Key points
- You can buy in Texas without living here, and many buyers do.
- A video tour shows the house, but the inspection and a drive-by tell you about the street and the structure.
- Texas allows remote online notarization, but your lender and title company decide which documents can be signed that way.
- Confirm wiring instructions by phone with the title company before you send money.
Can I buy a house in Texas while living in another state?
Yes. There is no residency requirement to buy a home in Texas. What changes is the paperwork and logistics: your lender will want to know the home will be your principal residence if you are financing it as one, and the title company will plan how you sign.
If you want the homestead exemption, it applies once the home is your principal residence, so the timing of your move matters for property taxes.
Three things make an out-of-state purchase go smoothly: a preapproval from a lender licensed to lend in Texas, an agent who will see homes for you and say plainly what is wrong with them, and a title company that knows early how you plan to sign. Line up all three before you write an offer, and keep your current address on every document until you move.
How can I find a home in Dallas if I can't visit?
Work through a Realtor who can see homes for you and tell you what the photos leave out. Listing photos are taken to flatter. What you need is the truth about the street, the noise, the light, the smell and the condition.
A remote search that works looks like this:
- Agree on must-haves and deal-breakers in writing, including commute limits.
- Get listings as they come on the market, and sometimes before, through the Dave Perry-Miller network.
- Ask for a live video walkthrough of each serious contender, including the yard, the street and the neighbors' side of the fence.
- Review the seller's disclosure notice and any prior inspection or survey before you offer.
- Use the option period for a full inspection and any specialist checks.
Start with the neighborhood pages to narrow where to look.
Do Dallas realtors offer virtual home tours?
Yes, most will walk a home with you on a live video call, and many listings include a 3D tour or video. A live call is better than a recorded one because you can ask the agent to open closets, run the faucets, look up at ceilings and step outside to the street.
The GPS Group gives live video tours to out-of-town buyers, so you can walk a home with us before you decide whether it is worth a trip.
Ask to see the ceilings for water stains, the doors and windows for sticking, the outside brick for cracks, and the air conditioning unit's label. Ask what you hear when everyone stops talking.
Is it safe to buy a house without seeing it in person?
It can work well if you replace your own eyes with reliable checks. Buyers who do it successfully rely on three things: an agent who tells them the downsides, a thorough inspection during the option period, and a careful read of the disclosures and survey.
- A general home inspection, plus a foundation engineer if the inspector flags movement.
- A sewer line camera check on older homes.
- A look at FEMA flood maps for the address and an insurance quote before the option period ends.
- A drive-by at night and on a weekend, by your agent or someone you trust.
The real risk is the area, not the house: a busy street or a noise source you would have noticed in five minutes. That is why the street gets as much attention as the rooms.
What do I sign from out of state, and when?
Almost everything before closing is signed electronically, so distance only matters at the closing table. Here is the usual order on a Texas purchase:
- Buyer representation agreement. Texas requires a written agreement with your agent before they show you homes, and it can be signed electronically.
- Offer. The TREC One to Four Family Residential Contract and its addenda, signed electronically once the seller accepts.
- Earnest money and option fee. Delivered to the title company within the short deadline the contract sets, usually by wire or electronic payment.
- Option period. Inspections and any specialist checks happen here, while you can still walk away.
- Loan documents. Your lender collects documents online and sends the Closing Disclosure for review before closing.
- Closing. In person, by mail-away signing, by remote online notarization, or through a power of attorney, as the lender and title company allow.
Ask your lender at the start whether it allows remote signing for your loan. If it does not, plan a mail-away closing or the trip early, so the date does not slip.
Keep one person at the title company as your contact, and save their phone number from the company's own website. That number is also how you verify wiring instructions later.
Can I close on a Dallas house remotely?
Often yes. Texas allows remote online notarization, where you sign on a video call with a Texas-commissioned online notary. Not every lender accepts it for every loan, so ask your lender and the title company early which documents can be signed this way.
The other options are a mail-away closing, where the title company sends the documents and a notary meets you where you live, and a power of attorney, where someone signs for you. A power of attorney for a real estate closing must be approved in advance by the lender and title company, so never assume one will be accepted.
Before you wire your down payment, call the title company at a number you found yourself and confirm the wiring instructions by voice. Never trust instructions that arrive by email alone, even if they look right.
How many trips to Dallas do I need before buying?
Zero to two. With video previews and a remote closing, some buyers never come before move-in day. Most prefer one trip to see the shortlist in person and drive the commute, and a few add a second for the final walkthrough.
If you will make only one trip, schedule it after the shortlist is ready and bring your preapproval letter so you can offer on the spot. Talk to me through the contact page to plan it.
Questions people ask
Do I need a Texas address to get a mortgage here?
No. Lenders lend to buyers moving from other states every day. They will ask about your job, income and how you will occupy the home, and some ask for an offer letter if the job is new.
Who checks the house if I am not there?
Your inspector does the detailed work during the option period, and your agent watches the process and walks the house. Read the full inspection report, not only the summary, and ask questions before the option period ends.
Can someone else sign the closing documents for me?
Yes, with a power of attorney, but the lender and title company must approve its wording ahead of time. Remote online notarization or a mail-away closing is usually simpler if they allow it.
Are video tours enough to make an offer?
Many buyers offer after a live video tour and then confirm everything during the option period. The option period is what protects you if the inspection turns up something serious.
Andy Scott is a Dallas Realtor and founding member of the GPS Group at Dave Perry-Miller Real Estate. He grew up in Dallas in a real estate family, has been licensed since 2005, and has helped buyers and sellers for more than 20 years. About Andy · Relocating to Dallas
