First-time buyer's guide
Buying your first home feels harder than it is — mostly because nobody walks you through it. Here's the actual sequence. If anything in here is unclear, text me and I'll explain it.
Get pre-approved before you fall in love with anything
Before you start looking, talk to a lender and get a pre-approval letter. This tells you what you can actually afford and shows sellers you're serious. It's free and takes a couple of days. I can introduce you to a few good lenders if you don't have one yet.
Pre-approval is different from pre-qualification — pre-qualified is a rough estimate. Pre-approved means they pulled your credit and verified your income.
Figure out what you actually need
Before we tour anything, I'll have you make a short list of must-haves vs. nice-to-haves. Number of bedrooms. Commute. School district if it matters. Yard, garage, year built, condition.
I do think the biggest mistake first-time buyers make is starting with what they want and ignoring what they actually need. We figure that out together.
Tour homes — but don't tour everything
In a normal market, you should be ready to make an offer after seeing 6–12 homes in person. More than that and you start losing perspective.
I'll send you listings that match your criteria. We tour the ones that look right. I tell you what I'm seeing — the good stuff and the red flags.
Make an offer
When we find the right one, we put together an offer. Price is one piece. The other pieces — earnest money, closing date, contingencies, how much you put down — also matter, sometimes more than price.
I write the offer. We talk through strategy. Then we send it.
Inspection and negotiation
If your offer is accepted, you have a window — usually 7 to 10 days — to inspect the home. A good inspector will find things. Every house has issues. The question is whether they're deal-breakers or just things to fix later.
We negotiate repairs or credits based on what comes up. Sometimes that's a big deal, sometimes it's nothing.
Closing
Between offer acceptance and closing day is usually 30–45 days. Your lender finalizes the loan. The title company handles the paperwork. We do a final walk-through right before closing to make sure the home is in the same condition as when you offered.
Closing day, you sign a stack of documents, wire your funds, and you get the keys.
That's the whole process
It's not complicated, but there are a lot of moving pieces. My job is to keep them moving in the right order so nothing falls through the cracks.
Got questions?
Text me, call me, or send an email. I'll get back to you the same day.