This is the fifth and final part of my “Is it the right time to buy a home?” series where I am posing four questions for first-time home buyers. Today we are examining the question, how much can you pay for a home? To see the full series visit my personal website, www.jalone.com, or click here.

We all know what we want our dream home would be but you have to be realistic too! I have spent way too many hours with clients who are looking for their “perfect” home. Let me tell you now it does not exist but there are plenty of homes that meet almost all your needs and ones, if you let them, you will fall in love with.

Think about where you work, where your friends and family are and determine if the home you just found has a convenient route and what the traffic may be during the times you are likely to be driving to and from these locations. If you decide you want to be in the downtown area of Sacramento you may want to start thinking about a condo versus a home in the “Fab 40’s.”

The key element in determining what you want in a home is to look and compare if you don’t have a great deal of experience living in different kinds of homes. Lean about the local real estate markets. Buying a home in Roseville is different from buying in Elk Grove or even Lincoln. The market conditions are different.

If you have children understanding the school districts and what they have to offer may be the most important information in selecting a city to live in. I think eSchool Profile is one of the best school research sites and worth the time to look at if you have or will have school age children in the near future. In addition to schools do some research on communities and even neighborhoods.

Recent research has indicated that more than 60 percent of buyers find their new home online. Looking at online listings is a great thing to do after you have narrowed your search to general location, price range and basic required features. These online ads will help you see what you can get but there is no replacement for seeing the homes. As a realtor I know how to take pictures of a home to make it look as good as it can and often better! Don’t be afraid to find an experienced Realtor and ask them to help you. That is how they get paid and most us truly enjoy helping buyers find a home.

Is this the right time to buy a home? Clearly there are some great Sacramento area homes on the market, with attractive prices, interest rates are still low and if you have answered the following questions: Should you stay where you are, are you financially prepared to be a homeowner, how much can you pay for a home and do you know what you want in a home you may be ready to take the next step.

This was part five of five of my “Is it the right time to buy a home?” series. Visit my personal website, www.jalone.com or click here if you want to read the entire series where we consider:

Is it the right time to buy a home?

Should you stay where you are?

Are you financially prepared to be a homeowner?

How much can you pay for a home?

Do you know what you want in a home?

Julie Jalone is an experienced Realtor with MagnumOne Realty in Roseville and she and her team work with buyers and sellers of homes in the greater Sacramento area. To learn more about Julie and her business visit her personal website at jalone.com or check out her daily blog, “Keep it real in Sacramento.”