Tell me what you're actually looking for.

Most home searches start with a price range and a bedroom count, and then waste six weekends touring houses that were never going to work. Five minutes here saves all of that.

Fill out what you know. Skip what you don't. There are no wrong answers and nothing here commits you to anything. I'll read it, pull what actually fits, and tell you honestly if what you want and what you've budgeted don't line up yet, because that's better to know now than in October.

Before you start, one thing worth thinking about.

Separate your needs from your wants. Needs are the things that make a house workable for your life: enough bedrooms, a first-floor bedroom if someone can't do stairs, proximity to work or school, a yard if you have a dog or kids. Wants are the things you'd love: the fenced yard, the specific flooring, the double vanity, the exterior color.

The reason this matters is that wants are usually fixable and needs usually aren't. I can price a fence, new flooring, or a bathroom update, and often that's a better deal than paying a premium for a house that already has them. What I can't do is add a bedroom to a lot that won't take an addition or move a house closer to your kid's school.

So be strict about the needs and loose about the wants. It widens your search in exactly the right direction.

What happens next.

I read it and get back to you within one business day, usually sooner. If something in your list is going to be hard to find at your price in your area, I'll say so up front rather than letting you find out over two months of showings.

From there I set up a search that actually matches this, send you what fits as it hits the market, and we go look at the ones worth your Saturday.