Buying Your First Home,
Step by Step.

For most first-time buyers, plan on 3.5-10% down (FHA or conventional with low-down options) plus 3-5% for closing costs. On a $650K home, that's roughly $25,000-$45,000 in cash. Down payment assistance programs in California can reduce this further. The bigger surprise is usually the supplemental tax bill — see my 5 Mistakes guide for that one.

60-90 days is the typical timeline from "I want to start looking" to keys in hand. Pre-approval takes 1-3 days. House hunting takes 2-8 weeks depending on your criteria and inventory. Once you're in escrow, expect 30-45 days to close. I help compress this timeline when needed and pad it when you need breathing room.

The buyers winning right now are the ones who locked when they were ready and refinanced later when rates dropped. Trying to time the bottom on rates costs more buyers than rate volatility itself. If you're financially ready and the right home appears, the right move is usually to lock and refi later. Sign up for my weekly rate alerts at /rates if you want to track this without the noise.

Pre-qualification is a back-of-the-envelope estimate based on stated info. Pre-approval is a verified document showing the lender has actually reviewed your income, assets, and credit. In SoCal, sellers won't take you seriously without pre-approval. We get this done in 24-48 hours.

Yes — FHA loans accept credit scores as low as 580 (3.5% down). VA loans (for veterans) often accept lower. Conventional loans typically want 620+. We get you in front of lenders who specialize in your situation. Bad credit doesn't disqualify you — it just changes which loan products fit best.

No. The 20% myth is from another era. FHA loans go as low as 3.5%, conventional loans have 3% and 5% down options, and VA loans require 0%. The trade-off: anything under 20% down means PMI (private mortgage insurance) on conventional loans, which adds to your monthly payment. We weigh these trade-offs together.