Buying a home in Houston is one of the biggest financial decisions you'll make and Houston's market moves fast, varies widely by neighborhood, and has its own set of rules that catch out-of-tow and first-time buyers off guard.
Raquel Refuerzo is a top rated, award-winning Houston buyer's agent with over 15 years of experience and hundreds of buyers helped across Greater Houston. Whether you're buying your first home, relocating to Houston, upsizing, downsizing, or shopping new construction, Raquel and her team will guide you through every step from figuring out your budget to handing you the keys.
Houston is a big city with a lot of options. Here is step-by-step What We Do For Our Clients:
- Discuss buyer’s goals and timeline
- Go over the home buying process
- Create a “must-have” and “want” list
- Offer neighborhood and market area expert advise
- Connect buyer with a reputable lender
- Assist with the pre-approval process
- Introduce all the tools and technology available to consumers
- Preview market activity
- Prepare disclosures and broker documentation
- Create client’s custom home search Portal
- Check the market daily for new and changed listings
- Send the buyer relevant listings
- Research and collect pertinent information on buyer-approved listings
- Coordinate with buyer on upcoming showing appointments
- Schedule, confirm and plan showing appointments
- Create showing itinerary
- Supervise each showing appointment
- Ongoing effort to answer buyer’s questions, go over all options and offer professional advice
- Collaborate with the buyer
- Update buyer’s criteria as needed
- Prepare a Comparative Market Analysis
- Collect property disclosures, flood history, property archives, etc.
- Contact the listing agent to determine seller’s goals and possible competing offers
- Report to the buyer on all pertinent information
- Collaborate with the buyer on a strategic offer
- Prepare offer documentation
- Update lender pre-approval letter as needed
- Present the offer to the listing agent
- Negotiate the offer
- Ongoing follow-up on offers
- Execute contract
My goal is to provide you with the most personalized service that is designed to help you buy your dream home
- Deliver contract to title company, lender and other broker.
- Assist in delivering funds
- Confirm loan approval
- Schedule inspections
- Oversee inspections
- Negotiate repairs and other terms
- Order survey, if applicable
- Order home warranty, if applicable
- Coordinate appraisal
- Reconcile any title or appraisal issues
- Prepare buyers for moving in, setup utilities, etc.
- Schedule closing date and time
- Schedule Final Walk-through
- Confirm “clear-to-close”
- Verify accuracy of closing documents
- Collect property keys, remote, warranties, etc.
- Complete Final Walk-through
- Supervise closing transaction
- Deliver keys, remotes, warranties, etc. to the buyer
- Update MLS status
- Order the removal of yard sign and lockbox
- Wrap up with transaction team
- Complete Final Walk-through
- Supervise closing transaction
- Deliver keys, remotes, warranties, etc. to the buyer
- Update MLS status
- Order the removal of yard sign and lockbox
- Wrap up with transaction team
After signing the final paperwork to complete the purchase, you are now the owner of a new house. It may take a few days for your loan to be funded once the paperwork has been returned to the lender, but once that check is delivered to the seller, you’ll be all set to move into the home of your dreams.
Get assistance in determining current property value, crafting a competitive offer, writing and negotiating a contract, and much more. Let Raquel guide you through your home-buying journey.
Houston Home Buyer FAQ
As of August 2024, how buyer's agents are compensated changed as part
of the National Association of Realtors settlement. Buyer agent
compensation is no longer advertised on the MLS. Instead, compensation
is negotiated and clearly outlined in a written Buyer Representation
Agreement, which you will sign before we begin working together.
In practice, compensation can be covered in a few ways: the seller may
offer a concession to cover it, the buyer may pay it directly, or it
can be negotiated as part of the overall transaction. What matters most
is that you understand exactly what you are agreeing to before we take
a single step. I walk every client through this clearly during our
initial consultation. Broker commissions are not set by law and are fully negotiable.
Pre-qualification is a quick, informal estimate of what you might be
able to borrow based on information you self-report to a lender. No
documents are verified. It gives you a general ballpark but carries
very little weight with sellers.
Pre-approval is a formal process where the lender verifies your income,
employment, credit, assets, and debt. You receive a conditional
commitment letter stating how much you are approved to borrow. In
Houston's competitive market, a pre-approval letter is essential before
making an offer. Sellers take pre-approved buyers seriously.
Pre-qualified buyers, not so much. I always connect my buyers with a
reputable lender to get fully pre-approved before we start touring homes.
From the moment you start your search to the day you close, most Houston home purchases take between 60 and 90 days. Here is how that typically breaks down: getting pre-approved takes about one to two weeks, the active home search can range from a few weeks to a few months depending on your criteria and the market, and once you are under contract, most Houston closings take 30 to 45 days.
That said, every transaction is different. A cash buyer in a less competitive price range may close faster. A buyer financing a home in a high-demand neighborhood like The Heights or Montrose may need to move quickly on offers and may face a longer search. I help you set realistic expectations from day one so there are no surprises.
Buyers in Houston should budget between 2% and 5% of the purchase price in closing costs. On a $350,000 home, that is roughly $7,000 to $17,500 on top of your down payment.
Common buyer closing costs include loan origination fees, appraisal,
title insurance, home inspection, survey, prepaid homeowners insurance, and prepaid property taxes. In Texas, it is customary for sellers to cover the owner's title insurance and survey, which can reduce your out-of-pocket costs. In a buyer-friendly market, sellers may also offer concessions to cover a portion of your closing costs. I help you negotiate strategically so you are not leaving money on the table. Your lender is required to provide a Loan Estimate within three business days of your application so you know exactly what to expect before closing day.
Yes, and more Houston buyers should be taking advantage of them. Texas
has two primary state-level programs worth knowing about.
The Texas State Affordable Housing Corporation (TSAHC) offers down
payment assistance between 2% and 5% of the loan amount, available as
either a grant you do not have to repay or a forgivable second lien loan
that is forgiven after three years. Their Homes for Texas Heroes program
is specifically for teachers, first responders, veterans, and correctional
officers. Their Home Sweet Texas program is open to low and moderate
income buyers regardless of profession. Both require a minimum credit score of 620.
The Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA) offers
the My First Texas Home program for first-time buyers and veterans,
which pairs a 30-year fixed rate mortgage with down payment assistance. Their My Choice Texas Home program is open to all buyers, including repeat buyers, with no purchase price limit.
Eligibility and program terms can change, so the best first step is
to get pre-approved with a lender who is familiar with these programs.
I connect my buyers with lenders who know how to navigate Texas down
payment assistance so you do not miss out on money you qualify for.
