How long does it take to buy a house?

It depends on how long the search takes, which is up to you and the market. Once your offer is accepted, the stretch from contract to closing usually runs several weeks, set by the closing date in the contract and how quickly the lender, inspector, appraiser and title company finish their work. Your agent tracks the deadlines along the way.

Do I pay my agent as a buyer?

Since 2024, buyer-agent compensation is negotiated separately from the listing side, and it is spelled out in a written agreement with your agent before you tour homes. Sometimes the seller agrees to pay part or all of it as part of the offer. Ask up front how it works so there are no surprises at closing.

What is the difference between pre-qualified and pre-approved?

Pre-qualification is a quick estimate based on what you tell the lender. Pre-approval means the lender has actually pulled your credit and reviewed your income and assets, and has written a letter saying how much they will lend. Sellers take a pre-approval letter seriously. A pre-qualification carries much less weight.

What if the inspection finds problems?

Every house has something. The inspection period gives you a set number of days to review the report and decide. You can ask the seller to make repairs, ask for a price reduction or a credit, accept the house as it is, or cancel within the deadline and get your earnest money back. Your agent helps you decide which problems matter.

How do I buy my first house in Wichita, step by step?

Buying your first house in Wichita follows the same path every time: get pre-approved with a lender, search and tour homes, write an offer, put earnest money with the title company, inspect the house, let the lender’s appraisal come back, and sign at closing. Most of the stress comes from not knowing what happens next. Here is the whole road, in order.

Step 1: talk to a lender before you talk to houses

Pre-approval is a letter from a lender saying they have reviewed your credit, income and savings and will lend you up to a certain amount. Sellers will not take an offer seriously without it.

The number on the letter is what the lender will lend, not what you have to spend. Decide what monthly payment you are comfortable with, and shop under that. If you do not have a lender, ask. I can give you names of local lenders my clients have worked with. I am not a lender, and the loan side is theirs.

Step 2: search and tour

You can search every home listed in the Wichita area at /search/all-homes. Save searches, set alerts, and watch the status on each listing. Active means available. Active under contract or pending means another offer has been accepted. The status guide explains each one.

Before we tour, we sign a written agreement that spells out how I am paid. Since 2024, buyer-agent compensation is negotiated separately from the seller’s side. You will know how it works before we open the first door.

Step 3: the offer and earnest money

An offer is a written purchase contract you sign and send to the seller. It covers the price, your financing, the closing date, what stays with the house, any closing costs you are asking the seller to pay, and your contingencies. A contingency is a condition that lets you cancel and get your deposit back if it is not met. The usual ones are inspection, financing and appraisal.

Earnest money is a deposit that goes to the title company, not the seller, once your offer is accepted. Locally it often runs about one percent of the price, sometimes a flat amount on lower-priced homes, and it is negotiable. At closing it counts toward what you owe. The earnest money guide has the details.

The seller can accept, decline or counter. Once both sides sign, you are under contract.

Step 4: inspection and appraisal

An inspection is a paid, detailed look at the house by a licensed inspector you hire. You get a report on the whole house, then a set number of days to ask for repairs, negotiate a credit, accept the house as it is, or cancel.

An appraisal is a licensed appraiser’s opinion of value, ordered by your lender to confirm the house is worth what they are lending against. If it comes in under the price, the two sides work out the difference or the deal ends under the appraisal contingency.

Step 5: closing at the title company

In Kansas, closings are usually handled by a title company. They search the title to confirm the seller can legally transfer the house, prepare the documents, collect the money from you and your lender, pay the seller, and record the deed. You get a settlement statement a few days before closing. Read it. Ask about anything you do not understand.

On closing day you sign, the funds move, and you get the keys on the possession date in the contract, usually the same day.

That is the road. The first call is to a lender, and the second is to me. I will explain every form before you sign it and tell you plainly when I think a house is not the one. The market decides what a home is worth. Our job is to make sure you understand what you are buying.