No matter how well you can picture your dream house and communicate your ideal to a Realtor, the house you finally fall in love with may have little resemblance to the image you started out with. But you have to begin somewhere, and a detailed wish list is a great head start. Let's say your wish list looks like this, in order of priority:

1. Two bedrooms, two baths
2. Safe, quiet neighborhood
3. Garden
4. Ability to add on
5. No major repairs needed
6. Near close friends or family members
7. Close to downtown
8. Craftsman-style detached home
9. Lots of natural daylight
10. Parking
11. Good investment with excellent resale potential
12. Affordable property taxes
13. Neighborhood matches family personality, culturally and politically
14. Enclosed laundry area
15. Walk-in closet in master bedroom
16. Storage space for sports equipment
17. Gas hookup for stove
18. Back deck or patio
19. Close to work, schools, church
20. Finished basement for office or guest room
21. No threat of commercial encroachment
22. Within 1/2 hour of the airport
23. Hardwood floors
24. French doors leading to backyard
25. Close to public transportation

Now, how would the list change if you had to settle for only 10 of your wishes in your price range? If you had to narrow it to five, would your top priorities be different? When you start looking at houses, this information will be invaluable to a Realtor as he or she matches your requirements to available houses