How Long Does it Take to Buy a Home?
Your timeline may vary, but the following is a good guideline
- Preparing to Buy a Home: 3-4 weeks
- Initial Search for Ideas: 1-4 weeks
- Building a Team: 1 week (overlap initial search)
- Pre-Approval of Mortgage: 12-48 hours
- The Home Search: 4-8 weeks (depending on criteria)
- Contract-to-Close: 14-60 days
On average, a homebuyer will spend 30-60 days shopping and 14-60 days from contract to close. For some, the process can be extremely quick taking as little as 30 days total, while for others, the shopping period alone can last several months.
How Much Home Can I Afford?
The first step in the home buying process is understanding if you have the resources needed to purchase a home. This includes knowing how much home you can afford, what type of down payment and monthly mortgage payment to budget for, as well as what type of loan program you’ll use to finance your new property.
Buying a home is a complicated process that requires a good deal of research. In the course of it, there will be a number of professionals and specialists involved. Once you’ve done your homework and assessed your resources, you’ll need to assemble your team.
