first-time buyer? →

Your first home,
decoded.

8 steps. Real numbers. Plain English. Everything from now to keys.

01

Check your credit

Pull your credit report from all three bureaus. You want a 620+ for FHA, 720+ for the best conventional rates. Dispute errors. Pay down revolving balances. Don't open new accounts.

02

Save for down payment + costs

FHA: 3.5% down. Conventional: 5–20%. Plus closing costs (2–4% of price). Plus 1–3 months of reserves. Plan to bring 5–10% total to the table at minimum.

03

Get pre-approved

Pre-approval is more than pre-qualification. You hand over W-2s, pay stubs, bank statements. A lender writes a real letter. Sellers take you seriously. Without it, you can't compete.

04

Define what you want

Beds, baths, square footage, neighborhoods, schools, commute. Write down what you absolutely need vs what's negotiable. We'll use this to filter every search.

05

Start touring

Online photos lie. Always tour in person. Drive the neighborhood at night. Check the schools, the noise, the smells, the traffic. We schedule everything.

06

Make the offer

Price, contingencies, escrow timeline, earnest money. Strong offers win — and they're not always the highest price. We craft the offer for what the seller actually values.

07

Inspect & negotiate

Get a licensed inspector. Negotiate repairs or credits. Don't waive inspection in a normal market. A $500 inspection routinely saves $20,000 in surprises.

08

Close & move

Final walkthrough. Sign at title. Wire your down payment. Get the keys. We coordinate the whole timeline — utilities, movers, locksmith, everything.

your real estate person →

Elia Kfoury

Elia Kfoury · eXp Realty · DRE

Born here, raised here, bought my first home here. Real estate isn't just my job — it's about helping neighbors find the home that actually fits their life.

phone+19093719116
emailgeorge.k9137@gmail.com
officeWest Covina, CA
our favorite lender →

Georges Kfoury

Senior Loan Officer · NMLS #365129

Every buyer needs a lender who answers the phone. Georges has been our go-to financing partner for years — fast pre-approvals, honest rates, and a real human on the other end.

phone(909) 642-8258
emailgeorge@o1nemortgage.com
ready? →

Get pre-approved.

Start Pre-Approval →Say Hello