By Haydn Halsted — Halsted Hometeam, REAL Broker, LLC · (509) 570-2482

Your new job in Spokane starts March 1. You’re still living in another state, your current house isn’t listed yet, and you just found a home on the South Hill you like on a video tour. Can you actually buy it before you move?

Yes. A good share of my clients do exactly this, because my YouTube channel draws people from all over the country who do their homework before they ever set foot here. Here’s how it works, where it gets tricky, and what I’d want you to know before you start.

Can You Buy a House in Washington Before You Live Here?

Yes. Washington doesn’t require you to be a resident to buy a home here. You don’t need a Washington driver’s license, a Washington address, or a local bank account to make an offer or close.

What you do need is the same thing every buyer needs: a pre-approval from a lender or proof of funds, a local agent, and a plan for the steps that usually happen in person. Most of those steps can now happen from wherever you are.

How Does Buying a Home in Spokane From Out of State Work?

The order is the same as a local purchase. The only difference is who’s standing in the house.

It starts with a call about areas, price range, and timeline. Then come live video tours, where I walk the home and show you what listing photos skip: what’s across the street, how steep the driveway is, and how the rooms actually connect. When you find the right one, we write the offer and you sign electronically.

After the seller accepts, the inspector goes through the home while you join by video or review the report afterward. Appraisal, title, and loan work run in the background.

One Washington-specific step: since January 1, 2024, state law requires a written buyer brokerage services agreement with your agent, signed before or as soon as reasonably practical after they start providing services like showings. It spells out how your agent gets paid. That compensation is negotiable and not set by law.

Can You Close on a Washington Home Remotely?

Often, yes. Washington law has allowed remote online notarization since October 1, 2020, so closing documents can be notarized over live video instead of at a title office. Plenty of buyers also do a mail-away closing, where the signing package is sent to them and a notary meets them where they live.

Whether you can close fully online depends on your lender and title company, not just state law. Some lenders still require wet signatures on certain loan documents. Ask your loan officer early which options they allow, so the closing plan is set before you’re under contract.

Do You Have to Move In Right Away If You Use a Mortgage?

If you’re financing the home as your primary residence, your lender will ask when you plan to move in. Conventional loans backed by Fannie Mae generally ask you to certify that you’ll move in within 60 days of closing and live there for at least a year.

That timeline matters when you’re relocating. If you won’t be living in the home within two months of closing, talk to your loan officer before you write the offer. The answer can change how the loan is classified, and that can change the rate and down payment. This one is a lender question, not an agent question, so get the answer from someone licensed to originate loans.

Buying Before You Move vs Renting First in Spokane: Which Makes More Sense?

This is the question I get most from relocation clients. Both paths work. They just cost different things.

My read: if you’ve already visited, you know where you’ll be working, and your price range is clear, buying before you move usually works out. If you’re torn between two very different parts of town, a short lease can cost less than buying the wrong house.

Should You Sell Your Current Home Before Buying in Spokane?

If your down payment is tied up in your current house, the order matters. You have three basic options: sell first and find temporary housing, buy first using savings or a bridge loan, or write an offer that’s contingent on selling your current home.

Each one moves the risk around. Selling first means you know your number, but you may need somewhere to live in between. Buying first gets you the house, but you may carry two payments for a stretch. A sale contingency protects you, but 25.2% of Spokane County homes still closed above list price in September 2026, and on homes drawing more than one offer, a contingent offer can be harder to get accepted.

Bridge loans and qualifying with two payments are lender questions, so talk to a licensed loan officer before you pick a path. This is also where the “out of” in moving into, out of, or across Spokane comes in. If you’re selling in another state, I can connect you with an agent I’ve vetted in that market so both ends of the move stay coordinated.

Do You Need to See a Spokane Home in Person Before Buying It?

You don’t have to. A live video tour, a thorough inspection, and an agent who tells you what the camera can’t will cover most of what a walkthrough would.

I’d still push for at least one trip to Spokane before you buy, even if it isn’t to see this house. A video tour shows you a home. Only a visit shows you whether the area around it fits how you live.

Once you have clarity on timing and financing, most people find that time spent with current Spokane homes on the MLS tells them more in twenty minutes than a month of scrolling national sites.

What You Should Know About Buying in Spokane Before You Move Here

Buying a Home in Spokane Before You Move: FAQ

More Spokane Relocation Reads

Buying a home in Washington before you move is common for people relocating to Spokane, and most of the process can be handled from out of state. This guide covers how remote showings and electronic offers work, Washington’s remote online notarization and buyer brokerage rules, mortgage occupancy timelines, and how to weigh buying first against renting first or selling your current home. It also covers what out-of-state buyers should check in Spokane before closing, from winter conditions on hillside streets to wells and septic systems outside city limits.