Once you’ve found the house of your dreams, your real estate agent or attorney can help you write an offer to purchase. You will make a deposit with your offer, to show the seller you're serious about wanting to buy.

Once the seller accepts the offer, it's legally binding, but it can include contingencies, or conditions that must be met before the contract takes effect. Common contingencies include the buyer getting financing and the results of a professional house inspection. If your lawyer isn't available to look over the agreement, make it "subject to the approval of the attorney for the parties within (so many) days."

Hire an Inspector

You’ve looked at the surface features of the house and like what you see. Now you need assurance that what looks good on the surface is good underneath, too. Hire a professional house inspector to go over the house, top to bottom, inside and out. Count on paying at least $150, but it's money well spent to avoid buying a lemon. If the home inspector finds serious problems, you can either pull out of the transaction or renegotiate the terms, as long as this is one of the contingencies you named in your offer. Even if the inspector discovers a big problem, you may still want to buy the house. In that case, the inspection report will help you negotiate for a lower price or get the seller to pay for repairs.

Professional inspectors are usually people with engineering, architecture, or construction backgrounds. The best way to find a good one is to get referrals from people who have bought a house recently. Ask around. The American Society of Home Inspectors has standards for home inspection services, so you may want to hire someone who's a member. Be sure the inspector carries liability insurance in case he or she fails to find a major flaw in the house that costs you a lot of money after you buy it.

Tag along during the inspection: you’ll learn a lot about the house. Get a written report and a verbal explanation of the findings. The written report should include cost estimates for needed repairs. Don't expect the inspector to tell you if the house is a good deal. The inspector's job is not to appraise property, but to tell you, as best as he or she can determine, if the house is in sound condition.