Your next home, with a plan.
Start with how you want to live, what you’re comfortable spending, and the timing of your move. I help you compare the options and understand each decision along the way.
From first conversation to keys in hand.
These are the main decisions we work through together. Some stages overlap; the property, your financing, and the contract shape the timing.
Start with the numbers
I start by explaining debt-to-income ratio: how your monthly debt payments compare with your income before taxes. We review the monthly housing cost you feel comfortable carrying, cash needed to close, and what your credit report can tell you. See a worked example below.
Find the right lender for you
I introduce you to several lenders because their products, costs, and approach can differ. Ask questions, compare options, and choose someone you feel comfortable working with. You are free to choose any lender. Pre-approval helps frame the search, but remains conditional on the lender’s final review.
Build the search around your daily life
Where do you work, and how much time do you want to spend getting there? Do you need a particular train line or bus route? We set your own walking limit, then work through neighborhoods, bedrooms, bathrooms, parking, and the things you will not compromise on. Before touring together, we agree on services and negotiable compensation in a written buyer agreement.
Search public and private opportunities
Alongside public listings, we can explore Jameson exclusives, Top Agent Network, and MRED’s Private Listing Network where available and authorized. Broker conversations can help surface possibilities for your next home. Availability and sharing permissions vary.
Build the offer around your priorities
Review comparable sales and choose the price and terms you’re comfortable offering. We weigh closing timing, financing, earnest money, and contingencies together, including any need to sell your current home. The seller may accept, counter, or decline. Understand what each term means for both sides.
Review the contract and the property
Your attorney reviews the agreement and relevant property documents; your inspector evaluates the home’s condition. We work through findings and any requests to the seller. Your contract determines the review periods, deadlines, and available options.
Complete financing and appraisal
If you’re financing, your lender completes its review and arranges any required valuation. An appraisal estimates the home’s value, which may differ from the purchase price. We work through any issues with your lender and attorney.
Prepare to close and move
Review final figures and documents with your lender and attorney, complete the walkthrough, and confirm funds, possession, and moving arrangements. I help keep the remaining steps organized.
Understand the numbers. Then make your plan.
The goal is a payment that works for your life. A lender’s approval is only one part of that conversation.
How DTI works
Monthly debt payments ÷ gross monthly income × 100 = debt-to-income ratio. Use monthly payments, not outstanding loan balances.
Illustration: $2,400 in proposed monthly housing costs + $600 in other monthly debt payments = $3,000. Divide by $8,000 in income before taxes: 37.5% DTI.
Include principal, interest, property taxes, insurance, and applicable association fees in the housing estimate. Your lender determines which income and obligations count, including debts that do not appear on a credit report. Loan requirements vary; this example is not an approval or a target budget.
Read the report, not just the score
Start at AnnualCreditReport.com, the authorized source for free credit reports. Free weekly reports are available from Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.
Review each account’s creditor, balance, payment information, and status. Match it to your current statements, flag unfamiliar or incorrect accounts, and count each debt once even if it appears on all three reports.
Illustrative debt list: car payment $350 + student-loan payment $150 + credit-card minimum $100 = $600 per month. These are invented examples, not a real credit report. Missing, deferred, or unclear payments need lender review; a report alone is not a complete debt inventory.
Compare the people and the products
Discuss loan choices, down payment, fees, monthly costs, and responsiveness with each lender. When you have a property in mind, compare Loan Estimates for the same loan type and features. The person you trust and the financing that fits should work together.
Put the commute on the map
If a 12–15 minute walk to transit feels right to you, we can start around half a mile and check the actual route. Crossings, station entrances, pace, and weather matter more than a circle on a map. Then we compare the homes against your bedrooms, bathrooms, parking, and other priorities.
Price is one part. The terms tell the rest.
We look at the buyer’s financial readiness, the lender’s ability to meet the timeline, and clear communication between agents. Then we weigh the full offer. A concession is a choice to understand, never something you are expected to give away.
Financing and readiness
For buyers: understand what your lender has reviewed and what remains before approval.
For sellers: review financing evidence and any financing contingency with the offer. A pre-approval supports the conversation; it does not guarantee closing.
Earnest money
For buyers: this deposit shows commitment and is generally credited toward the purchase at closing. Understand when it is due and when it may be at risk.
For sellers: weigh the amount alongside the contract protections and release terms. A larger deposit is not automatically yours if the transaction ends.
Buyer-agent compensation
For buyers: know the compensation agreed in your buyer agreement and whether you are asking the seller to contribute.
For sellers: consider any requested contribution when comparing expected proceeds. Compensation is negotiable; the written agreements determine who pays what.
Closing date and possession
For buyers: choose timing your lender and moving plans can support. A longer closing or seller leaseback can affect when you move in.
For sellers: additional time may help coordinate your next home. A leaseback needs a written agreement covering occupancy dates, costs, responsibilities, and what happens if the seller stays longer, with lender and insurance requirements checked.
As-is and inspection protections
For buyers: an as-is purchase and an inspection waiver are different decisions. Confirm the inspection and cancellation rights retained in the actual contract. Waiving protections can leave you carrying repair risks.
For sellers: understand exactly which repair requests or conditions remain. An as-is label alone does not explain all the buyer’s rights.
Appraisal and financing protections
For buyers: waiving an appraisal contingency can expose you to a value shortfall and additional cash needs. It does not waive your lender’s valuation requirements or guarantee the loan.
For sellers: fewer conditions may reduce some uncertainty, but the buyer still needs the means to close. Review any gap commitment and remaining financing conditions together.
We review the tradeoffs with your attorney and lender before committing. The signed contract controls rights, deadlines, and remedies.
One plan for both moves.
If you own a home already, the purchase and sale need to work together. We plan around your cash, timing, and where you’ll live during the transition.
Decide what needs to happen first
Identify whether the purchase depends on sale proceeds, what your lender can support, and how much overlap you can manage. We can explore private opportunities while preparing your current property, then choose a sequence that fits your situation.
Work through timing and tradeoffs
Discuss closing dates, possession, and whether a home-sale contingency belongs in your offer. Any requested terms need the other party’s agreement. We also consider what happens if one transaction moves faster than the other.
Let’s plan your next move.
Tell me what you’re looking for, your timing, and whether you have a property to sell. We’ll work through the next decision together.