Before You Make an Offer: A Broken Arrow Buyer\u2019s Checklist

When the right home comes along in the Tulsa Metro, it can be tempting to move fast. Before you write an offer, slow down just long enough to check these five things. Each one protects you from a surprise later.

1. What did similar homes actually sell for?

Listing prices and sale prices are different numbers. Your Realtor can pull closed comparables from the last few months in the neighborhood: similar square footage, similar beds and baths, similar condition. Look at what buyers actually paid, not just asking prices, and look at whether homes are selling above, at, or below list.

2. What will the inspection likely find?

Most homes need something. The goal is to know the size of the list before your inspection contingency expires. Budget for a general home inspection, and consider specialists for the things that matter in Oklahoma: HVAC age and condition, the roof, and the foundation. Then use the findings to negotiate, with a clear head, after the emotion of the tour has cooled.

3. Do the schools really fit your family?

District boundaries and feeder patterns change, and they differ from one address to the next. If school assignment matters to you, do not rely on the neighborhood name. Confirm the current assignment for the specific address with the district, especially in areas where boundaries were recently realigned.

4. Does the neighborhood fit your daily life?

Visit at different times of day: morning commute, after school, and a weekend evening. Check the drive to work and the grocery run. Walk the block. The home itself is half the decision; the street, the light, and the neighbors are the other half.

5. Do your numbers still work?

Add up the down payment, closing costs, property taxes, insurance, and upkeep. Run the payment at today's rates, then again a half point higher, so you know what you can absorb. An offer that works at a walkthrough should still work six months later.