It’s relatively easy to buy a home quickly these days, especially since there are so many homes that are bank-owned. Bank owned homes can close quickly simply because the bank has already gone through the foreclosure process and just wants to get the home off their books.

Other types of transactions can move quickly as well, and these tips will help you expedite the process if you’re in a hurry.

Get preapproved for a loan

By far the biggest time saver is to get preapproved for a loan, not just prequalified. Prequalified is a “back of napkin” type of rough calculation of your ability to get a loan, where prequalification requires more paperwork and is more thorough. Getting prequalified shows a seller you’re serious about your offer, and will help speed the process along.

Know what you want

If you’re not sure what you want, talk to me or browse or my website for homes and neighborhoods to get an idea. There is a broad selection of homes on the market, and indecision can cost you wasted time and add frustration to the process of buying a home.

Communicate with your spouse and your REALTOR®

A common cause of delays is lack of communication among all the parties trying to work together to bring a deal together. When spouses aren’t on the same page with price, neighborhood, or home style expectations, it can cause confusion and backtracking. While I’m more than happy to help you through that process, plenty of good communication is key.

Don’t make big credit purchase

You can significantly delay the closing of your home loan if you make big, or sometimes even small credit purchases after you’ve been approved. Don’t go buying that new ride-on lawnmower just yet unless you can pay in cash and you are certain it won’t affect your ability to finalize your loan. Get the deal done first, then you can purchase other items for the new home if needed.

Sell your current home first

This adds time to the whole process of moving, of course, but it significantly simplifies and expedites a home buying transaction. This is because there is less financial uncertainty. There are no sales contingencies to worry about. All parties are focused on just one task, getting the one home closed.

This does add hassles for a family; it can mean renting a home in between, or moving in with relatives temporarily. In the end, it’s worth it, and in some cases, it may be a deal saver if the seller of a home you’re making an offer on won’t take offers from buyers who insist on a contingency that they sell their other home first.

Make a cash offer

This isn’t possible for most people, but if you can swing it—perhaps you have equity in several homes you can draw from, or a savings account you can tap into–it will definitely speed the process along.

How much time can you save by applying these tips? That will vary with the details of your situation, of course, but it’s not unheard of to close a deal in three weeks if all parties are agreeable and appropriate financial preparations have been made.