Your Offer Was Accepted…Now What

How we move from an accepted offer to confident homeownership—one step at a time.

First of all… congratulations!

That’s a big deal.

We found a house you love, we put together an offer, maybe we negotiated back and forth a little, and now we’ve reached an agreement with the seller.

One of my favorite real estate instructors used a phrase that’s stayed with me throughout my career. He called this moment “a meeting of the minds.”

I’ve always liked that.

The buyer and seller have agreed on the terms, and now everyone is working toward the same goal—getting you to closing.

Whenever I call someone to tell them their offer has been accepted, I usually follow it with the same sentence:

Don’t take that the wrong way.

I’m not saying the hard part begins. I’m saying this is where buying a home really begins to happen.

Up until now, we’ve been asking:

“Can we get this house?”

Now we’re asking a different question:

“Knowing everything we’re about to learn, is this still the right house for you?”

That’s what the rest of the transaction is really about.

One Step at a Time

You don’t have to learn the entire home-buying process today.

In fact, I don’t want you to.

We’ll take it one step at a time.

Today we’re opening escrow. Next, we’ll schedule inspections. When those inspections are finished, we’ll sit down together and go over everything we’ve learned.

If an appraisal becomes important, we’ll talk about it then. As we get closer to closing, we’ll do a final walkthrough.

You don’t have to become a real estate expert overnight.

We’ll get there together.

Gathering Information

The next few weeks are all about gathering information.

Yes, we’re going to inspect the house, but we’re also looking at the bigger picture.

You’ll probably be getting homeowners insurance quotes. You’ll want to drive the neighborhood at different times of the day, check your commute and, if there’s an HOA, review those documents.

If something raises a question, we’ll find the answer before making the next decision.

You’ll probably notice that I like getting inspections scheduled fairly quickly.

That isn’t because I’m trying to rush you.

It’s because I’m trying to give you time.

If the home inspector says, “I’d like an electrician to look at this,” I’d rather have several days to get another opinion than discover it on the last day of our inspection period.

Every Home Has a Story

After years of helping people buy and sell homes, I’ve learned something that’s worth sharing.

It really doesn’t matter whether we’re looking at a beautifully remodeled home, a fifty-year-old ranch house or brand-new construction.

Every home deserves the same careful evaluation.

A remodeled home may have beautiful new finishes while still having older plumbing or electrical systems behind the walls.

A brand-new home should still have an independent inspection.

And sometimes the home that’s been lovingly maintained by the same family for thirty years turns out to be one of the best houses you’ll ever walk through.

That’s why I try not to judge a home by appearances.

Fresh paint doesn’t tell me much.

Granite countertops don’t tell me much.

The age of the house doesn’t tell me much either.

Its condition tells us the story.

Understanding What We Learn

When the inspection report comes back, don’t let the page count scare you.

Every house has an inspection report.

Every house has maintenance.

Every house has imperfections.

The report isn’t there to convince you not to buy the house. It’s there to help us understand it.

We’ll sit down together, go over what matters, talk about what probably doesn’t, and decide whether we need more information or whether it’s time to negotiate.

Sometimes the answer is moving forward.

Sometimes it’s asking for repairs.

Sometimes it’s deciding this isn’t the right house after all.

That’s okay.

I’d much rather help you walk away from the wrong house than spend years wishing we’d asked one more question.

Deciding How to Move Forward

One question I hear all the time is whether we should ask the seller to fix everything on the inspection report.

Usually, I don’t think that’s the best approach.

Over the years, I’ve found that you often get more by asking for less.

I’d rather focus on the things that truly matter—items involving safety, functionality or significant unexpected expense—than spend our negotiating capital on a cracked switch plate or a sticky lock you’re probably going to replace after moving in anyway.

Every house is different.

Every seller is different.

We’ll decide together what makes sense for the home we’re buying.

Getting to Closing

Once we’ve worked through inspections and negotiations, the rest of the transaction usually comes together pretty quickly.

If you’re getting a loan, there will be an appraisal.

As we get closer to closing, we’ll do one final walkthrough. It isn’t another inspection. It’s one last opportunity to make sure the home is in substantially the same condition, that agreed-upon repairs have been completed, and that the items included in the sale are still there.

Then comes signing day.

After everything has been signed, funded and officially recorded, I get one of my favorite phone calls:

“We’re recorded.”

My Favorite Part

Years ago, one of my very first closings taught me something I’ll never forget.

The listing agent told me the keys would be waiting in the electrical panel outside the house.

When I opened it, they were tied together with nothing more than a twist tie.

I remember thinking:

Ever since then, I’ve tried to hand my clients their keys on an actual keychain whenever I can.

It’s a small thing.

But I don’t think buying a home is a small thing.

By the time I’m handing you those keys, I don’t want you wondering if you made the right decision.

I want you excited to walk up to your new home, put your key in the front door, and know, without a doubt, that you made the right decision.

Not because we got lucky.

But because we took the time to ask good questions, gather good information and make thoughtful decisions together.

To me, that’s what buying a home is really about.