Buying a first home is mostly a sequence of small decisions made in the right order. Get the order right and the process is calm. Get it wrong and everything feels urgent. This is the order.
Before you look
- Check your credit — three months ahead, so there is time to fix errors.
- Get pre-approved, not pre-qualified. A pre-approval means a lender has actually verified your income and assets.
- Decide your real monthly number. Include taxes, insurance, HOA and a maintenance reserve of 1% of the price per year.
- Pick two neighbourhoods and visit them on a weekday evening and a Saturday morning.
While you look
- Rank your must-haves; three at most.
- Visit at least eight homes before you decide anything.
- Ask for the seller’s disclosure and the last twelve months of utility bills.
- Check flood maps and the school catchment yourself.
When you offer
- Keep the inspection contingency. Always.
- Offer with a personal letter only if your agent thinks it helps.
- Book the inspection within 48 hours of acceptance.
- Do the final walk-through the morning of closing, not the day before.
Our buyer workshops cover every one of these in detail. They are free, monthly and online — sign up on the contact page.
Point 3 is the one nobody tells you about. We budgeted for the mortgage and forgot the insurance and the HOA entirely — that was another $480 a month.
Is the buyer workshop recorded? I am two time zones away and the evening slot is difficult.
It is — we send the recording and the checklist as a PDF to everyone who registers, so sign up even if you cannot attend live.