What's the First Step to Getting Pre-Approved? (and What's the Difference Between Pre-Qualified and Pre-Approved?)
You want a clear first step. One thing to do this week that moves you toward a house, in the right order, without wasting a credit pull or a weekend. Here's what you may not realize. The first step you get told depends on who you ask. Picture two numbers on the same kitchen table. The bank says you
Are You Ready to Buy a House? (What Getting Ready Actually Looks Like When Your Paycheck Isn't the Same Every Month)
Someone I know is thinking about buying. He is moving in with his girlfriend, they want a bigger family, and when I asked him what he actually wants, he did not say a number. He said he wants a house big enough for that family that does not break his bank, and something he can hand down to his kids
How to Negotiate When Buying a House (And When to Lowball)
Somewhere along the way, buyers got told that a low offer is an insult. Here's what a low offer actually is: an argument. And arguments are won or lost on the receipts behind them, not on how polite the number looks. How Do You Negotiate When Buying a House? You negotiate from what the property's si
Marry the House, Date the Rate? An Honest Look
You have heard the line. It is on every real estate social feed, it shows up in listing presentations, and the average agent has used it at least once to coax somebody off the porch and into the buyer pool: marry the house, date the rate. Commit to the home, treat the rate as temporary, refinance wh
How Interest Rate Buydowns Actually Work (2-1 vs Permanent)
When we bought our new construction home, the builder advertised a rate that looked fantastic. Then we found out the catch: that rate only applied to their existing inventory, not the home we actually wanted to build. The billboard rate was real, just not for us. So we changed the play. I ran the lo
How to Avoid Being House Poor (Even When Everyone Says You Can Afford It)
I was talking with a client about his situation. Good income, nice house, and every month still felt tight. Savings never grew. Every repair went on a card. Vacations kept getting pushed to next year. A friend listened to me describe it and said, "You know you're describing being house poor, right?"
How Lenders Actually Count Overtime, Bonus, and Side-Gig Income
A friend of mine, Jason (this is actually his real name, but I think there are too many to know for sure who he is), spent weeks fighting with his lender over money he had actually earned. He works overtime. A lot of it. But the lender he picked did not really understand how his income worked, so Ja
Can I Buy a Rental Property While Still Paying Off My Own Mortgage?
A friend of mine, I will call him Tom (and yes, you better believe that's not his real name), was about to move into a new home and had a decision to make about the house he was leaving. He could sell it, or he could keep it and rent it out. On paper it looked like easy money. He had built up equity
How to Buy and Sell a House at the Same Time (Without Getting Stuck)
A while back I worked with a couple, John and Jane Smith, who were ready to move up. (And I'd be really impressed if you know the movie reference used to protect my client's names.) Good income, plenty of equity, and a house that would sell fast. We found three homes they loved. They missed on the f