This is a house buyers market. We all know it, prices are low and people who are selling are desperate. You’re in the market for a new home, but you want to make sure you’re getting a good deal, here are some things you should know.

Set your criteria. Know what you want from a house, there are certain functions you require of a home and it needs to be able to fulfill them. Compare homes based on your criteria first to weed out the losers.

Know your budget. Figure out how much you can afford to put as a down payment, this should account for 20% of the price, you can borrow the other 80%. There are many options for mortgages, but using the 20/80 ratio will keep you from buying more than you can afford.

Get a Home Inspection. Having a quality home inspector looking through a house before you buy is well worth the cost. It can save you from years of headache by pointing out all the problem areas of the home and where they can cause you trouble down the line.

Plan for the future. Buy a house that no only fits your needs now, but can also fit them in the future. Having enough space is always better than not having enough. Don’t forget to take things like distance from schools and work into account, these things can make a difference for you.

Buy the neighborhood not the house. You can take the exact same house and place it in two different neighborhoods, that house will have two different values. Buy the house you love, but make sure it’s in a decent neighborhood, that is going to improve as opposed to degenerated.

Think logically. We all know impulse buys are the worst. A house is likely the largest purchase you’ll ever make and it’s not something you can return for a refund. Don’t buy based on your emotions. Analyze all the options and buy a home for logical reasons. Don’t kick yourself for making a bad decision.

Trust, but verify. If a home is selling for far less than the others in the neighborhood, you have to ask yourself, “what’s wrong with it”. This is where a home inspection or pest control inspection can come in handy, insist on it, especially if the sellers put up an argument. If there’s nothing to hide then it shouldn’t be a problem.

There you have, seven very useful things all house buyers should know. Use them to help in your research and home buying.

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