Before you start house hunting, you'll want to know what you can afford. This is best done by getting a bank or financial institute pre-approval letter (this letter can also act as a Proof of Funds when you submit an offer down the road). Generally, this pre-approval will give you an idea of how much you can afford, what your monthly payments will be, how much you'll need as a downpayment, and identify possible loan programs. You should get preapproved by multiple (at least three) lenders to ensure you get the best rate.

NOTE: Submitting a preapproval can have a minor impact on your credit. But if you submit multiple preapproval requests within a few days of each other, the impact on your credit will still show as a single credit inquiry.

This is often seen as the most fun part of the process! With the help of your agent, you will spend time finding, touring, and discussing available homes in your area. We've found that it's best to have a list of "must have" and "would like" handy. That's because it can be hard to find something that checks ALL the boxes, but it's important that you're still getting what you want. To ensure you're staying up to date with the market, save all your searches, sign up for tailored listing updates, and save all your favorite listings by setting up your FREE account here

Once you've found a house you'd like to call home, you'll work with your agent to determine how best to structure your offer. Your offer is simply a formal way of telling the sellers of the home (1) that you're interested in buying the home, (2) at what price you'd like to purchase the house, and (3) what factors you'd like to see in an agreement. If the seller of the house is interested in your offer, they will likely open into a negotiation until both parties are satisfied with the agreement terms. This is when you'll be thankful you hired an agent. Negotiation does not typically involve two parties going back and forth at a table. Rather, your agent will handle the communications and paperwork (advocating for your interests) and only bother you regarding unknown factors, potential solutions, and the final say.

Once you've signed an agreement with the home seller (aka a Contract to Purchase), you and your agent will start down a list of action items that you either have to (based on your agreement) or should (based on your best interests) complete prior to closing. These items may include shopping for homeowner's or title insurance, finalizing funding, obtaining a home inspection or appraisal, and doing a final walkthrough. This is another place your agent shines because they aim to make this part as smooth as possible for you! They will handle most of the coordination and only ping you if they need something signed. That way, you can sign up on closing day stress-free!