Buying a home is one of the biggest purchases you will ever make. So it makes sense to understand as much as possible about the process before you begin. Whether you are a first-time buyer or already a homeowner, in the following you can learn about the home buying process step-by-step.

Pre-Qualification - Find out how much home you can afford by pre-qualifying for your home loan. That way you're ready to purchase the home you want as soon as you find it. We can help with the process by providing a Pre-Qualification form for you to complete. You'll receive the results the next business day.

Choosing The Right Home - Here are the basic home types for you to choose from: Single Family House: a single family detached home with land in front and back Zero Lot Lines: similar to a single family house except the yard around the structure is very small Townhouses: share common walls and have little or no exterior land. Most townhouses are really condominiums, common areas are jointly owned and are managed by an association of owners for a fee.
Flats: a form of condominiums but usually just one level. A flat is typically found in a garden style or high rise building. Like other condominiums there is an owners' association and mandatory fees for common maintenance.
Duplexes: a house divided into two separate living units offering some rental income.

Features And Amenities - We have developed a list of questions to help you create your wish list. Once you prioritize all the items on the list you can narrow your search.

Choosing A Neighborhood - Research yourself by talking to neighbors, contacting the neighborhood association, and review back copies of their newsletter.
Attend open houses without disclosing any more than you are "just looking"
If you're ready to purchase a home a Realtor® can provide a great deal of assistance by recommending neighborhoods and researching homes that meet your criteria.
Check out our Area Information section for details on neighborhoods and schools in the Metroplex.

Obtain Buyers Representation - Get a professional to represent your interests. Someone who is available to give you information and advice. Having the right realtor represent you in this purchase can make all the difference in buying your home. For example, the Buyer's Agent is someone knowledgeable who can guide you through the process of buying a home.
Make sure you know whose interests a Realtor® represents. They are required by law to tell you. 

Please note that my services to you as your "Buyer's Agent" are FREE since the seller is paying my fees. 

Viewing Homes - The Realtor® you select to represent you can provide you with access to any home.
Once you have an interest in a particular home, review some of the documentation available such as the Seller's Disclosure Notice which tells you what the owner believes is the condition of the home. Or the seller's disclosure about lead-based paint for homes built prior to 1978.
Have your Realtor® ask the seller for any other reports available to share regarding the condition of the house.

Making The Offer - Here are some questions you will need to answer when writing your offer. For a detailed discussion of these questions and other issues, go to the More About Making The Offer page.
How much will you offer to pay?
What are your financing terms?
How much earnest money will you deposit?
How long is the option period, and what will you pay for this right?
What date do you want to sign the closing papers?
What date do you want possession of the property?

Negotiating The Offer - Your Realtor® will submit your written offer to the seller's Realtor®. If the seller changes the offer you have the option to make your own changes and resubmitting it to the seller. The offer will go back and forth until all terms are agreed upon. Then the contract is executed. At this point the buyer usually has to write two checks: for earnest money and the option fee.
The Buyer's Agent delivers the executed contract to the title company or the closing attorney with the earnest money check. The option fee is sent directly to the seller.

Inspections - Your major goal now is to get the home inspected before the option period expires. You will need two inspectors: one for structural and mechanical systems and the other is for wood-destroying insects. Some inspection companies can do both. Your Realtor® can handle all the details of scheduling the inspections, and even meet with the inspector if you are unavailable.
Inspections can take a few hours. Once completed the inspectors will provide you with written reports on the condition of your home. If you find that the house has serious problems that you hadn't anticipated, you may want to approach the owner through your Realtor® about some relief. If you can't accept the property as is and the seller will not provide relief, you can terminate the contract if you are still within the option period, forfeiting the option fee and inspection costs.
If the home is in acceptable condition you can let the option period expire which means that you are now fully committed to the contract.

Obtain Home Owner's Insurance - Before closing you want to obtain insurance for the property you are about to buy. To avoid unexpected problems later it's ideal to get a quote within your option period. Once you've selected a provider inform the title company of your choice.
The insurance provider will supply the title company with proof of coverage, which is required to close, and the amount to be charged at closing. Insurance is a pre-paid expense so you will probably have to pay a year's premium plus two more months of the premium, fourteen months total.

Arranging The Move - If you are going to use a moving service or rent a truck check their availability as soon as possible. Holidays, end of the month, and end of the semester moves can be more difficult to schedule. And closings can be delayed so have a contingency plan. You also need to contact local utilities in advance to have the services switched to your name. Your Realtor® can give you contact numbers.

Previewing The Closing Statement - Shortly before the actual closing date the title company or closing attorney will prepare the closing statement, which tallies all the charges and credits for the buyer and seller. If possible, you want to preview ths closing statement before closing. You want to verify the accuracy of the statement and understand all items. And you need to know how much the certified check should be to cover the balance of the down payment and closing costs.

Closing - Normally you will go to the title company or closing attorney's office to sign all documents, bringing with you photo identification and a certified check for the appropriate amount. You and the seller will probably have separate appointments to sign the documents.
The closer will review each document in as much detail as you want and you will sign them as you go. When the process is complete the closer usually makes copies of all the documents for you and you're free to go.
Once the seller has signed the documents, the lender verifies that everything has been processed to their satisfaction and then releases funds so the title company or closing attorney can disperse them to the appropriate parties.

Possession - Possession depends on what was negotiated in the purchase contract. Typically, once funding is completed you receive the keys to the property and the previous owner is completely moved out. It can vary, of course, but if possession is different from closing and funding a temporary lease should be signed.