A real timeline. The order things happen. The decisions you're actually making. The mistakes I'd rather you not make. Read it in fifteen minutes, refer back to it when you need to.
A home is the most expensive asset for a lifestyle most people will ever buy. Before square footage, decide: Block? Commute? Garden? Garage? Walk to coffee, or quiet at 9pm?
Pre-qualification is a guess. Pre-approval is a lender pulling your credit, your tax returns, and your bank statements, and writing a number on a letterhead. Sellers care about the second one.
The lender will tell you what you can afford. I'll help you figure out what you should spend. The number you can sleep with, not the number that gets you the house with the bigger backyard.
3-5 houses on a Saturday is plenty. More than that and they blur. Bring a notebook. Look at the gutter line, the slope of the yard, the neighbor's roof. The kitchen always looks good in a listing.
Price matters, as well as terms. Inspection timeline, financing contingencies, closing date, repair credits — sellers consider them all. We'll write the strongest offer we honestly can.
A good inspector talks for an hour and writes a report you'll actually read. We're looking for big-ticket stuff — foundation, roof, electrical, water — and the small stuff that adds up.
Two to three weeks where the lender does paperwork and you wait. Don't open new credit cards. Don't buy a new car. Don't quit your job. Sounds obvious. It happens.
Bring ID and a cashier's check (or wire receipt). Sign a stack of paper. Get the keys. The whole thing takes 45 minutes if everything's been done right beforehand.
The day you close, your client portal goes live. Trusted contractors, your property record, a maintenance calendar, the move-in checklist. I'm a text away — for the bike paths, the plumber, the next house, all of it.
No pressure pitch. Tell me what you're looking for — even if it's a year away. We'll start with a walk.