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Narrowing the Field — Home Buying Step 8
How to Evaluate Homes Objectively in West Texas Before You Make an Offer
Narrowing the field is the step where home buyers move from looking at houses to deciding which ones actually make sense.
How to Evaluate Homes Objectively in West Texas Before You Make an Offer
This article is part of my practical, experience-based Home Buying Series. If you’re joining here, you’ll get the most value by starting earlier in the process:
- Step 1: Know Your Credit
- Step 2: Build a Sustainable Budget
- Step 3: Choose a Lender Who Explains, Not Sells
- Step 4: Fixing Underwriting Issues (“Not Yet” Is Not “No”)
- Step 5: How to Choose a Realtor Who Works for You
- Step 6: Mortgage Types Explained for Buyers
- Step 7: Start Looking at Houses the Right Way
Step 8 assumes those pieces are already in place. Narrowing the field works best when you’re evaluating homes you can realistically buy.
Now that you’ve started looking at houses, the next challenge is narrowing the field. This step is about moving from “homes you’ve seen” to “homes that actually make sense” in the real world—especially here in the Big Country, where neighborhoods, pricing, and property condition can vary dramatically from one side of block to the next.
To do this well, you’ll evaluate properties not just emotionally, but objectively. Even if several homes are priced the same, some will be better fits than others once you look at location, condition, layout, neighborhood patterns, and long-term practicality.
Buyer Representation Comes First (Especially in Texas)
In Texas, a Buyer’s Representation Agreement must be signed before a REALTOR® can begin showing you homes. This isn’t a sales tactic—it’s a legal requirement.
If you’re early in the process—or even just starting with a new agent—it’s now common in many Texas markets to begin with a one-day or one-property agreement. That gives you a chance to see how the relationship works before committing further.
If you continue working together, you should expect to sign a longer-term agreement. Representation matters more as you begin narrowing the field, reviewing comparative market data, and making decisions that involve real money and real risk.
You Can’t Have More Than One Buyer’s Agent at the Same Time
A Buyer’s Representation Agreement is a contract. It is not the same thing as talking to multiple salespeople at a store.
You generally cannot sign Buyer’s Rep Agreements with more than one agent at the same time without being released from the first agreement. Doing so can create legal problems.
If your agent is unavailable for a showing, the right move is to talk to them—not quietly sign with someone else. In many cases, their brokerage can arrange coverage for a showing, or release you if the relationship isn’t working.
I am not an attorney, and I cannot give legal advice. If you have questions about representation agreements or what you’re allowed to do under one, that’s a conversation for a Texas real estate attorney.
Start Comparing Homes Side by Side
Once representation is clear, you can focus on the real work: narrowing the field.
One simple technique I like is giving buyers a printed MLS sheet for each home, along with a clipboard and pen. As we walk through a house, you can write down what you like, what you don’t, and what stands out.
If it’s a quick “no,” throw the sheet away. If it has potential, keep it. After several showings, homes start to blur together. Notes help you remember which house had the great kitchen but tiny yard—and which one looked perfect online but didn’t work in real life.
Early showings often function as baselines rather than contenders. They help you clarify what actually matters to you once you start seeing homes in person.
Showings Have Timelines (And They Matter)
In West Texas markets—especially when inventory is tight—showings are scheduled in reserved time blocks. Your agent isn’t just “dropping by.” They’re reserving a window where you’re allowed to enter, tour, and leave so the next showing can happen.
If you (or your agent) are running late, you may cut down—or completely eliminate—the time you have at the property. In hotter market conditions, showings can be stacked back-to-back all day long.
When I’m able to, I like scheduling showings about an hour apart. That usually gives enough time for:
- a quick, focused walk-through,
- a short conversation about what you saw,
- and time to get to the next appointment without rushing.
This period is not the time to linger. You may hit the one you love that deserves more time—when that happens, your best move is usually to schedule another showing as soon as possible, or ask whether the current showing can be extended.
One Big Country quirk: Abilene is an Air Force town, and a fair number of my clients live by the rule that “15 minutes early is on time, and on time is late.” That mindset is helpful—just remember that 15 minutes early may not be when you can enter the property. It’s still far better than being 15 minutes late.
Comparing Homes Objectively
As you begin narrowing the field to a smaller group—usually three to five homes—it’s time to compare them side by side.
This is where your REALTOR® can prepare a comparative market analysis (CMA) for each property, not just against the neighborhood, but against each other. No two houses are identical, but looking at them together often makes differences obvious:
- Does one have the smallest yard?
- Is one priced higher because of an extra bathroom?
- Is one backing to a busy road while the others are interior lots?
- Is one “updated” cosmetically but weak on roof/HVAC/plumbing?
