When you find a home you like, you and your Realtor will get together and write an offer to present to the seller. In Oregon, most often, you’ll hear the offer you write called an Earnest Money Agreement, or EMA, for short although the actual title on the form is “Residential Real Estate Sale Agreement”. Check it out here. In Washington, the form is titled (and often called) a “Purchase and Sale Agreement”. Once accepted by the seller, this document becomes the roadmap to the transaction. The price, down payment, financing, who pays for what costs, inspections permitted, timeline for inspections, closing date, date you get your keys and much more are all included. Your Realtor will guide you through it and make sure you understand it.