Buying a home
Buying a home, one clear step at a time
How buying a home in Collin County works with me: preparing to buy, a realistic budget, pre-approval, a focused search, navigating the option period, inspection, appraisal and finally closing at the title company.
The short version
Buying a home in Collin County usually starts the same way: scrolling listings at night, falling for one, and then scrambling to get ready to write an offer. By the time you're ready, it's often gone.
I do it in a different order. We get you ready first, then we look. Here's how it works, in four parts:
- Ready: your financing and your paperwork in place before we tour.
- Educated: a straight answer on what your budget buys, and where.
- Aligned: a search built around how you'll actually live, not everything on the market.
- Locked: the offer, the option period, repairs, the appraisal and closing, handled so nothing surprises you.
I've sold homes across Collin County for more than 20 years, and I've worked on the builder side, in appraisal and in title too. That's why I can tell you what's coming at every step before it comes.
Ready: paperwork and financing before we tour
The home a buyer loses is usually the one they weren't ready to write an offer on. Getting ready first is what gives you a real shot at the home you want.
Talk to a lender. If you're financing, the first step is getting pre-approved. A pre-approval tells you what you can borrow, and it tells sellers you're a serious buyer. It also answers the question so many buyers carry around quietly: what if we can't actually afford what we think we can? Better to know now, before you fall for a house.
The paperwork we sign together. Before I start showing you homes, we sign a Buyers Representation Document and the state-required disclosures. One of those disclosures is the Texas Real Estate Commission's Information About Brokerage Services, which explains the different ways an agent can work with you. The Buyers Representation Document spells out what I'll do for you and the terms of our working relationship, in writing, before we start. I'll walk you through every line, and you'll have copies of everything.
That might sound like a lot of paperwork before you've seen a single house. It's there to protect you. You know exactly who's working for you and on what terms before anything else happens.
Educated: what your budget really buys
This is the conversation that saves people months. Before we tour, I'll tell you plainly what your budget buys in the towns you're considering, and what it doesn't.
Collin County covers a wide range. For example, as of September 2026, homes in Stonebridge Ranch run from the high $300s to over $2,000,000, and new construction in Painted Tree starts in the low $400s. Buyers looking for a lower price point on new construction often end up further north in Anna or east in Princeton.
Every town has a trade-off, and I'll tell you what it is. Frisco gives you convenience and more traffic. Celina gives you new construction and a longer commute. Plano puts you closer to Dallas in an older floor plan. There's no wrong answer, but there is a right answer for you, and it's easier to find when you know the trade-offs going in.
We'll also talk about the costs beyond the price: property taxes (including communities with a MUD tax, like Trinity Falls), HOA dues, and what you'll need in hand for earnest money and the option fee.
Aligned: fewer homes, better ones
Once we know what fits, we narrow the search. The goal isn't to see every home for sale. It's to see the right ones.
A few things I check that don't show up in the listing photos:
- School zoning for the exact address. Big communities are often split across several schools, and some McKinney addresses, like parts of Craig Ranch, fall outside McKinney ISD.
- Your real commute. Which road you'll use every day, and what it's like at rush hour.
- Taxes and HOA dues, so the monthly payment matches what you planned for.
- What's being built nearby, especially in towns that are still growing.
If you're looking at new construction, bring me with you to the first model home visit. The builder's sales agent works for the builder. I've worked in new construction sales myself, and I can help you compare builders, incentives and contracts. See buying new construction with me.
If you're also selling, we'll plan both moves together, so you know when to list, when to buy and when to close. See trading up.
Locked: from accepted offer to your keys
Once your offer is accepted, the clock starts. Here's how it works in Texas, and what I'm doing at each step.
Earnest money. Earnest money is typically about 1% of the sales price. It's held by the title company, not the seller.
The option period. Right after acceptance, you enter what Texas calls the option period. It usually lasts 7 to 10 days, depending on what was negotiated in the contract. You pay an option fee for it, which is negotiated too: usually around $150 to $200 for a typical single-family home, and higher for luxury homes. The option fee is also held by the title company.
The inspection. We typically get a third-party inspection done in the first 4 days of the option period. That leaves time to review the report and negotiate.
Repairs. After the inspection, I negotiate your repair requests with the seller's agent. Once the option period ends, I monitor the progress of the agreed repairs, and I get receipts and photos of the completed work, so you're not taking anyone's word for it.
Loan approval and appraisal. While repairs are happening, I'm following up with your lender on loan approval and coordinating the appraisal visit, so nothing stalls.
Final walkthrough. We typically do the final walkthrough the day before closing or the morning of closing, to make sure the home is in the condition we agreed on.
Closing. Closing takes place at the title company. You sign, the funds move, and you get your keys.
This page describes how I generally work with buyers. It isn't legal, tax or lending advice. Every contract is different, so we'll go through yours line by line.
Ready to start? Get in touch or call me at (469) 693-3839. If you're buying for the first time, see first-time buyers. You can also start at my home page.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the option period in Texas?
The period right after your offer is accepted, usually 7 to 10 days depending on the contract. The inspection happens early in it, and repairs are negotiated before it ends.
How much earnest money do I need?
Typically about 1% of the sales price, held by the title company.
How much is the option fee?
The option fee is negotiated in the contract. For a typical single-family home it usually runs around $150 to $200, and more for luxury homes. The title company holds it.
What do I sign before you show me homes?
A Buyers Representation Document and the state-required disclosures, including TREC's Information About Brokerage Services.
Where does closing happen?
At the title company.
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