Buying a home
How I Help You Buy: The CLEAR Real Estate Method
Most agents start by showing houses. See how Omega Mejia uses her CLEAR Real Estate Method to help buyers in Frisco and Collin County choose well and negotiate.
The short version
Most agents start by showing you houses. You can find houses on your own. What's harder is knowing which one is right, what it's worth, and what you're agreeing to when you sign.
Most buyers I meet don't need someone to show them more houses. They need someone to help them know when they've found the right one. That's the job.
I use the same five steps with buyers that I use with sellers. I call it the CLEAR Real Estate Method:
- Clarify the Objective: what your next home has to do for you, and by when.
- Look at the Whole Picture: budget, financing, commute, schools, taxes, HOA and resale.
- Evaluate the Options: resale or new construction, which town, which tradeoffs.
- Activate the Strategy: a focused search and an offer plan ready before the right home appears.
- Respond & Negotiate: price, repairs, concessions and builder incentives, through closing.
I help buyers across Frisco, Prosper, McKinney, Plano, Celina and the rest of Collin County, including families relocating from out of state. Selling too? Here's how I use CLEAR with sellers.
Book My Buyer Consultation
Clarify the Objective: we start with what the home has to do for you
Before we tour a single house, we sit down for a buyer consultation. Plan on 60 to 75 minutes. It's the most useful hour of the whole search.
We cover:
- Why you're buying, and why now
- Your timeline, including a lease end, a job start or a school year
- Your must-haves, your nice-to-haves, and the things you'd walk away over
- Your pre-approval, or the next step to get one
- How the buying process works in Texas, from offer to closing
- How we'll work together
At the consultation, and always before we see any homes, we sign a buyer representation agreement. It spells out what I do for you and how I'm paid. Everything in it is negotiable, and I'll walk you through each part so you understand it before you sign.
A buyer who tells me "we're in no rush" needs a different plan from one who has to be settled before school starts. When we finish this step, both of us know what winning looks like for you. Every decision after this ties back to it.
Buying for the first time? Start with my first-time buyer page.
How I Help You Buy: The CLEAR Real Estate Method
Look at the Whole Picture: the price is one number of many
What you can borrow and what you want to spend every month are two different numbers. The second one decides how the next few years feel.
In this step we look past the list price at what the home costs to own:
- Financing. Loan type, rate, down payment and what your lender needs from you.
- Property taxes and HOA dues. In Collin County these can change your monthly payment a lot from one neighborhood to the next.
- Commute and daily life. Where you drive every day and how long it takes.
- Schools. I'll point you to the district and school information so you can judge for yourself.
- Resale. What makes this home easy or hard to sell when it's your turn.
This is also where we get clear on what your budget buys here. Seeing that early saves buyers months of touring homes that were never going to work.
Moving in from another state? Timing, remote touring and getting to know new towns all fit into this step. See how I help relocation buyers.
Evaluate the Options: resale, new construction, and which town
Collin County gives buyers a lot of good choices, and that's part of what makes it hard.
Resale or new construction? In Prosper and Celina, the two often sit a few streets apart. A builder's model home looks perfect, and the incentives sound generous. Buyers tell me, "We thought buying new would be easier," and then ask, "Why is this lot $40,000 more?" I help you compare both on the full numbers: price, upgrades, incentives, lot, timeline and resale.
On new construction, I represent you with the builder. The builder's salesperson works for the builder. I work for you, and I'll tell you which upgrades are worth the money and which incentives are real. See how I help new-construction buyers.
Which town? Frisco, Prosper, McKinney, Plano, Celina, Allen, Little Elm, Anna and Melissa each give you something different, from home ages and lot sizes to commutes and prices. I'll lay out the tradeoffs so you can pick based on facts.
For every home we see, you get my clear read: what's strong, what worries me, and what I'd want to know before writing an offer. "Here's what I'm seeing, and here's what I recommend." Then you decide.
Activate the Strategy: a focused search and an offer plan
Once we know what you're looking for, I set up a search on the MLS that sends you new homes that match your criteria as soon as they list. Fewer homes, better ones.
Then we tour. I'll schedule showings, point out what the photos don't show, and help you compare homes side by side while they're fresh in your mind.
The offer plan gets built before the right home appears, not the night you fall in love with it. We decide ahead of time:
- How strong your pre-approval needs to be to compete
- How much earnest money makes sense. It's negotiated, and it's usually around 1% of the price.
- How long an option period to ask for
- Which terms matter most to you: price, closing date, repairs or concessions
When the right home shows up, you're ready to write the same day with confidence. The buyer who gets the house is usually the one who was prepared, not the one who saw it first.
Moving up to a bigger home? See how I help buyers upsizing.
Respond & Negotiate: from offer to closing day
Negotiating a home is more than the price. I hold the RENE designation, Real Estate Negotiation Expert, and I negotiate every part of the deal that affects you: price, repairs, closing costs, concessions, closing date and, on new construction, builder incentives.
Once your offer is accepted, here's how it works in Texas:
- Earnest money. You deliver it to the title company, which holds it until closing.
- The option period. Usually 7 to 10 days. This is when you do your inspections and decide whether to move forward, ask for repairs, or walk away. I coordinate the inspections and help you read the report.
- Financing and appraisal. I stay in touch with your lender so nothing surprises you. If the appraisal comes in low, we talk through your options.
- Closing. A title company handles closing here. I'll make sure you know what to bring and what you're signing.
When something comes up, and something usually does, you'll hear about it from me fast: what happened, what it means, and what I recommend. "We have a problem, but we also have options."
My goal is a calm closing day and a home you're proud of. Tell me what you're looking for and we'll start with your consultation.
This page describes my general process for buying a home in Texas. It isn't legal, tax or lending advice, and details can change with your contract, your lender and your title company.
Check these out next
If this page was useful, these cover the same places and interests:
- Getting pre-approved: the lender conversation.
- Making an offer in Texas: before you write one.
- Inspections and the option period: your window to decide.
- How closing works when you buy: the last step.
Talk with me about your plans
Selling or buying near here? Start with the page that fits, then send me your questions through my contact form.
- Selling: how I sell homes, a free home value and my free seller guide.
- Buying: how I help buyers, how buying works in Texas and my free buyer guide.
- Questions: contact me through the form and tell me what you're planning.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to sign anything before we look at homes?
Yes. We sign a buyer representation agreement at your buyer consultation, and always before we see any homes. It spells out what I do for you and how I'm paid, and everything in it is negotiable.
What is the option period in Texas?
It's a short window after your offer is accepted, usually 7 to 10 days, when you do inspections and decide whether to move forward, ask for repairs, or walk away.
How much earnest money will I need?
It's negotiated on each offer and is usually around 1% of the price. The title company holds it until closing.
Do I need my own agent for new construction?
The builder's salesperson works for the builder. I work for you, and I help you compare upgrades, incentives and lot premiums, and negotiate with the builder.
Should I get pre-approved before we start?
Yes. A pre-approval tells us what you can borrow and lets you write an offer the day the right home appears. We also talk about the monthly payment you're comfortable with, which matters more.
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