Almost everything that makes first-time buyers anxious comes from not knowing the sequence. Once you can see the whole path — pre-approval, search, offer, contract, appraisal, underwriting, closing — the individual steps stop being frightening and start being tasks.
Talk to a Loan OfficerThis page is the sequence, written plainly, with the parts people actually get stuck on called out.
The three things that matter most here.
It is pre-approval. It tells you what you are working with, and in this market an agent will expect one before they write your offer. Looking at houses first is how people fall in love with something they cannot buy.
Several programs allow far less, and two allow qualified buyers to purchase with no down payment at all. Twenty percent avoids mortgage insurance. It has never been the price of admission.
Most first-time buyers plan for a down payment and are blindsided by closing costs. They can often be handled with seller concessions or lender credits — but only if someone raises it early. We raise it early.
Straight answers, no sales language.
It depends on the program, and there is no single number worth quoting. Different programs have very different guidelines, and the rest of your file matters as much as the score.
From contract to closing is commonly around a month in this market. Finding the house is the unpredictable part, not the loan.
Pre-approval. It involves real verification and it carries actual weight with listing agents. A pre-qualification is little more than a conversation.
Then you should get a plan, not just a no. Often it is a handful of specific things over a defined stretch of months, and we will write them down for you.
A conversation costs nothing and carries no obligation. Tell us your situation and we will tell you plainly what your options are.
Start the ConversationOr call 843-998-5045