5 Steps to Buying a Home in Texas

Purchasing a home is one of the biggest financial decisions you’ll make, and with any real estate purchase navigating the process can feel overwhelming. But step by step we can outline the way with simple milestones to get you from start to closing. Whether you’re a first-time buyer or experienced in real estate, having a clear roadmap can help ensure you’re making informed decisions every step of the way. Here's a breakdown of the 5 key steps to buying a home in Texas.

Step 1: Getting Pre-approved

The first step in your home buying journey is securing mortgage pre-approval. This gives you a clear idea of your price range and helps you understand what you can afford. A pre-approval letter from a lender strengthens your position when making an offer, as sellers see you as a serious, financially-qualified buyer.

It’s important to partner with a lender who understands your financial situation, goals, and needs. I recommend reaching out to several options, including banks, credit unions, and other mortgage providers. You should ultimately choose a lender you trust and feel comfortable with, one who can guide you through the financing process. Fortunately, I have a strong network of trusted lenders and would be happy to connect you with a few great options.

Step 2: The Intro Meeting

Once you’re pre-approved, it’s time to sit down with your real estate agent (that's me!) for an introductory meeting. This is where we’ll map out the entire process and tailor a plan specific to your needs. During our Intro Meeting, we will discuss how the process works, wants vs needs, and much more. Some of these topics will include:

In the intro meeting we’ll cover key topics such as:

• Financing options: Are you a first-time homebuyer, or have you bought before?
• The current housing market and what’s available in your price range
• Your home criteria: What are your must-haves vs. nice-to-haves?
• Your desired timeline: When do you want to be in your new home?
• Scheduling home tours: We’ll set a schedule for viewing homes that meet your criteria
• Understanding the offer process: Earnest money, escrow, and closing timeline
• Negotiations: How we’ll handle inspections, appraisals, and the negotiation process

This meeting sets the foundation for everything, so we’re on the same page moving forward and I can step into my role of fiduciary in our real estate journey.

Step 3: Touring Homes

After the introduction meeting we will start looking at ideal homes. We will have our first home tour day set for seeing 3-5 homes that fit your criteria. Touring homes in person will always allow you to walk away with a better understanding of exactly what you want and get a true feel of the prospective properties in your criteria. Many buyers working within a specific budget will begin to understand the give and take with each home they tour. You will begin to realize that your want & needs such as location, condition, style, price, and amenities will become clear, and it will allow you to narrow your search.

You will have a personalized search set up for you based on your specific criteria, and you will get daily updates of homes that hit the market. As the homes hit the market throughout the week, we will schedule your top 3-5 homes to see each week, based on the schedule we set during the Intro Meeting.

By searching through the inventory here you will find more homes based on your neighborhood, city, or region of the great state of Texas.

Step 4: Making an Offer

Once you find piece of real estate that is “the one”, it’s time to make an offer! There are many different scenarios when making an offer on a home. Some questions that we will discuss include:

1. How long has the home been on the market??
2. Are we competing against other offers??
3. How can we make our offer the most appealing and stand out to the seller?
4. On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate this home that you’re making an offer on?

Key factors to consider during the offer process:

• Earnest Money is a “good faith” deposit put down before closing. This shows you are a serious buyer. Earnest money also protects the seller if the buyer backs out. Earnest money is usually 1-3% of the sale price. This money is held in a escrow account, and will be applied towards the purchase cost when the deal finalizes.
• Contingencies (financing, inspection, title, feasibility, etc.). We will go into depth about your options, and the pros & cons of adding these to your offer
• Purchase price & escalation clause if necessary. If you are in a very competitive market like in Texas, we may consider including an escalation clause to automatically increase your offer if there's competition.
• Closing date, we’ll discuss your ideal timeline for closing, and how to align it with the seller’s preferences.

We’ll work together to craft an offer that aligns with your goals and makes you an appealing buyer.

Step 5: Under Contract

Congrats! Your offer has been accepted and you are now under contract. Here are the next steps I will walk your through:

• Depositing earnest money to escrow
• Scheduling & conducting your home inspection
• Negotiating throughout the process (negotiation continues until we close!)
• Appraisal
• Closing day & key hand-off!

This process can take anywhere from a few weeks to a couple of months, depending on your specific situation, but I'll be with you every step of the way to ensure a smooth transaction.

Summary

Buying a home in Texas can be an exciting and rewarding experience, but it’s important to have a clear plan in place. By following these five steps—getting pre-approved, understanding the process, touring homes, making a strong offer, and navigating the contract phase—you’ll be well on your way to owning your dream home.

Whether you are buying or selling or just looking I am open to having more dialogues with Texans interested in real estate. If you're ready to start your home-buying journey, let's connect! I'm here to answer any questions and help guide you through the process from start to finish. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me or if you had question about the process. You can reach me by visiting my website here or dropping me a line [email protected]

Here’s a quick summary of the 5 steps to buying a home in Texas:

1. Get Pre-approved for a Mortgage: Start by securing a mortgage pre-approval to determine your budget and show sellers you’re a serious buyer.
2. The Introductory Meeting: Meet with your real estate agent to discuss your goals, home criteria, financing options, and timeline. This meeting sets the stage for the home search.
3. Tour Homes: Visit homes that match your criteria. This will help you narrow down your preferences and get a clear idea of what you're looking for.
4. Make an Offer: Once you find the right home, work with your agent to submit an offer. Consider factors like earnest money, contingencies, and competition.
5. Under Contract: If your offer is accepted, you’ll move forward with steps like scheduling inspections, negotiating terms, getting an appraisal, and preparing for closing day.