South Florida Home Buying Guide: From Offer to Keys

by stazhkova on 15.08.2025

Hello. If you are planning to purchase real estate, I will guide you through the entire process—from the first step to the moment you receive the keys to your new home. We will go through each stage so that you understand what to do and in what sequence, which documents to prepare, and what to pay attention to in order to avoid mistakes.

General plan
The purchase of real estate consists of several key steps, and each of them requires preparation. We will consider:

1. Obtaining confirmation of financial capability.
2. Choosing a realtor or searching on your own.
3. Selecting a property.
4. Submitting an offer and paying a deposit.
5. Property inspection.
6. Closing the transaction and receiving the keys.

Stage 1: Finding a realtor or buying on your own
The first thing you need to decide is whether you will work with a realtor or handle the transaction yourself. A realtor will take on the search for options, negotiations, document review, and organization of the transaction. This is especially important if you have no experience in real estate. Searching on your own requires more time and knowledge: you will have to check the property’s legal cleanliness (clear title), study the market, and conduct all communication with the seller yourself.

Brief overview of the main stages of purchase

1. Obtaining loan approval or proof of funds
   If you are taking out a mortgage, you must first obtain preliminary approval from a bank or mortgage broker. This is a document that confirms you can be issued a loan for a certain amount. If you have sufficient funds of your own, prepare a bank statement or another document that confirms their availability.
2. Choosing a realtor and selecting a property
   Define your criteria: neighborhood, square footage, layout, condition of the house, infrastructure. A realtor will help you find suitable options and arrange viewings.
3. Preparing the offer and the deposit
   Having found a suitable property, you prepare a formal offer stating the price and terms of the deal. At the same time, you pay a deposit—usually about 10% of the purchase price. These funds are temporarily placed in an escrow account and confirm your seriousness.
4. Property inspection
   Before signing the contract, an inspection of the condition of the house is carried out. The goal is to identify hidden defects, assess the condition of the engineering systems, and determine whether additional repair costs are needed.
5. Closing the transaction
   At the final stage, all documents are signed, funds are transferred, and the keys are handed over.

Conclusion
At the start of your purchase, it is important to correctly organize the first steps: choose the working format and confirm your financial capabilities. This determines how quickly and safely the entire transaction will proceed. In the next material, we will analyze the process of obtaining loan approval and preparing financial documents.