How Long Does It Take to Buy a Home in the DFW Area When My Job Starts in 90 Days?

How long does it take to buy a home in the Dallas-Fort Worth area when your job starts in 90 days? Plan on about 30 days from contract to close, so a 90-day window works when your financing and short list are ready in the first month.

Amy Jacobs is a REALTOR® in Plano, Texas, guiding relocating buyers as they purchase a home in Dallas-Fort Worth on a job deadline.

Ninety days is tighter than most people want and more workable than most people fear. Since 2012 I have guided more than 800 families, and many of them were moving here from another state with a start date already on the calendar. What I have learned is that the clock rarely runs out because of the houses. It runs out because the decisions were not made in the right order.

You can buy and close on a home in the DFW area within 90 days of a job start date. The timeline works when four things happen early: your financing is ready, your priorities are defined, your search is narrowed to two or three areas, and you tour with a plan. If you wait to start those until you land, you will feel rushed. If you start them from where you are now, you have a much better shot at a calm timeline.

A typical contract-to-close timeline is around 30 days, though it varies by contract, lender and property, so build in cushion. Many relocating families also choose to rent first and buy once they have lived here a few months. That is a legitimate plan, and I cover it below.

Here is the rough shape. Your dates will move depending on your move date, your current home and your lender.

• Days 1 to 14, build the runway. This is the most important stretch, and it happens before any touring. Talk to up to three lenders and ask about timelines, programs and how they handle relocation. Get pre-approved so you know your real budget. Decide what matters most: commute, home style, lot size, monthly payment. If you have a house to sell where you live now, start that conversation immediately, because it affects your budget and your timing.
• Days 15 to 30, narrow the map. DFW is large. Plano, Frisco, Prosper, Celina, McKinney, Allen and North Dallas each have a different price range and commute. We compare them on facts: price trends, commute times from your work address, school district boundaries, walkability and amenities. The goal is two or three areas, not ten.
• Days 30 to 45, tour with a plan. If you can make one or two focused trips, we plan the days around your short list. If you cannot travel, we use live video tours and detailed walk-throughs so you are not deciding from photos alone.
• Days 45 to 60, decide and write the offer. When the right home appears, you already know your budget, your must-haves and your walk-away points. Texas contracts commonly include an option period you negotiate, often five to seven days depending on the home and the agreement. It is when your inspections happen and when you make your final decision.
• Days 60 to 80, close and land. Appraisal, lender conditions, title and the final walk-through happen here. Aim to close at least a week or two before your start date so you have time to settle in. This is also when we coordinate your move date, utilities and move-in so you do not arrive to an empty house with no plan.

• Step 1: Decide whether you are buying now, renting first, or both. A short-term lease followed by a purchase is a valid choice, and a good one for families who want to see the area in person first.
• Step 2: Get financing ready. Pre-approval first, house hunting second.
• Step 3: Define the life you want here. Commute, space, neighborhood feel, budget.
• Step 4: Narrow to two or three areas.
• Step 5: Research schools by address. School attendance zones in Texas follow the home's address, not just the city, so confirm the school for each home on your short list with the district itself.
• Step 6: Tour with a plan. Short list, set appointments, honest feedback after each home.
• Step 7: Write the offer with your timeline in mind. Your closing date and your move date should work together.
• Step 8: Close and plan the landing. Utilities, internet, movers and school registration.

• Touring before the budget is set. Falling in love with a home you cannot comfortably afford makes every later decision harder.
• Starting with the house instead of the life. Buyers who feel most settled here usually picked an area that fit their routine first and then found the property.
• Searching too many areas at once. Six areas in three days is not a search, it is a blur.
• Waiting to talk about the old home. If you are selling where you live now, that timeline can control everything else.
• Assuming you cannot buy without being here. Many buyers do it from another state, with the right preparation.
• Treating the first trip as the only trip. Sometimes two shorter trips work better than one long one.

This is an illustrative example, not a specific client.

A family has a start date three months away and lives two states over. They can make one trip. In the first two weeks, we talk, they speak to a few lenders, and they get pre-approved. By week four, we have narrowed to two or three areas based on their commute and priorities. We schedule their trip around a short list of homes, with video walk-throughs ahead of time so the in-person days are about confirming, not discovering. Because the groundwork was done early, they can write an offer while they are here instead of flying home to think about it.

I do not rate schools or areas, so use each district's own information when you research them.

• Texas Real Estate Commission, the state agency that oversees real estate licensing and consumer information
• Plano ISD
• Frisco ISD
• Prosper ISD
• Celina ISD
• Allen ISD
• McKinney ISD