How Long Does It Take to Buy A House?

While we wish there was a straightforward answer to this question as much as you do, there are many variables involved when buying a home. Thankfully, these steps allow you the processing time to know if you're making the right choice for your family. At Gattermeir Davidson, our real estate agents are here to help you through every step of the process and explain all of the nitty gritty details to you.

From start to finish, purchasing a home can take anywhere from one month to six or more. We don't say this to dissuade you but to help you prepare for the home buying process, and keep as few surprises at bay as possible. Here is a basic timeline of what you will experience when buying your home.

Arranging Your Mortgage

First things first, you'll want to get pre-approved or qualified for a mortgage. Many people look for a home first and then apply for their mortgage, but really, you should find out how much money you have to work with BEFORE falling in love with a home. The monthly payments can be quite different in a $125,000 home and a $250,000 home, so you'll want to work with your mortgage agent to find the right monthly payment for you.

Creating a Home List

After you know what your budget is, you can speak with one of our amazing Lake of the Ozarks real estate agents to find homes within a certain area and budget. From there we will send you listings that match your queries, and you can give them zero to five stars to help decide which are worth looking at. You'll want to not only pay attention to the cost of the home, but amenities that you wanted, like a garage, dishwasher, basement, or acreage.

Looking at Homes

After you've narrowed down your home search, you can let your agent know which ones you want to see. You can see as many as you'd like, but remember that the more you see, the harder it will be to differentiate them. Starting with seven to eight homes can give you a good idea of what's on the market, and plenty of homes to choose from. Make notes as you walk through the home, and don't be afraid to take photos. This will help you remember not only what you loved about the home, but things you want to investigate further or ask about.

Think About the Home You Liked

This is a very vital part of the home search experience. After looking at several homes in a row, you need to decompress and talk about what you liked and didn't like. If you have one Lake of the Ozarks home that you're leaning to the most, you can ask your real estate agent to get some background info on it and details about the property lines to help make your decision clearer. Sometimes this stage will reveal something that you didn't know about, and may even change your mind. At that point, you can go back to the other homes on your list and see what you think.

Putting In An Offer

When you've found a home that you really like, and you're ready to take the next step, our real estate agents will help you put in an offer. You'll need to bring your license and checkbook so that you can put some money down towards closing costs and title fees.

Possibly Submitting A Counter Offer

Perhaps the seller wasn't satisfied with your offer. They can counter your offer, and then at that point, you get to take the next step. There is nothing about the home buying process that is guaranteed, and even after they submit their counter offer, you could learn something about the home that you may not like, in which case you may have to go back to the drawing board, or if you like the counter offer, you can accept, or counter their counter offer.

Preparing For Inspections

When the offer has been accepted by all parties, it's time to pursue home inspections. Depending on the type of home, and the history involved, there are a few different inspections you may want. The main ones are going to be a maintenance inspection, termite inspection, USDA inspection (only if applicable through your mortgage requirements) and water inspection. Depending on the home, your real estate agent may suggest one over the other.

Closing Walk-Through

You've agreed to an offer, completed the inspections, and you still feel like this is the perfect place for you, congratulations! It's been a long process, but it's still not over. Now you will want to do a final walk through before signing the paperwork to complete the process. There are many reasons for this, but one of the main ones is that you want to make sure that everything you agreed on is still as you expected.

Move In!

We are proud to have been with you through this process. Sometimes it can take a month to get here, other times it can take several months, but it will all be worth it when you move into your home and get settled in.

Buy a Lake of the Ozarks Home

So, how long does it take to buy a house? As long as it takes to find the right place for you and your family. The Lake of the Ozarks is a wonderful place to live, and if you want to know why just ask our agents! They all call the Lake area home, and can tell you exactly why you want to relocate to the Lake of the Ozarks. If you're ready to start this journey, call our office at 877-870-5253 today!

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2011 REALTOR Salesperson of the Year

Missouri Association of Realtors

Gattermeir Davidson Real Estate, LLC

752 Bagnell Dam Blvd., Suite A

Lake Ozark, MO 65049

Office | 573.365.1555

Fax | 573.365.1766