Buyer's Guide

A Step-by-Step First Time Buyer's Guide

Buying a home is one of the most exciting milestones of your life. To prepare yourself for this moment, you need to know what to expect during the process. This step-by-step first time buyer’s guide created by your agent will help reduce the stress of buying a home and help you enjoy the journey as much as possible.

Step 1: Research

Do you already know where you want to buy? If you want a condo, townhome, or single-family home? Which features do you like and dislike? What’s available on the market now? If you answered no to any of these questions, now is the time to start researching. In addition to looking for homes that interest you, also take note of any changes in asking prices. This could give you valuable insight into housing trends in specific neighborhoods and help you when the time comes to make an offer.

Step 2: Decide on Your Budget

Notice I said to decide on your budget—not determine how much the mortgage company will give you. In many cases, a mortgage company will pre-approve you for more than you’re comfortable spending, which is why you need to determine the monthly payment you feel comfortable with before talking to a lender. This likely includes doing a full household budget and taking into consideration what changes other than a mortgage payment will occur once you move into your new home. If you’ve lived in an apartment or with roommates, you may overlook new expenses like garbage, water, or HOA fees that could easily blow your budget.

Step 3: Get Prequalified

Just because you think you can afford a certain payment every month doesn’t mean the mortgage company will agree. Just as they may approve you for too large of an amount, they may also approve you for a lesser amount or deny you a mortgage altogether. Lack of time at a job, insufficient credit, past bankruptcies, or other financial issues can cause major problems when trying to secure a mortgage. Before you get your heart set on a home, talk to a mortgage professional to find out what amount you can qualify for. This will also be an advantage when you make an offer on a home, as some sellers won’t entertain offers from those who aren’t already prequalified for a loan.

Step 4: Choose a Real Estate Agent

Can you shop for, look at, and ultimately make an offer on a home without a real estate agent? Technically yes, but why would you when it costs you nothing for an agent like me to take much of the stress off your shoulders? Not only will I help identify properties you might be interested in, arrange showings, and ultimately handle the offer process, but I also have a knowledge of the market that you don’t possess. Finding the perfect home can be a daunting task, this is where my expertise and wealth of knowledge come into play. Let me show you around some homes that meet your dream home criteria so you can find the one that's right for you.

My goal is to provide you with the most personalized service that is designed to help you buy your dream home.

Schedule A Consultation

Step 5: Find the Right Home

This should be the most enjoyable step of the entire process (other than moving in!). I will arrange showings of homes you’re interested in that are within your price range. Take notes about what you like and don’t like, and make sure to pay attention to details. Turn light switches on and off, open and close doors, and run the faucets in various rooms. Don’t limit your inspection to the home itself. Make sure to take time to explore the neighborhood and keep an eye on traffic at certain times of the day, the parking situation, and how close it is to necessities like schools and grocery stores.

Step 6: Make an Offer

Once you have selected the perfect home, work with your agent to craft a fair offer based on the value of comparable homes on the market. Depending on what the home is listed at and whether the current environment is a buyer’s or seller’s market, your offer may be below, at, or even above the asking price. I will be able to help you negotiate if you receive a counteroffer and reach an agreement. At this point, the house will go into escrow.

Step 7: Have the Home Inspected

In most cases, your offer will be contingent on having the home inspected to ensure there is no major structural damage or large repairs needed. I can help you arrange this, and you can schedule it within days of making an offer. If there are no major issues, the process goes to step eight. If there is, you can renegotiate your offer based on what needs to be fixed, or you can withdraw it.

Step 8: Select Your Loan

Now is the time to go back to the mortgage lender who pre-approved or pre-qualified you and choose your mortgage. You will be presented with various options based on your unique financial situation, including fixed-rate, variable-rate, 15-year, 30-year, or special programs such as VA loans or FHA loans. Work with your mortgage lender to select the option you feel the most comfortable with.

Step 9: Get a Home Appraisal

Your lender will have your new home appraised so they have their independent value of it. The appraisal is to ensure that all parties involved are paying a fair price for the house.

Step 10: Finish Paperwork

No one looks forward to all the paperwork involved in buying a home, but it’s a necessary part of the process. Fortunately, everything will be arranged by your lender and title company and, when you’re finished, you’ll know you are the legal owner of your new home.

Congratulations!

After signing the final paperwork to complete the purchase, you are now the owner of a new house. It may take a few days for your loan to be funded once the paperwork has been returned to the lender, but once that check is delivered to the seller, you’ll be all set to move into the home of your dreams.

My Testimonials

See why my clients love working with me.

Seller

Jake was so helpful in every situation and made recommendations to improve the sale of our house. He was always there and answered every phone call and text. Definitely made a friend through this experience. Thanks, Jake!

Jessie W.

This was my first time buying a home, and I wouldn’t have wanted anyone else to help me with this experience. Jake made the process super easy and simple for me and helped with things that I did not know as a first-time home bu...

Jessica B.

Jake is absolutely the best to work with! He’s always prompt with responses, incredibly knowledgeable, and completely honest, professional, and respectful. We met and instantly connected—he just has a way of making you feel com...

William B.

Jake provided exceptional advice throughout the process and a calm confidence in what to expect. That was invaluable for me, as the property was not a simple property, being 170 years old and having other complexities. I cannot...

Michelle D.

My sisters and I needed to sell our mom’s condo. Jake was very helpful and very patient with us. He is knowledgeable, kind, and efficient. The condo sold very quickly.

Cassidy S.

We can't thank Jake Blickenstaff enough for his outstanding work in selling our home. From start to finish, he was professional, knowledgeable, and incredibly responsive. He walked us through every step of the process with pati...

Russ W.

Jake has been amazingly supportive of our business and its various transitions the entire time we have used him as our realtor. He has successfully relocated my personal business twice and is now in the process of helping a par...

Medina H.

Working with Jake was a wonderful experience. He was attentive, hands-on, and always made sure our thoughts and concerns were heard and addressed. His genuine dedication and care made the entire process smooth and reassuring, a...

Ed B.

We thoroughly enjoyed using Jake as our real estate agent. Jake was the first guy that we thought of because he is thorough, knowledgeable, and can get the job done. He answered all of our questions and walked us through all of...

Buyer | Seller

It’s been an honor to be a client of Jake’s! Twice and soon to be three times he has been my agent! Jake takes much pride in his work and has not once failed to diligently represent me from start to finish in selling and purcha...

John M.

Jake was amazing to work with as a first-time buyer. He was very communicative, did fantastic with negotiating, and answered all questions we had! Would highly recommend to anyone looking for a reliable agent!

Melisa V.

I get the pleasure of working with Jake, and I cannot recommend him enough! Jake is not just a leader in the real estate industry; he’s a true mentor to his team. His profound knowledge of the business, coupled with his dedicat...

Melanie S.

My experience working with Jake Blickenstaff as my real estate agent was outstanding! His professionalism was demonstrated repeatedly during some extremely challenging moments in the sale of a probate home, where I was the Exec...

Joni P.

Jake was amazing. Despite how busy he is, he always responds almost immediately. He is compassionate and understanding of the emotionality of transitioning homes. He is very professional, yet also down-to-earth. I highly recomm...

Kendra O.

Jake is the bomb dot com! He's everything you'd want in a realtor. We were first-time buyers, and Jake answered every single question, offered great guidance, responded quickly, was flexible, and went above and beyond every ste...

Trev O.

I cannot recommend my realtor highly enough! From start to finish, he has been the epitome of professionalism, consistently going above and beyond to ensure a smooth and stress-free experience. His proactive approach meant I wa...

Nina B.

Jake is awesome! He was very responsive and helped us upgrade to a larger commercial office with ease. Within a two-week time period, I told him what I was looking for, he found the space, and we got the lease signed. I look fo...

Reece T.

What a great experience working with Jake Blickenstaff. He and his team made sure all the T’s were crossed and I’s dotted. They were very professional, and the whole process was pretty streamlined. They worked hard to make sure...

Buyer | SEller

A truly amazing and talented agent! Jake knows people who want to buy and sell property.

Ruth P.

I have always secured my own tenants. This time, however, I allowed a current commercial tenant to break their lease—providing that they secure a satisfactory replacement tenant for the balance of their lease. Jake stepped in a...

Let's Talk About Your Property

Whether you're selling a building, leasing space, or looking for your next investment, working with me starts with a simple conversation. I listen to your goals, review the numbers, and give you an honest read on value, timing, and options. From there, I build a marketing and negotiation plan around your priorities and stay involved from first showing to closing day.

Let's Connect

Follow Me on Instagram

Follow Me

Leave a Message

Thank you for your message. I will be in touch with you shortly.