Looking for a new home is exciting - - - and stressful. Find out how to reduce that stress!

1. Find a real estate professional who?s simpatico. Homebuying is not only a big financial commitment, but also an emotional one. It?s critical that the practitioner you choose is both skilled and a good fit with your personality.

2. Remember, there?s no ?right? time to buy, any more than there?s a right time to sell. If you find a home now, don?t try to second-guess the interest rates or the housing market by waiting. Changes don?t usually occur fast enough to make that much difference in price, and a good home won?t stay on the market long.

3. Don?t ask for too many opinions. It?s natural to want reassurance for such a big decision, but too many ideas will make it much harder to make a decision.

4. Accept that no house is ever perfect. Focus in on the things that are most important to you and let the minor ones go.

5. Don?t try to be a killer negotiator. Negotiation is definitely a part of the real estate process, but trying to ?win? by getting an extra-low price may lose you the home you love.

6. Remember your home doesn?t exist in a vacuum. Don?t get so caught up in the physical aspects of the house itself?room size, kitchen?that you forget such issues as amenities, noise level, etc., that have a big impact on what it?s like to live in your new home.

7. Don?t wait until you?ve found a home and made an offer to get approved for a mortgage, investigate insurance availability, and consider a schedule for moving. Presenting an offer contingent on a lot of unresolved issues will make your bid much less attractive to sellers.

8. Factor in maintenance and repair costs in your post-homebuying budget. Even if you buy a new home, there will be some costs. Don?t leave yourself short and let your home deteriorate.

9. Accept that a little buyer?s remorse is inevitable and will probably pass. Buying a home, especially for the first time, is a big commitment, but it also yields big benefits.

10. Choose a home first because you love it; then think about appreciation. While U.S. homes have appreciated an average of 5.4 percent annually from 1998 to 2002, a home?s most important role is as a comfortable, safe place to live.

Reprinted from REALTOR^Ò Magazine online by permission of the National Association of REALTORS^Ò   Copyright 2005.  All rights reserved.