My first post gave a brief introduction to what the OODA Loop is and what this series is going to entail.  A quick review will show us that the “OODA” in OODA Loop stands for Observe, Orient, Decide, and Act.  How does this decision cycle concept transfer over to San Antonio home buying?

Today we will be exploring the “Observe” portion of the OODA Loop.  In the beginning of any decision making process or cycle, you have to observe something – whether it is a problem that needs fixing, a car accident that you must avoid, or a Helotes house that you want to purchase.

When you decide you want to buy a home in San Antonio, the first logical step is to find a home!  This “observation” process, or ‘the hunt” as some call it, is the first step into fulfilling your life goal of purchasing the home you want.  This process can be fun, scary, exhausting, and more.  Your San Antonio REALTOR will be right beside you during the entire process.  Rely on your REALTOR because they have experience and skills that will help put your mind at ease during this San Antonio home buying process.

So you know what you want in a house – TELL YOUR REALTOR!  Your REALTOR will gather multiple listings in San Antonio, Helotes, Live Oak and many other cities in and around San Antonio!  Tell your REALTOR where you want to live and he/she will focus on that area.

ENJOY the home showings.  It may seem taxing or annoying after a while if you can’t seem to find the exact house you want, or you find one that goes under contract before you can place an offer.  But, realize that each time you see a house – you learn a little more about houses in that area, the different things you either want in your house or you want to change in the house you purchase.  Home showings are not just to find the house you want, but to observe these houses and learn more about yourself and your likes/dislikes.  You may have an idea of something you want in your dream home and then you visit one home that has it and realize that isn’t what you want at all!

When you’re on a showing, be sure to REALLY check things over in the house.  Look for cracks, doors that don’t stay open on their own, cracks along the foundation, missing shingles, etc.  Check out this article and list HERE, from Fearlesshomebuyer.com – they give you a comprehensive list of all the observations you would want to have while touring a home.

Ok, you’ve been on some showings and you’ve found the home you want.  The next step is to ORIENT yourself to that house!  We will be covering the “ORIENT” portion of the San Antonio home buying process in my next blog post!