Buying a Home You Have Never Stood In
Jeanette Spain
21-year Air Force veteran. Central Texas Realtor.
The short answer
Remote and OCONUS purchases close every month in Central Texas. The tools to make it work exist: live video walkthroughs you direct in real time, a trusted inspector whose written report you can read from 1,500 miles away, and a power of attorney for the closing table.
Video tours are not the same as listing videos
A listing video is produced to flatter the property. A working video tour is you directing where to look while I walk the house on FaceTime or Zoom. I open cabinets, run faucets, check the attic hatch, walk the perimeter, look at the electrical panel, and point out anything that doesn't look right — before you put in an offer. It's not the same as being there, but it gives you an honest picture.
The inspection is the most important spend
Budget $400 to $600 for a general home inspection. Use a inspector I've worked with before and trust — not a name from Yelp. A good inspector writes findings clearly enough that you understand them from 1,500 miles away. For older properties, especially in areas with cast iron lateral lines, add a sewer scope ($150 to $200). It's cheap insurance on a problem that's expensive to fix after closing.
The VA appraisal checks minimum property requirements — safe, sound, sanitary. It is not a home inspection. Do not skip the inspection because the appraisal cleared. They are looking at completely different things, and the inspection protects you in ways the appraisal never will.
Closing documents from a distance
Closing remotely in Texas means either traveling to sign or executing a durable power of attorney naming a trusted person to sign on your behalf. The POA has to be drafted and notarized well before closing — not the week of. Your lender and title company need to approve the POA document and the person named. Start this conversation early in the transaction, not after clear to close.
The remote closing checklist:
- 1Designate your POA and get it drafted and notarized before you go under contract if possible
- 2Use a VA-experienced title company that has closed OCONUS transactions before
- 3Review the closing disclosure in detail before your POA representative signs anything
- 4Fund the wire account early enough to clear — international wires in particular take time
I have closed transactions for clients stationed in Japan, Germany, and Guam. The process works when everyone involved has done it before. The critical piece is choosing an agent and a title company who have a documented process for remote closings — not one who will figure it out on the fly.
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