Buying a home
How to Buy a Home in Round Rock, Step by Step
How to buy a home in Round Rock with Ai Tran: Ready, Educated, Aligned, Locked. Your real number first, a written plan, and a closing day with no surprises.
The Short Version
Most agents start a purchase by showing you houses. I start by getting you ready to win one. If you want to know how to buy a home in Round Rock without surprises, the answer is the order of the steps, and I run every purchase in the same order. I call it R.E.A.L.: Ready, Educated, Aligned and Locked.
Ready means you know your real number and we have agreed in writing how I represent you, before we tour anything. Educated means you know what that number buys here, before you fall for something out of range. Aligned means we search on your real criteria, so you see fewer homes and better ones. Locked means the offer, the inspection, the loan and closing day are run so the ending is boring.
I am Ai Tran, a Realtor with 2020 Realty and a Loan Officer with Loan Factory. Because I hold both licenses, I can run the house side and the loan side of your purchase in one file. You can also bring your own lender. Either way, the steps below stay the same, and I explain each one in English or Vietnamese before it happens.
Ready: Your Number and Your Agreement Before Any Showing
The house a buyer loses is usually the one they were not ready to write an offer on. Being ready has two parts, and both happen before we look at a single home.
The first part is your number. I sit down with you and find what a lender will approve and what you are comfortable paying every month, including property taxes and insurance. Those are two different numbers, and the second one decides how the next few years feel. A lender looks at your income, your debts, your credit and the funds you have for closing. If you are self-employed or paid on a 1099, the lender reads your net income, not your gross. If your credit is not perfect, that is normal, and we look at it together. If something needs fixing first, I tell you what it is.
The second part is our agreement. Before I show you any home, we sign a written buyer agreement. I do this with every buyer, every time. It says in writing what I do for you and how I am paid, and you read it and sign it before we tour. If anything in it is unclear, I explain it line by line, in English or Vietnamese, until it is clear.
At the end of this step you have a pre-approval built on your real income and an agreement you understand. Sellers take an offer more seriously when it comes with both, and you can act the day the right home appears instead of scrambling.
How to Buy a Home in Round Rock, Step by Step
Educated: What Your Number Buys Here
A number on a pre-approval letter does not tell you what kind of home it buys. This step closes that gap before you fall in love with a house that does not fit.
We look at real homes for sale and recently sold in the towns you are considering, at your price, and I show you what you can expect for it: the size, the age of the home, the condition and the neighborhood amenities. If the homes at your number are not what you pictured, we talk about it now, while it is still a planning problem and not a heartbreak.
We also look at what changes the monthly payment beyond the price. Property taxes differ from one area to another, and some neighborhoods carry homeowners association fees or special district taxes. The homestead exemption lowers the taxable value of the home you live in, and I show you how to apply for it after you move in. For property tax questions specific to your home, the Williamson County Appraisal District is the source, and for tax advice, talk with your CPA.
Sometimes this step ends with a recommendation to wait. If the right move is to save longer, fix one thing on your credit or let a business show one more year of income, I say so, even when it means there is no purchase this month.
Aligned: Fewer Homes, Better Ones
Touring everything on the market is tiring and it makes every home blur together. An aligned search starts from what you actually need and works outward.
We write down your real criteria together: the bedrooms you need, the drive to work, the size of the yard, a single story or two, and the things you can live without. Then I set up the search around that list, so the homes you see already fit your number and your needs.
When we tour, I give you a clear verdict on each home, not only the good parts. I point out what the photos leave out: the condition of the roof and the systems, the layout, the lot and anything that would cost you later. You decide, and you decide with the full picture.
If I am also your Loan Officer, I check each home that interests you against your loan before you fall for it, including how its taxes and fees change the payment. If you use your own lender, I give you what you need to check the same thing with them.
Locked: Offer to Closing Day, With No Surprises
The last step is where most purchases go wrong, so it is the one I watch most closely. Here is what happens, in order.
The offer. We decide the price and the terms together, based on what similar homes sold for and how long this home has been on the market. Because I know where your loan stands, the offer can say so clearly, which makes it stronger.
The earnest deposit and the option period. Once your offer is accepted, your earnest deposit goes to the title company, which holds it until closing. The Texas contract also gives you an option period, a set number of days you negotiate in the offer. During it you can inspect the home and still walk away under the contract's terms. I schedule the inspection right away and go through the report with you.
The appraisal and the loan. The lender orders an appraisal of the home and finishes underwriting your file. I keep the paperwork moving and tell you if anything new is needed, before it becomes urgent.
Closing day. Before closing you receive your Closing Disclosure, the final list of your loan terms and costs, and I go through it with you line by line. Closing happens at a title company, where you sign the final papers and receive the keys once everything is complete.
This page describes my general process. It is not legal, tax or lending advice. Ai Tran, NMLS #2627075. Loans are offered through Loan Factory, NMLS #320841, in Texas and California only. Equal Housing Lender. Every loan is subject to underwriting approval, and not all applicants will qualify. Read Loan Factory's disclosures and the Texas disclosures.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to sign a buyer agreement before we see homes?
Yes. I sign a written buyer agreement with every buyer before showing any home. It says in writing what I do for you and how I am paid, and I explain it before you sign.
Who holds my earnest deposit?
The title company holds your earnest deposit after your offer is accepted, until closing.
Where does closing happen?
Closing happens at a title company. You get your Closing Disclosure before closing day, and I go through it with you line by line.
What is the option period?
It is a set number of days, agreed in your offer, when you can inspect the home and still walk away under the Texas contract's terms.
Do I have to use you as my lender?
No. You can bring your own lender, and the steps stay the same. I still represent you on the house.
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