When you find the right house for you, you will want your agent to draw up an offer to purchase. (In 1995 the average buyer looked at 16 different homes before deciding).

Your offer states the terms and conditions under which you would purchase the home; if it is accepted by the seller, it becomes the legally binding sales contract. You will need to put a deposit with the offer; this is called an earnest money deposit or good faith deposit. This money will be held in escrow most likely by the seller's real estate agency (never let the seller hold the deposit) and brought to closing.

Items which are negotiated in an offer to purchase include but are not limited to the following:

price of home
type of financing
interest rate
down payment
discount points
who will pay what closing costs
closing date
possession date and terms
what will be included with the home
termite clearance letter and treatment or repair provisions
home inspection and rights and obligations associated with it including time limits to respond
home warranty
right of walk through inspection before closing

Some of this information is covered in the fine print of the contract. If there are portions of the contract that favor the seller, your Buyer's Agent should point these out to you and make suggestions how you might want to alter them.

You are free to take this contract to an attorney. Most people do not; if you chose to, take the contract to a residential real estate attorney--someone who specializes in closing residential real estate transactions. And, in the interest of time--because good homes often sell quickly--take the blank contract to the attorney at the very beginning of your house hunting. Discuss any suggested changes with your agent early on.