Massachusetts purchase contracts follow their own rhythm, and buyers moving here from other states are often surprised by how quickly the early stages move. Understanding the sequence before you tour a single home is the difference between writing a confident offer and reacting under pressure.
The sequence, start to finish
- 01
Financing first
Get a full pre-approval rather than a pre-qualification. A pre-approval means a lender has reviewed income, assets, and credit — listing agents treat the two very differently when comparing offers.
- 02
Define the search
Set your commute tolerance, school priorities, and non-negotiables before you begin. On the North Shore, a fifteen-minute difference in drive time can change the price band substantially.
- 03
Offer and Offer to Purchase
In Massachusetts, an accepted offer is followed by a Purchase and Sale agreement, typically within one to two weeks. The offer stage sets the price and contingencies; the P&S formalizes them.
- 04
Inspection
The inspection contingency period is short and firm. Have your inspector lined up before you write, not after.
- 05
Appraisal and commitment
Your lender orders the appraisal and issues a commitment letter by a stated deadline. Missing that date without an extension puts your deposit at risk.
- 06
Final walkthrough and closing
Massachusetts is an attorney-closing state. Your closing attorney handles title, the deed, and recording.
Where buyers most often lose deals
- Waiting for a second showing on a well-priced home in a competitive week
- Writing an offer with contingency dates the lender cannot realistically meet
- Treating inspection as pass/fail rather than as a scope-and-cost conversation
- Underbudgeting for closing costs, first-year insurance, and immediate repairs
What construction knowledge changes
Most buyer's agents can tell you a roof looks old. Fewer can tell you what a replacement actually costs, whether a wall is structural, or whether the basement moisture you're seeing is a grading problem or a foundation problem. That difference determines whether you walk away from a good house over a fixable issue — or buy an expensive one.
We walk properties with renovation cost in mind and give you a realistic number before the inspection contingency expires, so your decision is based on scope rather than anxiety.