From offer to keys: how buying a home works in Massachusetts

Buying in Massachusetts follows a sequence that differs from many other states, mostly because attorneys play a bigger role and the first signed document is binding. Here is how a typical purchase in Natick, Framingham or the surrounding towns moves from offer to keys.

1. Get pre-approved before you tour seriously

In competitive Greater Boston towns, sellers expect a pre-approval letter with every offer. A pre-approval also tells you your real budget, including property taxes, which vary a lot from town to town.

2. Sign a buyer agreement with your agent

Since August 2024, buyers working with an agent sign a written agreement before touring homes. It spells out the services and how your agent is paid. Ask questions about it; it is meant to be clear, and it is negotiable.

3. Make an offer

Your offer goes in on an Offer to Purchase form with a deposit. In Massachusetts, an accepted offer is generally treated as a binding contract, so read it carefully and include any contingencies you need, such as inspection and financing.

4. Home inspection

Inspections usually happen within about a week of acceptance. Along with the general inspection, consider radon testing, a pest inspection, and a lead inspection for homes built before 1978.

5. Purchase and Sale Agreement

About two weeks after acceptance, buyer and seller sign the Purchase and Sale Agreement, usually drafted by the seller's attorney and reviewed by yours. This is where the details live: the closing date, your mortgage commitment date and what happens if something goes wrong. A second deposit is typically paid at this point, often bringing the total to about 5% of the price, held in escrow.

6. Appraisal and mortgage commitment

Your lender orders an appraisal and finalizes underwriting. The mortgage commitment date in your agreement protects your deposit if financing falls through, so keep your lender moving and avoid new credit during this stretch.

7. Final walk-through and closing

Within a day or two of closing, you walk through the home to confirm its condition. Closing is run by an attorney, often the lender's. Afterward, the deed is recorded at the county registry of deeds, which is the Middlesex South District for Natick and Framingham.

If you're starting to look in Greater Boston, reach out and I'll set you up with listing alerts and a plan for your first offer.