Meet & prepare
Set up your search
Tour homes
Offer overview
Make an offer
Inspect the home
Finish your loan
Get the keys
Whether it's your first home or your next one, it helps to know what's coming up.
Start with a conversation about your timing, budget, and what you want in your next home. Go over how you and your Realtor will work together, including services and fees, before touring.
If you need a mortgage, talk with a lender about pre-approval. Look at the monthly payment and how much cash you'll need at closing, not just the largest loan you qualify for.
A budget and a plan you're comfortable with.
Build a search around your price range, preferred areas, and must-haves. Get new listings sent to your inbox so you can keep up with homes that fit.
Share what catches your eye and what doesn't. Your search can change as you get a better feel for what you want.
A search that reflects how you actually want to live.
Walk through homes in person when you can. The layout, light, condition, and street can feel different from the photos. A virtual tour can help if you're looking from a distance.
After each showing, think about what worked and what didn't. When a home stands out, look at its condition and what similar homes have sold for.
A clearer sense of the right home for you.
Before you find a home you want to make an offer on, take time to go through the purchase agreement. The offer overview is your chance to ask questions without feeling rushed.
Talk through the price, deposit, inspection, loan, closing date, and when you'd get the keys. Get comfortable with what each part means before you sign.
Know what you're agreeing to before you sign.
Put your price and terms in writing, including the deposit, inspection, financing, and closing date. The seller can accept, turn it down, or come back with changes.
Once you reach an agreement, send your earnest-money deposit as directed. This deposit is generally applied toward your purchase at closing.
An agreement with clear terms and deadlines.
Hire a home inspector to take a closer look at the property. Depending on the home, you may also want radon testing or a camera inspection of the sewer line.
Go over the findings with your Realtor. Decide whether to ask for repairs, request a credit, or move forward, within the terms of your agreement.
Understand the home's condition before moving forward.
If you're getting a mortgage, your lender orders an appraisal to check the home's value. If it comes in below the purchase price, work through your options with your lender and Realtor.
The lender also reviews your income, savings, credit, and paperwork to approve the loan. Send requested documents promptly, and check with your lender before making big purchases or changing jobs.
Your loan is ready for closing.
Review your final costs and do a last walk-through to check the home and any agreed repairs. The title company runs the closing, holding the paperwork and the funds, and your Realtor will go over the closing statement with you beforehand so there aren't surprises.
Before wiring money, call the title company at a number you already trust to confirm the instructions. At closing, you'll sign the paperwork and finish the purchase. Pick up the keys at the time you and the seller agreed on.
The home is yours. Time for your next chapter.
People CJ and Katy have worked with and recommend to clients.
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