THE ROAD TO

Buying a home is one of the most significant purchases you will make in a lifetime. It is essential to have an experienced agent in your corner, always looking out for your best interest. A buyer's agent has a fiduciary responsibility to represent you — and to make sure you're protected.

After all, the seller already has somebody in their corner. A listing agent has an allegiance to the seller, and their goal is to get the seller top dollar for their home. There is incredible value in having somebody working for your best interests when buying a home.

Here's what I handle for every buyer I work with:

How much house can you afford?

Mortgage lenders recommend you do not buy a home that is more than 3 to 5 times your annual household income. If you're not purchasing with cash, you'll need a mortgage pre-approval from your lender. A lender will work with you to get a loan that meets your needs. Some buyers care most about keeping the monthly payment low. Others want to make sure their monthly payment never increases. Both are valid — we'll figure out which matters most to you.

Check your credit

A mortgage requires a good credit score. Here's how to protect and improve yours:

Save cash for a down payment & other expenses

To turn buying a home into reality, you'll need cash for more than just the down payment. Here's what we budget for:

• Down payment. Typically between 3.5% and 20% of the purchase price. Less if you qualify for the right loan type.
• Earnest money. A good-faith deposit showing you're serious about the home. It's applied at closing if the deal goes through.
• Closing costs. For the buyer, usually 2% to 5% of the loan amount.
• Home inspection. $350 to $600, depending on what extra inspections you want.

Closing costs & pre-paid costs

When you're buyin' a home, there are costs your lender will walk you through that get paid at closing. An escrow account also gets set up at closing, and every month you'll pay a little extra into it for property taxes and homeowner's insurance. Those pre-paid items you'll see at the closing table? That's just your first deposit into that escrow account. I'll explain every single line when we get there — no surprises.

→ Try the payment calculator below

Being pre-approved — unlike being pre-qualified — means you've actually been approved by a lender for a specific loan amount. You'll provide documented financial information (income, statements, assets, debts, credit reports, etc.) to be reviewed and verified by the lender.

This matters a lot when we start making offers. Sellers take pre-approved buyers seriously. Pre-qualified buyers, not as much.

I work with a short list of lenders I trust. If you don't already have one, I'll introduce you to a few so you can compare rates and pick the person you like most.

→ See the full loan qualification table & document list below

Start touring homes in your price range

Time to start shopping! We'll look at some homes online, some we'll drive by, some we'll set up appointments to tour. You're the one making the decisions on which homes we see in person. I'll take notes on all the homes we visit — it can be hard to remember the details of five or six houses, so writing it down and reviewing those notes later is really helpful.

Once we find THE house for you, I'll present an appropriate offer based on recent sales and current buyer activity in the area, as well as the value of the property in its current condition. Negotiations may take place after the offer is presented, if there are no competing offers. With competing offers, you might only get one shot — so we'll want to put your best offer together, first.

What I make sure inspectors check on every home

Evaluate the neighborhood and surrounding areas

• Are the surrounding homes well maintained? This tells you a lot about pride of ownership and trajectory of values.
• How much traffic is on the street? Drive by at different times of day.
• Is it conveniently located? Schools, shopping, restaurants, parks — how does daily life feel here?
• Check the sex offender registry. Always worth a quick look at the Texas DPS registry.

Some components of an offer make it more appealing to the seller than others. When we find the right home, we'll work together to build your very best offer. Depending on the circumstances, you may only have one chance to make a good impression.

The 5 negotiating points of every contract:

Put your best foot forward

I'll help you think through all of these levers and land on your very best offer. In certain markets, when demand is higher than the amount of homes available, it is important to act fast. I'll always advise you of current market conditions and provide you with market data so you make sure you don't pay too much — but you also don't miss the right home over a small disagreement.

During the inspection period, we'll schedule an inspection with a reputable home inspector to do a thorough investigation of the home. Once they're complete, the inspector will provide us with a full list of their findings. You can take the issues as-is, or you can request the seller to address some of the important findings.

