How to Buy a Home in Massachusetts, Step by Step (2026)

Buying a home in Massachusetts follows a path that is a little different from most other states. Here you sign two contracts, not one, and a licensed attorney plays a real role at the closing table. This guide walks you through every step, from your first budget to the day you get your keys, so you know what is coming and when.

The process at a glance

Step 1: Set your budget

Start with the monthly payment you can live with, not the highest price a bank might approve. In Massachusetts that payment usually includes principal, interest, property taxes, homeowners insurance, and sometimes mortgage insurance and condo fees. Rates matter too. Freddie Mac’s weekly survey put the average 30-year fixed rate at 7.24% on October 29, 2026, compared with 6.17% a year earlier. Our guide on how much house you can afford and the calculators on our tools page can help you find your number.

Also plan for cash beyond the down payment: deposits, inspection fees, closing costs and a cushion for moving and repairs.

Step 2: Get pre-approved

A pre-approval means a lender has actually reviewed your documents, not just asked a few questions. Sellers in Greater Boston expect to see one with your offer. Ask the lender about programs for first-time buyers, such as MassHousing or ONE Mortgage. See our guides on credit and pre-approval and first-time buyer programs.

Step 3: Choose your buyer’s agent

Since August 17, 2024, agents who are REALTORS must have a written agreement with you before you tour homes together, in person or virtually. The agreement explains the services you will get and how your agent will be paid. The amount must be clearly stated, not open-ended, and it is negotiable. Ask questions before you sign so you understand every term.

Step 4: Search and tour homes

Make a short list of must-haves: location, commute, schools, number of bedrooms, parking, and whether a condo or a multi-family could fit your plans. Use our home search to set alerts so you hear about new listings quickly.

Step 5: Make an Offer to Purchase

In Massachusetts, your first contract is usually a written Offer to Purchase. It names the price, the deposit, key dates and your contingencies, such as a home inspection and getting your mortgage. Once both sides sign it, it can be a binding agreement, so it is important to get the terms right. Our guide on the Offer to Purchase and the Purchase and Sale Agreement explains each section.

Step 6: Home inspection and disclosures

Right after your offer is accepted, you schedule a professional inspection. The inspector looks at the roof, structure, heating, plumbing, electrical and more. You can then ask for repairs, a credit, or, if the offer allows it, walk away. Learn more in our home inspection guide.

• Lead paint (homes built before 1978): The seller and agents must give you the state’s Property Transfer Lead Paint Notification before you sign a Purchase and Sale Agreement. If a child under 6 will live in the home, the owner must have it deleaded or brought into interim control within 90 days of taking title.
• Septic systems (Title 5): If the home has a septic system, it generally must be inspected within 2 years before the sale (3 years if it has been pumped every year with records).

Step 7: Sign the Purchase and Sale Agreement

The Purchase and Sale Agreement (often called the P&S) is the full, detailed contract. Attorneys usually draft and review it. It sets the closing date, the mortgage contingency date, what happens to your deposit, and how title problems are handled. At this point you typically add to your deposit. We strongly suggest having your own attorney review it before you sign.

Step 8: Mortgage application, appraisal and commitment

Your lender orders an appraisal to confirm the home’s value and an underwriter checks every detail of your file. When everything is approved, you receive a mortgage commitment. Your P&S usually has a deadline for this. If you cannot get your commitment by that date, talk to your attorney right away about an extension.

During this time you will also buy homeowners insurance (or confirm a condo association’s master policy and buy your own unit policy) and the closing attorney orders a title search.

Step 9: Closing and getting your keys

Massachusetts closings are attorney-driven. In 2011 the Supreme Judicial Court made clear that attorneys must take a real, substantive part in real estate closings, before, during and after the signing. The closing attorney often represents your lender, so many buyers also hire their own attorney.

• Final walk-through: Visit the home shortly before closing to confirm its condition.
• Smoke and CO certificate: The seller must get a certificate of compliance from the local fire department showing the smoke and carbon monoxide alarms meet state rules.
• Signing and recording: You sign the loan documents, funds are sent, and the deed is recorded at the Registry of Deeds.
• Homestead: Every home has automatic homestead protection of $125,000. Recording a Declaration of Homestead raises it to up to $1,000,000. The registry filing fee is $35.

To prepare, read our guides on buyer closing costs and what happens on closing day.

How Luis can help

Luis and our team guide buyers through every one of these steps, in English or Spanish, and we work closely with local lenders, inspectors and attorneys. If you are thinking about buying, book a free 15-minute call through our contact page and we will help you map out your next steps.