"How Long Will it Take to BUY my McKinney TX Home?" - 30 Days. Exactly.

One of the questions I get most often from McKinney TX home buyers is "How long does it usually take to buy a home?"

I tell them 30 days - on the dot!!

OK, no - I don't. That question is an impossible one to answer due to the fact that each and every buyer is different.

There's the relocation buyer - they are usually the quickest to purchase. No one enjoys living in temporary housing and when forced to live in a hotel, friend's home, relatives home (worse), or corporate housing, living out of a suitcase is not a lot of fun.

There's also the in-between buyer - also a quick buyer. This is someone who has just sold their home and needs to find a new home, who has probably been looking at homes available on the market for a while and has a STRONG idea of where they want to go. They look quickly and intently so as to avoid the temporary housing experienced by the relocation buyer.

Next is the first time buyer. Ohhhh, the first time buyer. They're some of my favorites if I'm being honest. They've never been through the process so they're not tarnished by past experiences. They listen to advice - and usually take it. The newbies tend to take on the longer side of the time line. Maybe it's because they can start looking a few months in advance of their leases running out, or maybe they're staying with parents and can look and look and look...

In any case, there are a few things that all buyers can do prior to looking in order to speed up the process:

1. Decide on a LOCATION first! Not the floorplan. Not the color of carpet or size of master bedroom. You can find so many homes that meet these criteria in any location! In case you haven't noticed, there's not a shortage of homes for sale in many parts of the country. Then...find a knowledgeable REALTOR that knows the city you want to buy in! Do your homework on this!

2. Talk to a lender and get your FINANCING in order.  If you can't qualify for a loan, then you can stop right HERE! Do not pass Go. Do not collect $200.

3. Sit down and make a list of your MUST haves...your must NOT haves...and your "it would be nice to have, but not 100% necessary". And then review this list. And review it again. The items on your MUST have list include things that if the home did not have this thing then you would not under ANY circumstance buy it. Same for the must NOT's. If a home has this item then you would NOT consider buying it. Knowing these lists will help you evaluate all the homes you see. It will be easier to make a "short list" of your favorite homes to choose from when you know what you're looking for.

The fun of shopping for a home can many times take on a life of it's own and you can easily get caught up in all the homes. You eat, breathe, sleep and dream homes.  HGTV is on 24/7. REALTOR.com becomes your new home page. Don't laugh --- you know what I'm talking about. Having a game plan before going into the "home buying game" will speed up the process.