you have sufficient funds to cover the check that you write). Take a copy of your pre-approval letter and make sure you put your mortgage officer on alert that you may need to reach him/her while traveling with any questions or to modify the pre-approval letter (check that you have all the ncessary contact information with you).

A relocation, especially to a very different part of the country, represents a significant change - a move from the familiar to the unfamiliar, and loss of close contact with neighbors, close friends and maybe family.

But why not turn this into an adventure and make the most of your move, especially if you are driving to your destination?

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• Plan your trip so that you have time to visit friends or family along the way - they'll love seeing you and hearing about your trip and your new home (what a pleasant way to save on your hotel bills - maybe you can buy or fix dinner!)
• Make sure you take a digital camera to record whatever appeals to you along the way - we took photos of interesting sites in every state we drove through (I think it was 13) on the way from Boston to California, including the first glimpse of our new home when we walked in. You can then upload them to the Internet (Snapfish or Kodak, for example) and share all your photos with your friends, neighbors and family, plus enjoy them yourself. 
• You might also take a bunch of photos of the new house, inside and out, so that others can see your new home and "welcome" you. Take some pics right away, and then update the photo gallery on-line as you make improvements.
• If you have the time, I suggest also planning to visit some of the tourist sites along the way. It helps to break up the trip, and you might not find your way back to those areas again. We stopped at the Grand Canyon (worth every minute of the 3 hour round-trip extra drive north), Santa Fe (again, out of the way but spent the night and had great food and wonderful shopping - we will go back!!), and the wine country in Temecula, CA (took a wine tour).
• For food along the way, consider options that are not the typical - farmer's markets, neat little cafés along the road or unique restaurants - we ate at the Road Kill Café in Seligman, Arizona...the food was decent, not stellar, but what a great photo op that was, plus the old jail and similar buildings next door!

I mentioned this before but it's worth bring up again. We used AAA to plan our trip across the country. Not only did they provide the maps showing us the complete route, but also gave us guide books for every state. This was great for planning side trips, looking for restaurants, and determining where to stay since we had 2 cats and pet-friendly hotels are noted.

You will likely make at least one trip to your new location before you actually move in order to look at, and hopefully buy, your new home.  Time will probably be limited, so make the most of this time by doing the following.

1. Thoroughly research the housing on-line in advance so you know what is available, pricing, etc. I don't advise going on this trip blind since you'll waste time. Research the towns and communities that interest you, along with schools if applicable.

2. Develop a list of the properties you want to see. Unless you have definite ideas, I suggest a fairly broad list so you can see the range of choices available to you in the new city, and be OPEN MINDED. You can eliminate things as you go, or your Realtor may tell you that some homes are no longer available or that you will not like them based on the criteria you have shared.

3. Ask your Realtor to arrange for you to see the homes on your list, and others that s/he might think are appropriate given the criteria you have discussed. Provide this list several days in advance to give your agent time to arrange the tour. You can always add new properties that just came on the market at the last moment.

4. Since you will likely have only a few days, be prepared to spend the entire day looking at houses and see as many as you can (depending on your list). You can always stop looking if you feel you have seen enough, or find the perfect house. 10 or more houses in a day is not unreasonable on this type of house hunting trip. As you tour homes, if you are in an area you don't like (for whatever reason), let your agent know so you don't waste time going to other homes that are on the list in that area - your Realtor can all ahead and cancel the visit as a courtesy.

5. Take lots of notes and make sure you have a copy of the MLS printout for each house you are seeing so you have all the information. You can take your own printouts but you can ask your agent to provide them to you as well. Also ask for comparison information on homes that have sold in the area (price, etc.). If you do not get motion sickness and don't need to drive (unlike ME), your Realtor can squire you around so you can look more effectively. You can always drive yourself around later to get your own lay of the land.

6. Take a digital camera (and make sure you have the battery charger). Seeing lots of homes in a short period can be confusing, and you will find it hard to remember what you saw (which house had the ugly bathroom, where was that home with the terrific kitchen, which house had the great ocean view but lots of noise from the freeway) without photos and your notes. You can delete photos as you go when you eliminate houses from your list and make room on your camera for more pictures.

7. Try to rank order homes as you go (i.e., compare the one you just saw with the one you are touring). That way you can eliminate those that are low on the list. This will also help you further define what you really like, and you will have a list of homes ranging from your favorite on down.

 8. When touring, don't take too much time at each home so you keep moving along and see everything that you want. Keep a list of the homes you would like to revisit before making a final decision.

9. Depending on your situation, prepare yourself mentally to make a buying decision when you find the right house. If you have done your homework, and with a good agent, you will likely find the home you want during your trip, so you need to be prepared to move ahead quickly. Since you may have to travel back home you will want to be able to make an offer and hopefully get it accepted before leaving.

10. Take your checkbook for a deposit check, and make sure you have your pre-approval letter (or call your lender to fax or email it to you at your hotel). You will need these for any offer you make.