First-time Homebuyers

Buying Your First Home

First Step:

Contact your Loan Officer to determine how much you can afford and get Pre-Qualified!

Next, you will want to determine:

How much you can comfortably afford

The pre-approval process, which entails full documentation and credit check, is the best way to determine the number that are right for you. Early in your search, you can identify any potential hurdles and focus only on homes truly available to you.

The Purchase Pre-Qualification calculator below will help you determine how much you may be able to borrow based on your income and recurring monthly debts.

Some costs will vary based on your scenario. While this is a good place to start, I hope we’ll talk further before you start looking. We would be happy to verify the necessary information to be able to provide you with a pre-approval that can give you a big leg up on competitors when making an offer on a home.

Please reach out when you’re ready. I’m here to help!

How much cash you need to close

Knowing how much cash you’ll need to close and, ideally, consolidating those funds into one account will help to prevent stress and ease the process later.

What kind of property you really want

Single family, multi-family, condo, co-op, Victorian, Colonial, Cape, split, ranch, cottage, cabin, treehouse . . . home types and legal distinctions are plentiful. Whether you are open to several styles or have your heart set on only one, narrowing your search will save time and prepare you to act when the perfect home hits the market.

Where you want to be and how long you’ll want to be there

You’ll want to strike a balance between buying what you can afford and buying what will accommodate your needs for longer than just the first few years. Assess your plans for growing your family and how your income might grow to match. Planning ahead is especially important in today’s market, when trading up tomorrow may mean both a more expensive home and a higher mortgage rate.

How the process works:

This is a time when the Internet doesn’t have all the answers. The process varies for many reasons, including area and custom. Generally, purchases include: Offer, Acceptance, Inspections, Contract, Loan Application, Appraisal, Title, Loan Approval, Closing/Funding and Moving In. Many little steps can fall in between, and the process won’t always occur in a given order. It pays to speak with local experts early!