Relocating to DFW
Relocating to Dallas-Fort Worth With Amy Jacobs: Your Step-by-Step Plan
Amy Jacobs, DFW relocation REALTOR®, walks you through relocating to North Texas in 14 steps, from the first call to settling in. Free consultation.
Stage 1: Before You Land
Moving to North Texas from another state or country can feel like a lot at once. Amy Jacobs, REALTOR® with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices PenFed Realty Texas, has guided relocating buyers since 2012. This is the plan she follows with every client, one step at a time.
Step 1. The first call
Call early. You do not need to have it figured out, and three to six months before your move is not too early. Most people know at least 30 days before they move, and many know 60 days or more, especially when an employer is relocating them. The first conversation with Amy Jacobs is a free consultation, not a commitment. She listens first.
Step 2. Your work, your schedule, and how you want to live
Amy talks through your work, your commute, your timing, the school research you want to do, and the way you want your days to run. The search starts with your life, not with a list of houses.
Step 3. Meet a local lender
Amy asks every buyer one question early: have you spoken to a lender? It keeps your search to homes that fit, and it lets Amy take a couple of homes you already like and run the real monthly payment with you, so you are looking at real numbers on homes you love. Amy tours with buyers who are pre-approved, and she may show a home or two while you finish your paperwork. See our lender resources.
Step 4. Choose where to look
Each North Texas city works differently, and Amy compares them for your route, your lot, and your timeline. Read the city guides for Plano, Frisco, Prosper, Celina, McKinney, and Southlake, or use the city compare tool. If a particular school or district matters to you, Amy starts there.
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Stage 2: Finding Your Home From Another State or Country
Step 5. Video tours, recorded or live
Amy shows you homes remotely, live on WhatsApp video or FaceTime, or sends recorded video tours you can watch on your own time. She plans tours of homes, streets, entrances, and the drive to work. Many buyers moving from another state or country decide from video alone. By the time you arrive, you already know what you like.
Step 6. The pre-planning trip
If you are visiting, Amy plans your showings about 48 hours before you arrive. She can show about ten homes in a day, and ten more the next day when you have a full weekend. Your trip is for deciding and for getting to know the area, so you feel comfortable with where you are moving: the community, the development, and the drive.
If school enrollment is part of your decision, Amy shows you which campuses serve the homes you are considering. If you already have a particular school or district in mind, she searches for homes zoned to it and confirms the attendance boundary for every address. Amy does not rank or recommend schools. She helps you research them, and she suggests calling the counselor's office at your top three.
Step 7. Making the offer
When you find the home, Amy builds a competitive offer and explains every term in it. Once you find the one, she recommends you stop looking at other homes. Read the full method on our buying process page.
Relocating to Dallas-Fort Worth With Amy Jacobs: Your Step-by-Step Plan
Stage 3: Under Contract
Step 8. Going under contract
Amy walks you through the contract and its dates, and tells you what to expect next. Unless something unexpected comes up, you can typically be moving in within about 30 days.
Step 9. Inspections
Amy highly recommends both a home inspection and a termite inspection in Dallas-Fort Worth. She sends you the inspectors she recommends and the dates each one is due.
Step 10. Keeping everything moving
Your lender, the appraisal, and the title work all run at once. Amy stays in touch with each of them so nothing stalls, and she tells you the moment something needs your attention.
Stage 4: Closing and Settling In
Step 11. Closing day
You sign, you get the keys, and you officially become a Dallas-Fort Worth homeowner. Amy Jacobs is there to the end.
Step 12. Banking and Social Security
If you are arriving from abroad, Amy helps you plan banking and Social Security setup ahead of time, so those appointments are not left until the third week.
Step 13. Your Texas driver license
Texas asks new residents to get a Texas driver license within 90 days of moving. The Texas Department of Public Safety lists the documents you need, and booking the appointment early makes it easier.
Step 14. Schools, utilities, and move-in day
Review the Texas immunization requirements for school enrollment before you arrive, so there are no surprises. The state publishes them at dshs.texas.gov. Amy helps you line up utilities and your move-in date, so nothing depends on memory.
What Amy Handles: The Nitty-Gritty
Plenty of agents say they help people relocate. Amy Jacobs does the detailed work that makes the move happen: she plans your showings about 48 hours before you arrive, shows homes remotely on live WhatsApp or FaceTime video, tours the schools you are considering with you, and matches the home search to the school you choose. She confirms the district and attendance boundary for every address, keeps your lender, appraisal, inspections, and title work moving together, and helps you plan banking, Social Security, your Texas driver license, utilities, and move-in day.
Ready to Start?
Call or text Amy Jacobs, your DFW relocation REALTOR®, at 214-529-2641, or book a free consultation. It is a conversation, not a commitment. You can also read about DFW relocation, new construction, and first-time buyers.
This page describes Amy Jacobs's general process and is not legal, tax, or lending advice.
Frequently Asked Questions
How early should I contact Amy Jacobs about relocating to Dallas-Fort Worth?
As early as three to six months before your move, and sooner is fine. Most people know at least 30 days before they move, and many know 60 days or more, especially when an employer is relocating them. The first conversation is a free consultation, not a commitment.
Can I buy a home in Dallas-Fort Worth without visiting first?
Many out-of-state buyers start with recorded video tours from Amy Jacobs of homes, streets, entrances, and the drive to work, then take a short pre-planning trip to decide. Amy talks through what makes sense for your situation first.
How many homes can Amy Jacobs show during a trip?
Amy can show about ten homes in a day, and ten more the next day when you have a full weekend. She plans your showings about 48 hours before you arrive.
Do I need to be pre-approved before touring homes?
Amy tours with buyers who are pre-approved, and she may show a home or two while you finish your paperwork. She asks every buyer early whether they have spoken to a lender, so your search stays on homes that fit.
How long does it take to move in after going under contract?
Unless something unexpected comes up, you can typically be moving in within about 30 days. Amy walks you through the dates in your contract.
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Ready to make your move with Amy Jacobs?