The Atlanta home buyer's guide. Every inspired move starts with a clear plan.
Eight steps from your numbers to the keys, in the order they happen in Georgia.
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Who this Atlanta home buyer's guide is for
Every inspired move starts with a clear plan. This Atlanta home buyer's guide lays the plan out in the order a purchase moves in Georgia, so you know what comes next before anyone asks you to decide it.
It is written for every buyer, whether this is your first home or your fifth. Read it start to finish once. Then come back to the part you need, when you need it: the steps, what buying costs here, and the mistakes worth avoiding.
It comes from NRG Nguyen Realty Group, Andrew and Jassey Nguyen's team with Keller Williams Realty Peachtree Road. It is general information for buyers in Georgia, not legal, tax or lending advice. Your contract, your lender and your closing attorney have the final word on your purchase.
Start with your life, your numbers and the home that fits both.
Eight steps, in the order they happen in Georgia
- Your numbers. Decide the monthly payment that lets you live well, then work back to a price. That number is yours to set, before anyone shows you a home.
- Pre-approval. A lender reviews your income, credit and savings and puts a figure in writing. Sellers expect to see it with your offer.
- Your strategy meeting. We sit down together: your goals, the process, the costs to expect and how we work. You sign a buyer brokerage agreement before we tour, and it spells out what we do for you and how we are compensated. You also take home your buyer homework: the purchase and sale agreement, to read before any offer.
- Search and tour. New listings come to you as they hit the market. We tour the ones worth your time and tell you simply what we see.
- The offer. Price, earnest money, the length of your due diligence period, the closing date and any seller contribution. We advise you on every term, so the offer competes and your protection periods stay in place. Every decision is yours.
- Due diligence. Once the offer is accepted, the clock starts. Inspections, insurance quotes and a careful look at the home happen inside this window. Under the standard Georgia contract you can end the agreement during it, by written notice before it closes. Your contract's exact terms govern.
- Appraisal and loan approval. The lender orders the appraisal and finishes underwriting. We keep the lender, the closing attorney and the other agent on the same timeline.
- Closing. In Georgia, a closing attorney handles the closing. You review the numbers, sign, the deed is recorded and the keys are yours.
What our team does at each step is in how we guide buyers, step by step.
What it costs to buy a home in Georgia
Know where every dollar goes before you make an offer. Your lender's Loan Estimate gives the exact figures for your loan.
- Earnest money. A deposit that shows the seller you are serious. It is held until closing and credited toward what you owe.
- Inspections. Paid during due diligence, usually directly to the inspector.
- Appraisal. Ordered by your lender, usually paid when it is ordered.
- Down payment. Your share of the price, due at closing.
- Lender, title and closing attorney fees. Loan fees, the title search and title insurance, and the closing attorney's fee for preparing the closing.
- Georgia transfer tax. $1 for every $1,000 of the price, so $500 on a $500,000 home. The standard Georgia contract has the buyer pay it.
- Georgia intangible tax. $1.50 for every $500 of a new loan, so $1,200 on a $400,000 loan. A cash purchase has none.
- Prepaids. The first year of homeowner's insurance and a few months of taxes and insurance set aside for your escrow account.
Who pays what follows the 2026 Georgia REALTORS® Purchase and Sale Agreement, section 3. A special stipulation in your contract can change it, and your contract always governs.
Five mistakes to avoid before closing
- Letting a list price set your payment. Start from the monthly payment that lets you live well and work back to a price. The order matters, and the number is yours to set.
- Shopping before the pre-approval. A pre-approval letter shows the amount, the loan type and the terms, and sellers expect to see it with your offer.
- Opening new credit before you close. Hold steady on new credit and big purchases until closing. Changes can affect your approval.
- Scheduling inspections. Due diligence is a set number of days, written into your offer. Book every inspection that matters to you right away, such as a sewer scope, septic, mold or radon check, so you decide with the reports in hand.
- Wiring money on emailed instructions. Instructions that arrive by email are never enough on their own. Every wire is confirmed by phone first, before a dollar moves. Changed instructions in an email are a warning sign, even when the email looks like it came from someone you know.
How our team helps, and your next step
We lead with research and education, and we shape the search around what you need. Expect clear communication, steady guidance and a team that stays with you from the first conversation to the day you get the keys. Andrew and Jassey Nguyen have collectively sold 300+ homes since 2010.
When you are ready, we start with a short conversation about your life, your numbers and the home that fits both. Talk with our team to set it up. If you are selling one home to buy the next, read trading up with one plan for two closings first.
Questions
Answers, simplified.
Who pays the transfer tax when buying a home in Georgia?
On the standard 2026 Georgia REALTORS® Purchase and Sale Agreement, the buyer pays it: $1 for every $1,000 of the price. A special stipulation in your contract can change who pays what, and your contract always governs.
What is the due diligence period in Georgia?
A set number of days, written into your offer, to inspect the home, review insurance and HOA documents and decide. Under the standard Georgia contract you can end the agreement during that window by written notice before it closes. Your contract's exact terms govern.
Do I sign a buyer brokerage agreement before touring homes?
Yes. With our team you sign it before we tour, and it spells out what we do for you and how we are compensated.
How do I protect myself from wire fraud when buying a home?
Before you send money, call the closing attorney at their official number, one you look up yourself, and confirm the instructions out loud. Changed instructions in an email are a warning sign, even when the email looks like it came from someone you know.
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You don't have to decide before we talk.