Maps, Good Records Help Make for a Productive Tour

Before you head out, it helps to map out ahead of time the stops you plan to make. Some houses are open only on Sundays, while others are open Saturdays and Sundays. The viewing times generally run from noon, 1 p.m. or 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. or 5 p.m.

Factor into your timetable the likelihood that you will run into other open houses along the way, including for-sale-by-owner listings that might not be advertised.

Keeping maps in the car is a good idea, even if you have used a Web site to spit out directions.

Next you need a system to keep track of what you have seen.

You can develop your own approach to managing the information -- say, filing listing fliers into an accordion file after a visit -- or you can adopt one of the many systems recommended by authors of how-to-buy books.

Documenting what you have just seen is imperative, experts say. "In all likelihood, you'll be seeing a lot of homes, probably in a short period of time. Each one will seem perfectly memorable while you're looking at it, but when you get home, your memory will start sprouting leaks," writes Elizabeth Razzi, author of "The Fearless Home Buyer."

Razzi's book offers a cheat sheet, to be filled in with answers to a series of questions about the amenities at each house. She suggests taking along a digital camera or a video camera, but some local agents say they would object to that.

"I wouldn't want anyone coming into my house with an electronic camera; you don't have any control over who's coming in," said David Maclin, president of the Prince George's County Association of Realtors and an agent with Realty Executives Main Street USA in Upper Marlboro. "I might allow a regular camera," he said. "But a good agent will do virtual tours and have enough photos on the Web to satisfy a buyer."

In the age of cellphone cameras, though, the debate over photos might be moot.

Ilyce R. Glink, author of "100 Questions Every First-Time Home Buyer Should Ask," has developed a rating system for open houses. "Assign five points to each item in the top five spots on your wish list" and a list of "what you really need." Then, "assign one point to the remaining items on each list."

Other tips from Razzi:

· Be picky but practical. Make sure the neighborhoods you visit will fit your budget.

· Forget about the appliances. "Keep in mind that for a couple of thousand dollars you could buy yourself some first-rate machines to cool, cook, wash."

· Beware of tiny furniture. "Undersized furniture and wall-sized mirrors are tip-offs that a room is unusually small."

-- Sandra Fleishman