Before you walk into your first showing

What’s on the list

1. 1

   Start with why you’re buying: to live in it, to invest, or to move the family down here. Each answer changes the area, the property type and how fast any of this happens.

2. 2

   Get the pre-qualification letter before you tour anything. Without it you’re guessing at your range, and plenty of sellers won’t even read your offer.

3. 3

   Start pulling documents today: two years of tax returns, two months of complete bank statements, recent pay stubs. It’s the first thing any lender asks for.

4. 4

   Budget the whole payment, not just the loan. Principal, interest, property taxes, insurance, and the association fee if there is one.

5. 5

   Check your credit today, then don’t touch it. No new cards, no car loan, no job change until you close. The lender pulls it again right before closing.

6. 6

   Know what you actually have in cash, not what you think you have: down payment + closing costs + good-faith deposit + a reserve for after the move.

7. 7

   Pick one — location or square footage. In Miami you’re rarely maxing out both on the same budget.

8. 8

   Drive the real commute to work and to school at rush hour. Not on the map. For real, a Tuesday at 8 a.m.

9. 9

   Choose your agent before you set foot in an open house. Here’s the thing: the agent standing at that door works for the seller, not for you.

10. 10

    And ask about the low-down-payment programs. FHA allows a minimum 3.5% down payment with a credit score of 580 or higher, per HUD’s handbook.

    HUD — FHA Single Family Housing Policy Handbook 4000.1
11. 11

    If you served, look hard at the VA loan. It can let qualified buyers purchase with no down payment.

    U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs — VA home loans
12. 12

    Write down your three deal-breakers and your three nice-to-haves. You’ll want that list the day the “almost perfect” place shows up.

Your situation doesn’t fit a checklist? Message Jordan or book 15 minutes.