To buy a home in spring 2025, you should organize your finances, choose the right team members, and understand the market.

Check your credit history and scores for free at Annualcreditreport.com. Look for any mistakes, liens or unpaid balances and get proof that you’ve resolved the issue. Determine sources to help you make a down payment, including savings, gifts, and grants.

Your team. Your real estate agent should be part of a vast network of contacts and have expertise in the neighborhood and the type of home you want to buy, such as a condominium or high-rise apartment. Your lender should offer a range of loan products that will fit your unique financial situation, whether you’re self-employed, an investor, or a co-borrower.

The market. Your agent will help you understand the market by showing you reports on housing prices, days on market, price reductions, and so on. This will help you choose the best neighborhood and home in your price range, replete with the services, transportation and other amenities you’ll need.

Real estate agency is a legally binding relationship between real estate agents and their clients during the buying and selling process. Each state has its own rules regarding the licensing and duties of real estate professionals, as well as how they’re allowed to work with consumers.

First, there are two levels of licensure—broker and agent. Brokers can own their own agencies and work independently, while agents must work under a broker’s supervision.  When you hire an agent, you’re really hiring the broker.

Because brokers and agents can represent either or both parties to a real estate transaction, agency relationships must be disclosed to both the seller and the homebuyer. In most states, dual agency isn’t permitted, but a broker may assign another agent in the firm to represent one of the parties as a designated agent with limited fiduciary obligations.

In some regions, new industry rules or existing state laws may require homebuyers to sign temporary or long-term representation contracts with a buyer’s agent before they can begin touring homes. The contents of these agreements vary depending on the location of the property and other factors; consult with a local broker or sales professional for more specifics.

Accessory dwelling units (ADUs) are small stand-alone or attached homes built on lots occupied by larger single-family homes. Also known as granny flats, ADUs can allow aging parents to live close to family or give adult children a chance to save money to launch their lives. They can also be rented to small households for additional income.

ADUs can expand density in already-built neighborhoods replete with utilities, streets, schools, hospitals, etc., and there are those who resist ADUs for short-term rentals, due to more noise, traffic, people moving in and out, and, possibly, lower home values if ADUs don’t integrate well esthetically within the neighborhood. Fortunately, the opposite has proven true—ADUs can improve home values by as much as 35% in big cities.

Instead of restricting ADUs, a better idea is to improve zoning which limits the size (400 sq. ft. to 1,000 sq. ft.) and placement of units on a property. Other provisions can include design standards, minimum lot sizes, limits on the number of occupants, and off-street parking for vehicles.