Let’s talk about common househunting mistakes. Finding your dream Santa Fe home can seem daunting at best, and usually when you’re looking at homes here, you’re also enjoying a holiday with your family. You have a couple of days to look at homes, but you also want to run up to Bandelier for a day of hiking. You want to go to Music on the Plaza or spend an afternoon on Canyon Road.

What you really want is the most efficient, logical home viewing experience available.

My #1 best piece of advice is to find a qualified real estate broker immediately. If possible, seek him or her out before you ever get here. Realtors in Santa Fe are accustomed to starting early on a home search, long before they ever meet their clients in person. One of my colleagues at Keller Williams told me the other day that she has been looking at homes with one client for 13 years. This client just made an offer on a $3 million home.

But I digress. The best advice I have is this: Find a great Realtor, talk with them on the phone or by email, outline your needs and get acquainted long before you come to visit. On my website, clients have the option to choose favorites from all the homes on the MLS. Knowing what appeal to the buyer helps me know exactly what will fulfill their needs. It helps me prepare for their visit.

What you DON’T want to do is this: when you see a sign in a yard, call the number on the sign and have someone show up to get you inside. First of all, it’s frequently a waste of time. The home may only have one bathroom when you want two and a half. It may have carpet when you’re wanting hardwood. With the KW app, you can see photos, but lots of home photos on the MLS are taken specifically to hide flaws.

Second, it makes sellers think you’re unrepresented and therefore lacking leverage to negotiate the best price.

Finally, on the very odd occasion, it can be dangerous, especially with FSBOs. Santa Fe is a pretty safe city, but no one in the world ever wants to go into the home of someone they don’t know or trust.

Find a Realtor and let her do her job. Let her know your search criteria and then let her set up showings that reflect what you want.

Should you see a sign in front of a home that looks interesting, give her a call. If she’s somehow missed this almost perfect home, she’ll get right on it and set up a showing. Or she’ll tell you something like, “Yes, I’ve seen that home. But I can confidently tell you that the kitchen will never satisfy you.”

Realtors’ jobs are to save you time and money. Isn’t that what all buyers want?