It depends on how well you know the area. If you don't, spend real time there before committing your life savings. We've watched people buy in a city like Nashville after a single visit, and that's a big bet to place on one weekend of impressions. Walk the neighborhoods, see what drives the area, and learn its quirks before you write. When a purchase truly has to be remote, the most important hire is a local agent who will be blunt about a property's flaws. On a video walkthrough, a good agent points the camera at the problems. On our own FaceTime walkthroughs, we make a point of showing remote clients the messy neighboring yard so nothing surprises them after closing. Notice that the local agent and the location matter far more than where your lender sits. A lender just needs to be licensed in that state, with no physical office required, so don't over-weight geography on the loan side. Our own preference is to never buy fully sight-unseen. Even if you write the offer without visiting, walk the property and talk to the neighbors during the contingency period. That window is exactly when you catch what a screen can't show you.