How to Buy a Home in Puyallup From Out of State

People buy homes here every year from other states and from overseas duty stations. Some fly in once. Some never see the house in person until moving day.

It works when the process is set up to replace what you cannot do yourself. Here is the full sequence, including the parts that are specific to Washington.

The plan at a glance

Step 1: Choose a broker you trust to be your eyes

When you are local, your broker opens doors and writes offers. When you are remote, your broker is also your eyes, ears, and nose. Choose accordingly.

Ask a prospective broker:

• How many out-of-area buyers have you worked with recently?
• How do you do video tours? Will you show me the bad parts?
• Will you drive the neighborhood and the commute for me?
• Will you attend the inspection in person?
• How will we communicate across time zones?

Washington requires a written agreement. State law requires a real estate firm to enter into a written brokerage services agreement with a buyer before, or as soon as practical after, the broker begins providing services. The agreement spells out the term, whether it is exclusive, and how the broker is compensated. Compensation is negotiable. Read it and ask questions before you sign.

Step 2: Get fully approved first

From out of state, you cannot afford to find the right house and then start on financing.

• Use a lender licensed in Washington with experience closing here. A lender who knows local practices and timelines makes your offer stronger.
• Go beyond prequalification. Ask for a full underwriting review of your income, assets, and credit before you shop. An approval that only needs a property is as close to cash as a financed buyer gets.
• Explain your job situation early. If you are relocating for a new position, the lender will want an offer letter and start date. If you are keeping a remote job, the lender will want confirmation that it continues after the move.
• If you need to sell your current home, tell the lender and me at the start. It changes the strategy. See my post on buying a house before selling yours.
• VA, FHA, and conventional loans are all common here.

I am not a lender and do not recommend specific ones. Interview two or three.

Step 3: Learn the area before you look at houses

Remote buyers tend to fall for a house and discover the location later. Reverse the order.

The Puyallup area is larger and more varied than it looks on a map. The decisions that matter most are:

• The valley or South Hill. They are different places. See my post on downtown Puyallup versus South Hill.
• City or county. A Puyallup mailing address does not mean the home is inside the city. It affects police, utilities, permits, and more.
• Commute. Which side of town you live on can change your drive by 20 minutes or more.
• Hazard zones. Parts of the valley floor are in mapped flood and lahar zones.
• Sewer or septic, and the water provider.
• Homeowner association or none.

My post on how to choose a Puyallup neighborhood from out of the area walks through these one by one.

A scouting trip helps if you can manage it. Two days is enough. Drive the commute at rush hour, walk downtown, drive Meridian, and see three or four areas. You do not need to tour homes on that trip. You need to learn which parts of the map to rule out.

If you cannot come, I can do neighborhood drives on video: the streets around a home, the nearest stores, the route to the freeway, the school at pickup time.

Step 4: Tour by video, the right way

A listing's photos are marketing. A video tour is an inspection of first impressions.

A good remote tour includes:

1. The approach. The street, the neighbors on both sides and across, the view from the driveway.
2. A slow walk through every room, including closets, the garage, the attic hatch, and the crawl space access.
3. Looking up and down. Ceilings for stains. Floors for slope and damage.
4. Opening things. Cabinets, windows, the electrical panel, the water heater closet.
5. Outside. The roof from the ground, gutters, siding, the fence, drainage, the slope of the yard.
6. What the camera cannot capture. I tell you what it smells like, what you hear with the windows open, how the floors feel, and whether the rooms are smaller than they look.
7. Standing in the backyard quietly for thirty seconds. You will hear the road, the train, or nothing.

Ask blunt questions. "What would bother you about this house?" is the most useful one.

I can record tours so you can watch again and share them with family.

Step 5: Verify the location yourself

Much of the due diligence on a location can be done from anywhere with free public tools.

I run these for my buyers, and I encourage you to look for yourself. You will feel better about the decision.

Step 6: Make the offer

Offers in Washington are written on standard forms and signed electronically. You can do everything from your phone.

Things to understand:

• Earnest money. A deposit, commonly a small percentage of the price, is delivered to the escrow or title company within a few days of mutual acceptance. It is credited to you at closing and is at risk if you default outside your contingencies.
• Contingencies protect you. For a remote buyer, the inspection contingency is essential. Financing and title contingencies are standard. I do not advise waiving inspection on a home you have not seen.
• Seller disclosure. Washington sellers provide a detailed disclosure statement. You have a short period after receiving it to rescind if you do not like what it says.
• Timing. A financed purchase commonly closes 30 to 45 days after mutual acceptance.
• Possession. Agree on when you get the keys. If your move date is uncertain, a short seller rent-back or a later closing can be negotiated.

Wire fraud warning. Criminals target real estate transactions with fake emails containing altered wiring instructions. Never wire money based on an email alone. Call the escrow company at a phone number you have verified independently, and confirm the instructions by voice before sending anything. This matters even more when you are remote and everything is electronic.

