Now that you have your list of needs and wants and know how much you can afford to spend, it's time to look at some houses, right?! Well, don't forget, people don't just buy a house; they buy the neighborhood the house is in. Think about that...if you found the perfect house but it was in a neighborhood that was not to your liking, would you make an offer on it?

You will need to make another list for the type of area you want to invest in. Consider things like drive time to work and major destinations, amenities such as swimming pools, tennis courts, parking, etc., area schools and the demographics of the surrounding area.