A lot has to happen before you can close on a new home successfully. Some of it is your responsibility, and some of it belongs to others. But don′t expect it to happen overnight or perfectly smoothly. There are too many factors involved. And there’s a lot of money riding on the deal, too-not all of it yours. So the wisest thing to do is take care of everything at your end; dot every “i” and cross every “t″ that you can from your end of things. And be picky, picky, picky about who you’re doing business with; from the get-go, choose only the most experienced, successful professionals and companies that you can find. They have what it takes to make the long, complicated process considerably more bearable. For example, if it’s possible, it’s a good idea to go with a Texas-based lender, because of Texas real estate laws, some of which differ from that of some other states. An out-of-state lender might make some mistaken assumptions that could add to delays.