How long does it really take to buy a home? The truth? Longer than most ads and TV shows want buyers to think! I know it seems like it shouldn’t take more than 30 days, the reality of how long it takes to buy a home depends on the buyer and the market conditions.

Realistically, the whole process of buying a home – from loan preapproval to getting the keys – can take anywhere from 30 days to 180 days depending on buyer’s criteria and what style home they’re looking to purchase (single family, condo, townhouse).

The longest part of the process of buying a home is finding the right one. A buyer will likely look at a ton of homes online, go look at a bunch more in person, attend open houses for weeks and still feel that “Something better might come along so maybe I should wait.”

A buyer in a tough market could submit many purchase offers (I’ve heard of as many as 20), get disappointed when their offer is not accepted on several homes they loved, then they finally have a seller accept their offer.

It’s a process. And it’s a rollercoaster. But with diligence and patience, the process ultimately works.

Once a buyer’s offer is accepted it’s time for the “business” part of things. This includes scheduling home inspections, ordering the appraisal and survey, getting final loan approval and the property research is (outstanding municipal liens, open permits, etc.).

If it’s a condominium or in a homeowner’s association (HOA), there are additional steps and documents needed from the association and those materials could potentially add as much as 30 to 45 days to the closing timeline. They have to be requested, provided and reviewed by the lender.

In the end, the time from an accepted offer to closing can be as short as 21-30 days or as long as 60 days.

My advice to home buyers, especially in the current market: be diligent, flexible and, above all, patient! Remember that this is an investment, not an impulse buy at the grocery store. It will not likely be sold again for years to come, so having patience and doing it right is worth it!

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Are you ready to start your home search? Then it’s time for us to talk! There are many ways I can help with the process and get you on your way to purchasing your next home. Scroll down to book your initial buyer’s consultation by phone or video call by clicking here or scroll down.

You can click here to check out the current market statistics as well. See average home prices, average time homes are on the market and how they compare year-over-year.

Not quite ready to start your home purchase journey, but want to get a look at what’s currently on the market? Click here to search current listings in the area.