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First-Time Home Buyer Tips

Buying your first home is exciting, and it gets a lot less stressful once you know the order things happen in. These eight tips walk you from the first budget conversation to closing day, and if you are an eligible Veteran or service member, your VA benefit removes the two biggest first-timer obstacles before you start, the down payment and the mortgage insurance.

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  • $0 down for eligible Veterans
  • 500 minimum credit score
  • Fast 2 to 3 week closings
A young military family holding the keys to their first home, bought with a VA loan from PBT Bancorp

Eight Tips That Keep a First Purchase on Track

Patience and order beat enthusiasm and speed in a first purchase. Here is the sequence that works.

01

Take stock of your finances

Look at your monthly income, expenses, and savings before you look at listings. If you are a Veteran, the VA loan needs no down payment, so the savings question becomes closing costs and reserves rather than a five-figure pile.

02

Get pre-qualified first

Talk with us before touring homes. We compare the programs you qualify for, VA, FHA, or conventional, and a pre-qualification letter turns your offer from a wish into a bid sellers take seriously.

03

Choose your agent

Ask friends and family for names, and ask us too. We work with strong buyer’s agents in most markets and are glad to hand you a short list.

04

Research the neighborhood

Schools, commute, parks, and the everyday errands matter more over five years than any single feature of the house. Drive the area at different times of day before you commit.

05

Write a wish list

Separate the must-haves, bedrooms, bathrooms, yard, parking, from the nice-to-haves, and decide in advance where you will compromise. It keeps a pretty kitchen from overruling your own plan.

06

Tour with discipline

See as many homes in your range as you can, take notes and photos, and ask your agent the awkward questions about age of the roof, the HVAC, and the water heater.

07

Offer and negotiate

Your agent prices the offer from comparable sales, and contingencies for inspection and financing protect your deposit. Expect a counter, and decide your ceiling before emotions are in the room.

08

Prepare for closing

Schedule the inspection, review every document, and walk through the closing disclosure with us line by line. By signing day you should already know every number on the page.

The First-Timer Advantage Most Buyers Do Not Have

A conventional first purchase usually waits years on a down payment. An eligible Veteran skips that wait entirely, finances the full price, pays no monthly mortgage insurance, and qualifies with credit as low as a 500 score through our lenders. If you served, the hardest parts of being a first-time buyer were already handled by your benefit, and our job is making sure you collect on it. Call 800-697-4371 or get pre-qualified online and we will put your numbers together.

First Homes We Have Helped Open

Start your first purchase the right way

Call 800-697-4371 or complete the short pre-qualification form, and tip number two is done before the weekend open houses.

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