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My wife and I moved to Brooklyn 1.5 years ago, and we are now considering a condo purchase. We have been casually looking around and checking out open-houses, and have recently found something perfect for us. We want to make an offer, but want to make sure that we are doing everything smart.

So far our only prep has been to get a mortgage pre-approval letter, but what should our next step be? I know that the Brooklyn standard is to forego a buyer-broker and stick with the seller’s, but when should we get ourselves an attorney? Should we begin by casually stating our interest with the seller’s broker, or should we draft a written offer with all of the details (seller’s concession, financing contingency etc.)?

Furthermore, is 5-6% a good estimate for seller’s concession/closing costs? What else am I forgetting? Am I being ridiculously concerned over nothing?