Buyer's guide
Buying a home on the market, start to closing.
Here's the whole path for buying a home that's already built and listed in Jacksonville & surrounding counties — what happens at each stage, and what trips up first-time buyers.
The process
Six stages, in order.
Get your financing straight
Talk to a lender before you tour anything. You'll get a pre-approval letter and, more usefully, a real monthly payment — principal, interest, taxes, insurance, and HOA. In Florida, insurance and taxes move that number more than people expect, so ask for the full picture, not just the loan amount.
Decide what you actually need
Commute, schools, flood zone, yard, garage, HOA rules. Write down the three things you won't give up and the rest becomes easier. Nobody gets everything at their price point, and knowing that ahead of time keeps you from chasing houses that were never going to work.
Tour with a plan
We'll look at homes already on the market and I'll point out what a photo can't show you: roof and HVAC age, drainage, noise, what the neighbors are doing. I'd rather talk you out of the wrong house than sell you one.
Write an offer that holds up
Price is one part. Closing date, inspection period, financing and appraisal contingencies, repair limits, and how much you put down all affect whether a seller takes you seriously. I'll show you what comparable homes actually sold for before we pick a number.
Inspections and the appraisal
Once the offer is accepted, you'll have a set number of days to inspect. Get the general inspection, and add wind mitigation and four-point when the home is older — they affect your insurance quote. If something real turns up, we renegotiate or you walk within your inspection period.
Closing
Your lender finalizes the loan, title runs the search, and you do a final walkthrough right before signing. Budget roughly 2–5% of the price for closing costs on top of your down payment, and don't open new credit accounts before closing — that alone has derailed loans days out.
First-time buyers
Six things I tell every first-time buyer.
You don't need 20% down
FHA, VA and conventional loans all go far lower, and Florida has down payment assistance programs for first-time buyers. Ask your lender which ones you qualify for before you assume you have to keep saving.
Budget for insurance early
Get an insurance quote while you're under contract, not after. Roof age and flood zone can change a quote by thousands, and that changes your monthly payment.
My side costs you nothing to ask about
A first conversation is free. Bring your questions before you tour a single house — that's when the advice is worth the most.
Leave room after closing
Moving, appliances, a fence, window coverings, the first repair. Don't spend every dollar at the closing table.
Slow down on the paperwork
Anything you sign is negotiable before you sign it. If you don't understand a line, that's my job — ask.
One agent, start to finish
You don't need to call each listing's agent. That agent represents the seller. Having your own means someone is reading the contract with your money in mind.
Next step
Start with a conversation, not a house.
Tell me where you are in the process — even if that's "we're just thinking about it" — and I'll give you a straight read on what's realistic here right now.
Considering a new build instead?