The “better deal” on paper may not be the better fit for you—and that’s okay. Narrowing the field is about clarity, not perfection.
It’s also common for homes to feel very different in person than they do online. Photos are designed to sell interest—not convey scale, noise, or layout.
Neighborhoods Matter More Than You Think
You’re not just buying a house—you’re buying the neighborhood around it.
Here in Abilene and the surrounding Big Country, some neighborhoods improve steadily, some stay flat, and some decline depending on maintenance, rental concentration, nearby development, and even traffic pattern changes. Not every area holds value the same way over time.
A great house next to where a new highway, major road expansion, or commercial development will land in five to ten years may not feel like a great decision when it’s time to sell.
Your REALTOR® can help you research what’s publicly available—zoning, known plans, and visible trends—but future value is ultimately a judgment call. That’s not a call an agent can or will make for you. It’s speculation, not a guarantee.
A common mistake is trying to predict appreciation too precisely. In markets like West Texas, value tends to move slowly and unevenly. Buying a home that works for you today usually matters more than guessing what the neighborhood might look like ten years from now.
Don’t Talk About the House Where You Can Be Overheard
One modern reality: cameras are everywhere. Video doorbells. Exterior cameras. Sometimes interior cameras. In a world where recording is cheap and common, it’s smart to assume that anything you say in or around the home could be overheard.
So here’s a simple rule: don’t discuss the house in detail—good or bad—inside the property, and definitely not on the porch.
If you love it, don’t announce it in the living room. If you hate it, don’t trash it in the kitchen. If you want to negotiate, don’t discuss strategy within earshot of a camera.
Save the real conversation for the car or at the curb, once you’re away from the home.
Always assume someone may be watching remotely, and treat the home with the same respect you would if the seller were standing there.
Showing Etiquette: Leave It the Way You Found It
Another reality buyers don’t always see: sellers are often paying close attention to what happens during showings.
I once had a seller who would park across the street and watch every showing. As soon as buyers left, she’d go into the house—and then call me if a light was left on, a door wasn’t closed, or something had been moved.
While it’s the REALTOR®’s responsibility to manage access and lock up properly, buyers should understand what’s going on behind the scenes.
When you tour a home:
- Leave lights, doors, and blinds the way you found them
- Don’t adjust thermostats unless instructed
- Don’t open drawers, cabinets, or closets unnecessarily
- Don’t sit on furniture or handle personal items
- Stay with your REALTOR® as you move through the home
This isn’t about being rigid—it’s about respect. Sellers are emotionally attached to their homes, and small things can leave lasting impressions.
Those impressions don’t usually kill a deal—but they can affect how flexible a seller is later.
A Note About Bringing Kids to Showings
Another practical consideration: first showings are usually not the right time to bring children.
When kids are running, touching things, opening doors, or separating from the group, it creates problems—not just for the REALTOR®, but for the seller and the listing agent as well.
Early showings are about evaluation, not settling in. Later—when you’re serious about a specific home—there’s usually time to bring kids back so they can see potential bedrooms and spaces.
During showings, it’s best for everyone to stay together and move through the home as a group. That keeps things efficient, respectful, and avoids misunderstandings—especially in homes with cameras or occupied properties.
When None of the Homes Make Sense
If you start feeling overwhelmed or second-guessing everything, that’s normal. Decision fatigue is real, and it’s often a sign that it’s time to narrow the field—not expand it.
Sometimes, after you lay everything out, none of the homes work. That’s frustrating—but it’s also information.
There are no perfect houses. Even people who build custom homes often discover that what looked perfect on paper doesn’t live well in reality. Sometimes the right decision is to keep looking.
Narrowing the field doesn’t always mean picking a winner. Sometimes it means deciding to wait.
Also, narrowing the field doesn’t lock you in. It just helps you think clearly. You can always expand again if new inventory appears.
Why Step 8 Matters
Step 8 is about slowing down and thinking clearly. Once you move past this step, the process becomes more formal, more expensive, and more time-sensitive.
By the time you finish narrowing the field, you should feel confident that the homes still on your list are worth making an offer on.
In the next step, we’ll talk about what happens when you decide to move forward—offers, contracts, timelines, and what you’re actually committing to.
About Me — Doug Berry, MBA, REALTOR®
The Bow Tie Agent
I’m a REALTOR® with Better Homes & Gardens Senter, REALTORS® who focuses on helping buyers understand the real-world side of homeownership — from lending and budgeting to navigating underwriting without surprises. With an MBA and experience as a lender with USDA Rural Development’s mortgage programs, I approach the process the same way I do with clients: clearly, calmly, and without sales pressure.
If you have questions about this step, need help preparing for a home purchase, or have a topic you’d like me to cover in a future article, feel free to reach out:
