A simple, in-order checklist for buying a home. Work it top to bottom and you will not miss a step.
Before you shop
Get pre-approved, not just pre-qualified. Set aside 20 to 30 minutes with a lender and have your pay stubs, last two years of W-2s, and recent bank statements ready. Expect a credit pull and a few questions about income and debts, which is routine.
Settle your real budget. Look at the full monthly payment with taxes and insurance, not just the price, because the sticker hides a few hundred dollars a month. Decide what feels comfortable, not just what you qualify for.
Separate your needs from your wants. Write down the handful of things your life truly requires versus the nice-to-haves. This one list saves you the most time and second-guessing later.
Line up your REALTOR® early. Talk to your agent before you start touring, so you have representation from the first showing.
Finding the home
Tour with intent. Take photos and a few notes in each home, because after the third or fourth they blur together. Focus on what you cannot change: location, layout, light, and noise.
Revisit your favorite at a different time of day. A street can feel completely different at 8am, at 5pm, and on a weekend. Twenty minutes back at the curb has saved a lot of buyers from a surprise.
Check the real commute and the neighborhood feel. Drive your actual commute, not the map estimate, and walk the block if you can. This is the part listing photos never show.
Making it yours
Make a clean, well-structured offer. Price is the loudest part but rarely the only thing that wins, so expect to weigh terms, contingencies, and timing too.
Put down your earnest money. Plan for roughly 1 to 2 percent of the price as a good-faith deposit once your offer is accepted. It gets applied at closing.
Schedule the inspection, then negotiate the real items. Expect the report to list things even on a great house. The goal is no surprises and fair fixes or credits for what actually matters.
Stay on top of your loan and the appraisal. Send your lender documents the day they ask, because slow paperwork is the most common cause of a delayed closing.
Secure homeowners insurance. Line up a policy a week or two before closing, since your lender requires proof. Rates vary, so it is worth a couple of quotes.
Do the final walkthrough. Just before closing, confirm the home is in the condition you agreed to and any promised repairs are done.
Confirm wire instructions by phone before sending a dime. Call the title company using a number you trust, because wire fraud is real and a thirty second call prevents it.
Bring your ID and cleared funds to closing, then get the keys. Expect about an hour of signing. Then the home is yours.