House hunting can be fun. Take your time, look at many homes, take notes and ask questions. And know that there are many professionals available to help you find a home and ensure the home buying process is successful.
Professionals may include:
- Homeownership Counselor- Neutral third-party trained to educate you about the home buying process.
- Texas REALTOR®- Licensed by the state and specially trained to help people buy, sell, or rent houses.
- Lender- Banks, savings associations, credit unions, or mortgage companies licensed to provide home loans.
- Home Inspector- Checks structural and mechanical parts of property and reports on major problems discovered before home is purchased.
- Appraiser- Determines fair market value of home you want to purchase.
- Surveyor- Checks the measurements of the property and land around it. Usually required by lender.
- Insurance Agent- Assists you in finding homeowners insurance that covers both hazards and liability. This insurance is required by the lender.
- Escrow Officer/Title Agent- Manages the “escrow period”, which is the time between the date the purchase contract is signed and the date the closing takes place.
- Title Insurance Officer- Researches the public records and issues a title report that documents ownership and other important information about the house (liens, easements, zoning restrictions, etc.)
See Step 6
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