Write a homebuyer offer and run your own due diligence
An offer submitted with contingencies that actually protect you, and diligence completed inside the deadlines — inspection, appraisal, financing and title contingencies set with real dates, the title commitment and exceptions reviewed, the seller disclosure read against the inspection report, and a repair-or-credit response drafted before the contingency expires.
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- Your own copy — keep it forever
- Gets better over time — free updates included
- Run it on web and mobile
- Invite a partner to go through it with you — you share the same progress
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Who it's for
First-time homebuyers in the U.S. who have found a home they want to buy and need to submit a purchase offer, especially those buying without a dedicated buyer’s agent. This guide fits whether you are working with the listing agent directly or going fully unrepresented.
About this playbook
This guide walks a first-time homebuyer through writing a competitive purchase offer and completing every due diligence step before the contingencies expire. You will determine a data-backed offer price from comparable sales, draft and submit the purchase agreement with custom contingency deadlines, review the title commitment and its exceptions for liens and encumbrances, schedule and attend the property inspection, compare the seller declaration against the inspection report, negotiate repairs or credits, and finalize financing and closing. The guide focuses on independent homebuying — it does not cover mortgage pre-qualification, finding a real estate agent, or investment property analysis. Every step gives the exact calendar-day deadlines you must track, the forms you need, and the decision rules that keep your earnest money protected.
What you'll do, step by step
Free preview — these steps are open to read in full before you buy.
Phase 1: Prepare Your Offer Strategy
0/3Gather the market data and personal limits you need before you touch a contract form. By the end of this phase you know your price range, your financing ceiling, and exactly which contingencies with how many days you will include.
- 1 hour
- 20 min
- 30 min
Phase 2: Draft and Submit the Purchase Agreement
4 stepsPhase 3: Run Title and Survey Diligence
4 stepsPhase 4: Complete Inspection and Disclosure Review
4 stepsPhase 5: Finalize Financing, Appraisal, and Closing
5 stepsDetails
What you need first
You have found a specific property you want to buy and know its full address. You hold a mortgage pre-approval letter from a lender and understand your maximum purchase price. You have access to at least 1–3 % of the offer price for the earnest money deposit plus an additional USD 1 000–5 000 for inspections, appraisal, and title-related fees. You can obtain your state’s standard purchase agreement form from the state association of Realtors or a local title company. You have a digital signature tool (DocuSign, PandaDoc, or a printer and scanner) ready.
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About the creator
I write playbooks about buying, renting, renovating and the bills that come with a home. Step by step, in the order things actually happen.
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