Buying Your First House Checklist May 2026

She didn't trust the online calculators. She sat down and figured out a mortgage payment that wouldn't leave her "house poor," making sure she still had money for groceries and, occasionally, a nice bottle of wine. Chapter 2: The Gatekeepers (Pre-Approval) Before Maya even looked at a porch, she called a lender.

That night, Maya sat on the floor of her empty living room with Barnaby. No clanking radiators, no noisy neighbors upstairs. Just the quiet sound of a dream that had finally been checked off the list. buying your first house checklist

Maya walked through the house with a pro who pointed out a fussy water heater and a drafty window. She used this to ask for a small credit at closing. She didn't trust the online calculators