Step 7: Inspect as if you were there

The inspection period is when a remote purchase is made safe.

• General home inspection. I attend in person. You join by video for the summary at the end and receive the full written report with photos.
• Sewer scope. A camera inspection of the line from the house to the street. Inexpensive and worth doing on nearly every home here.
• Septic inspection, if the home is not on sewer.
• Well testing, on the rare properties with private wells.
• Specialists as needed: roof, structural, pest, chimney, or a mold assessment.
• Measurements. I can measure rooms, doorways, and the garage so you know your furniture and vehicles fit.

After the reports come in, we decide together whether to ask for repairs, a credit, a price change, or to walk away. That decision is yours, and it should be an easy one to reverse while the contingency is open.

Step 8: The quiet middle

While you pack, several things happen in parallel.

• Appraisal, ordered by your lender.
• Title review. The title company issues a preliminary commitment showing easements, covenants, and anything recorded against the property. I review it with you.
• Homeowner association documents, if any. Washington gives buyers a resale certificate and a short window to review it.
• Insurance. Get homeowners quotes early, plus flood or earthquake coverage if you want or need it. Your lender needs proof before closing.
• Final loan approval. Avoid new debt, job changes, or large unexplained deposits until you close.
• Utilities. I will tell you who serves the address so you can schedule start dates.

Step 9: Sign from where you are

Washington is an escrow state. A neutral escrow or title company prepares the documents, collects signatures and funds, records the deed, and pays everyone. Buyers and sellers usually sign separately, and you do not need to be in the room.

Out-of-state buyers typically sign one of three ways.

Remote online notarization. Washington law allows authorized notaries to notarize documents for a signer who appears by live audio and video, including a signer located outside the state. The requirements are in RCW 42.45.280. Whether you can use it depends on your lender and the title company, since not every loan program accepts it.

A mobile notary where you are. The escrow company sends the documents to a notary near you, who meets you at home or at an office. This is the most common method.

In person. If you will be here a few days before closing, you can sign at the escrow office.

Other points:

• Plan for a few extra days for documents to travel if paper is involved.
• Funds. Your down payment and closing costs are wired to escrow before closing. Verify instructions by phone, every time.
• Spouses. Washington is a community property state. A spouse who is not on the loan may still need to sign certain documents. Ask your lender and escrow officer early.
• Power of attorney can be used if someone cannot sign, but the lender and title company must approve the specific document in advance.

Closing is complete when the deed records with the county and funds are released. Keys follow under the terms of your agreement.

Step 10: The final walkthrough and move-in

Before closing, I walk the home to confirm it is in the agreed condition, repairs are done, and nothing has changed. You join by video.

Then the practical list:

• Schedule movers or a truck, and ask about street or driveway access
• Arrange temporary housing if there is a gap
• Set up utilities, internet, and garbage service
• Forward your mail
• Change locks and garage codes
• Washington expects new residents to get a state driver license and register vehicles within 30 days
• Register to vote and enroll students
• Sign up for county emergency alerts

The risks, and how to reduce them

Should you rent first?

It is a fair alternative. Renting for six to twelve months lets you learn the area before committing. It also means two moves, a lease, and a year of rent. I compare the two in my post on renting first or buying right away.

My general view: if your job location is fixed and you have done the area research, buying remotely works well. If your job, your commute, or your household plans are still uncertain, renting first is the safer choice.

Frequently asked questions

Can I buy a house in Washington without being there?

Yes. Offers are signed electronically, your broker can tour and attend inspections for you, and closing documents can be signed with a mobile notary where you live or, if your lender allows, by remote online notarization.

Does Washington allow remote online notarization for a home closing?

Yes. State law permits authorized notaries to notarize for signers appearing by live audio and video, including signers outside Washington. Your lender and title company must also accept it.

Is it risky to buy a home sight unseen?

It carries more risk than buying in person. You can reduce it with detailed video tours, independent research on the location, a full inspection with your broker present, and by keeping your inspection contingency.

How long does it take to buy a home in Puyallup from out of state?

Once you have an accepted offer, a financed purchase commonly closes in 30 to 45 days. The search before that can take days or months, depending on the market and how specific your needs are.

Do I need a Washington lender?

You need a lender licensed to make loans in Washington. One with experience closing here will know local timelines and practices, which helps your offer.

Related reading

• How to Choose a Puyallup Neighborhood From Out of the Area
• Moving to Puyallup: What to Know Before You Go
• Moving to Puyallup: Rent First or Buy Right Away?
• Hidden Costs of Buying a Home in Puyallup

Equal Housing Opportunity. Austin Robertson, License # 21036843, Austin Robertson and Allena Robertson Real Estate Brokers, regulated by the Washington State Department of Licensing (DOL). This article is general information only. It is not legal, tax, insurance, lending, or construction advice, and it is not an appraisal of any property. Robertson & Co. supports fair housing and does not describe or recommend neighborhoods based on who lives there. Costs, rates, and rules change. Confirm the details with the sources linked above before you act.