Here's my rule of thumb: I'm mindful and reasonable on smaller items or cosmetic things. I'm very cautious and vigilant on potentially significant issues that concern you.

We'll sit down together, walk through the report line by line, and decide what matters, what can wait, and what we want to push back on.

Hi y'all — this one right here is my favorite step. Repair negotiations are where a great agent and an average agent look completely different, and where I do some of my best work for my clients.

Here's the deal: the inspection report is going to come back with a whole list of items — some of 'em real, some of 'em cosmetic, and a few that nobody has any business asking about. My job is to separate the wheat from the chaff and go hard after the stuff that actually matters — foundation, roof, HVAC, plumbing, electrical. Big-ticket stuff that costs real money down the road.

I've been doing this long enough that I know what things actually cost to fix. That matters. When I ask a seller for a $2,500 concession on an HVAC issue, I can back up the number. When a listing agent tries to push back with "that's just a small repair," I've got contractors and numbers ready to go.

Here's how I approach every repair negotiation:

Your lender arranges for a third-party appraiser to provide an independent estimate of the value of the home you're buying. The appraisal lets all parties know the price is fair. This fee is normally paid up front when you enter into a contract.

The loan file then moves on to the mortgage underwriter. If approved, you'll receive your final commitment letter that includes the final loan terms and percentage rates.

There are a few other things running in parallel during this stretch:

There's a lot happening between going under contract and handing over the keys. Here's the rhythm I walk my buyers through — and you'll find the full interactive checklist down below so you can track your progress.

Right after signing the contract

4 weeks to move

• Give 30 days notice if you are currently renting.
• Schedule movers or reserve the moving truck.
• Buy or find packing materials.
• Start packing — rooms you use least, first.

3 weeks to move

• The lender will arrange the appraisal.
• Complete the title search (the title company will do this and I'll email it over to you).

2 weeks to move

• Verify with me that the home warranty was ordered.
• Get quotes for home insurance.
• I'll schedule the closing time.
• Contact utility companies (water, electric, gas).
• Change address: mailing, subscriptions, etc.
• Minimize grocery shopping — you're moving.
• Keep packing.

1 week to move

• Obtain certified checks for closing, or confirm wire instructions.
• Schedule and attend the final walkthrough.
• Finish packing.
• Clean.
• Pack essentials for a few nights in the new home.
• Confirm delivery date with the moving company. Write directions to the new home, with your cell number.

→ Use the interactive moving checklist below

Closing is when you sign ownership and insurance paperwork and receive your new home's keys. Typically closing takes four to six weeks from the time we go under contract.

Closing disclosure

Lenders are required to provide you with a closing disclosure at least three days before closing. This will show you what your final loan terms and closing costs will be. You'll have three days to review the statement. This is done to ensure that there are no surprises at the closing table. If there's a significant discrepancy between the loan estimate and the closing disclosure, we must notify your lender and title company immediately.

Final walkthrough

We'll do a final walk through the home within 24 hours of closing to check the property's condition. This final inspection takes less than an hour. We'll make sure any repair work that the seller agreed to make has been done.

While we're there, we'll be sure to:

Closing table

Who will be there:

• Me, your agent.
• A title company representative.
• Your loan officer.

The closing typically happens at the title company. You'll be signing a lot of paperwork, so get your writing hand warmed up. Some of the papers you'll be signing include the mortgage, promissory note, and other documents.

Closing costs

Closing costs can vary depending on your home's purchase price and where you are located. You can generally expect your closing costs to be around 3% to 4% of the home's sales price. The closing costs typically shared with the seller are the closing fee and title insurance.

Bring to closing

• Government-issued photo ID.
• Certified funds to cover the remainder of the down payment and your closing costs — or funds wired 3 days prior to closing.

Receive your keys

Congratulations. It was a lot of hard work, but you are now officially a homeowner. Time to throw a party and get to know your new neighbors.