Sit down with your agent and begin to focus your search on the one or two houses that best meet your needs. You should have notes on each house, an understanding of the local real estate market and a list of priorities. It is time to carefully analyze the data and make an informed decision. Your real estate agent will be able to help you with this task. Some important things to consider are:

• What are the Market Conditions?
  Are you in a buyer's market where you can negotiate a better price or is it a seller's market where you may have to compete with multiple offers? This could be an important consideration when deciding on which home best suits your needs and your budget.

• What are your Priorities?
  Which home best matches the list you made earlier? Have your priorities changed? Of the homes you viewed, are there some that can be eliminated easily by following your list?

• Listing Notes
  Reconsider the notes you have made. Are there any priorities that you have re-thought and now might consider changing? Now is the time to consider where you will compromise and where you will not.

• Comps
  How do the homes that interest you stack up to other homes in the area? Most real estate offices can prepare a comparative market analysis for you. It looks at similar homes in the neighborhood, which have sold in the past few months or are currently for sale, and compares their prices and other attributes.

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