How To Buy a Home

How to Buy a Home in the Houston Area

The steps, including the Texas-specific parts that surprise buyers from other states.

1. Get pre-approved, not just pre-qualifiedA pre-qualification is an informal estimate. A pre-approval means a lender has actually reviewed your income, assets and credit. In a competitive situation, sellers take pre-approved buyers more seriously, and it tells you the real number you are working with before you fall in love with a house.
2. Set your area and your non-negotiablesDecide which cities and neighbourhoods you are genuinely willing to live in, and separate the things you cannot compromise on from the things you would merely like. Commute, school zoning, flood history and lot size are worth settling early, because they narrow the search far more than finishes do.
3. Tour homes with your agentSeeing homes in person tells you things photographs cannot - noise, light, traffic, how the neighbourhood feels at different times of day. Take notes as you go, because after a handful of showings they begin to blur together.
4. Make an offer and negotiate the option periodYour offer covers more than price. In Texas it also sets the option period - a negotiated window, with a separate option fee, during which you can terminate the contract for any reason. Both the length and the fee are negotiable, and that window is your protection.
5. Use the option period for inspectionsSchedule a general inspection promptly, and any specialist inspections it points to. This is the stage at which you can still renegotiate or walk away, so the calendar matters - a slow start here can cost you the option entirely.
6. Review the survey and title commitmentThe title commitment lists what is recorded against the property, and the survey shows where the boundaries, easements and structures actually sit. Read both. Encroachments, easements and deed restrictions surface here, and they are far cheaper to discover now than after closing.
7. Let the appraisal and underwriting runYour lender orders an appraisal and completes underwriting. Keep your finances still during this period - no new credit, no large deposits, no job changes - because anything that alters your profile can delay or derail the loan.
8. Do the final walkthrough and closeWalk the property shortly before closing to confirm its condition has not changed and that agreed repairs were completed. Then sign at the title company. Bring government-issued photo identification, and arrange any funds by wire in advance - verifying wire instructions by phone with a number you already trust.