Your first house is mostly a vocabulary problem.
Learn the words and the process stops being frightening. That's most of what I do in the first month.
First-time buyers are the majority of who I work with, and they're the group most likely to talk themselves out of something they could comfortably afford.
Usually it's not the money. It's that nobody has ever walked them through what happens between 'I like this house' and 'here are the keys', so the whole thing feels like a test they haven't studied for.
We'll go through it slowly. Twice, if that helps. And you can ask me the same question in three different ways until the answer sticks.
Median-price territory across five counties. Real families, real budgets.
That aren't true
You need twenty percent down
You almost certainly don't. Both states run assistance programs, and several loan products need far less.
Renting is throwing money away
Sometimes. Sometimes renting one more year while you fix a credit file is the smartest money you'll spend.
Pre-approval hurts your credit
One pull, minimal impact, and shopping several lenders in a short window counts as one inquiry.
You should wait for rates to drop
Rates move, and so do prices and inventory. The right question is what a payment looks like for you now.
Asked at the end of the call, usually
My credit score is 590. Should I even be talking to you?
Yes, and earlier is better. A 590 is a fixable number, and the things that move it usually take three to nine months. If you wait until you feel ready, you lose that runway. Nothing about a first conversation commits you to anything.
I have nothing saved for a down payment. Is this pointless?
No. Maryland and Pennsylvania both run down payment assistance programs, and several loan products need far less than the twenty percent people assume. Let's find out what you'd actually need before you decide it's out of reach.
How long does it usually take to get ready?
It depends entirely on what's in the way. Some people are three months out and don't know it. Others are two years out and need a real plan. Either way you'll leave the first conversation knowing which one you are.
Will you stop calling me if I say I'm not buying this year?
I'll check in when we agreed I would and not otherwise. Seven years of business from referrals only works if people don't dread hearing from me.
No script, no drip campaign
Bring me the question you googled at two in the morning.
I've answered it before, without judgment, and I'll answer it for you in words that make sense.