When making an offer on a home, your real estate agent will negotiate on your behalf in order to attain the best terms for you. This can include negotiating the price, repair costs, timelines, and contingencies.

This is the legal contract a buyer and seller enter into once the buyer’s offer has been accepted by the seller. It outlines the terms and conditions of the sale and is signed by both parties.

After your offer is accepted, the next step is to get final loan approval. During this process, the lender will decide if they’re willing to approve your mortgage based on things like your creditworthiness and the title history and appraisal of the home you want to buy.

This is a report for you and your lender detailing the history of the home you’re buying to ensure there are no legal barriers to purchasing it.

This is when you agree to pay a percentage of the home’s asking price into an independent account to show the seller that you’re serious about buying. In return, they agree to take the home off the market. When the sale closes that money is put toward the down payment or closing costs.

During this final step of the home-buying process, ownership is transferred from the seller to the buyer, closing costs are paid, and a number of documents are signed. After closing is finalized and recorded, the home is yours!