BEFORE YOU START HOUSE HUNTING
Before You Hire a Real Estate Broker to Help You Buy a Home, Read This
The Six-Month Home Buying Plan
How Much House Can I Actually Afford?
Not what the lender says you can borrow — what you can comfortably live with.
Start With Your Budget — Not the House
Why falling in love with a house first can completely mess up your financial plan.
How Much Money Should I Save Before Buying?
Down payment, closing costs, inspections, moving expenses, reserves, and the expenses people forget.
Cleaning Up Your Credit Before Buying
What buyers can do months before applying for a mortgage—and what they should NOT do.
What Does a Mortgage Payment Really Include?
Principal, interest, taxes, insurance, PMI, HOA, and the difference between the advertised payment and the real monthly cost.
Buying Your First Home After Renting
What changes when you’re suddenly responsible for the house.
Prequalification vs. Preapproval: What’s the Difference? And Why I Want You to Get a Preapproval
How Much Should I Put Down When Buying a Home?
Why Having a Great Mortgage Professional Matters
FIGURING OUT WHAT YOU REALLY WANT
Moving Up: Is It Time for a Bigger Home?
How to decide whether you actually need more space—or simply want a different house.
Moving Down: Is It Time to Downsize?
The financial, practical and emotional side of moving into a smaller home.
Want vs. Need: What Actually Matters in a Home?
A practical exercise to separate must-haves from things that would simply be nice.
The Must-Have, Nice-to-Have & Deal-Breaker List
A worksheet-style page buyers can actually use while house hunting.
How Much House Do You Really Need?
Bedrooms, bathrooms, storage, yard, office space, entertaining—and thinking about how you’ll live in the home rather than simply counting rooms.
Choosing Where to Live: Location, Location, Location
How to evaluate an area beyond the house itself.
How to Choose the Right Neighborhood
What to look at, what to research, and what you should experience for yourself.
STARTING YOUR HOME SEARCH
How the Home Search Really Works
What buyers should expect once they are ready to actively look.
What Should I Look for When Touring a Home?
A practical showing checklist so buyers don’t get distracted by staging and pretty countertops.
Don’t Fall in Love With the House Before You Check These Things
The less-fun things that can become very important later.
Comparing Homes: How to Stop Losing Track of What You Saw
A simple system for comparing properties objectively.
The House Looks Great—But What About the Location?
Traffic, noise, commute, nearby development, property taxes, surrounding properties and the things you can’t change after closing.
How Many Homes Should I See Before Choosing One?
Why there isn’t a magic number—and how to know when you’ve seen enough.
What Happens When I Find a Home I Love?
What happens between “I want this house” and actually writing an offer.
BEFORE YOU MAKE AN OFFER
Should I Make an Offer? Questions to Ask Yourself First
A pause-before-you-pounce checklist.
What Makes a Strong Offer?
Price is important, but it isn’t the only thing a seller may consider.
Understanding the Offer: Price, Terms & Contingencies
A plain-English explanation of the pieces that make up an offer.
YOU’RE UNDER CONTRACT — NOW WHAT?
What Happens After My Offer Is Accepted?
The moment the house becomes “under contract” and what happens next.
Under Contract: What Do I Need to Do Now?
A practical buyer roadmap so they know what to expect and what not to miss.
The Home Inspection: What Buyers Need to Know
What an inspection is, what it isn’t, what to pay attention to, and what happens afterward.
What If the Inspection Finds Problems?
How to think through repairs, credits, negotiations, and when to bring in the appropriate professionals.
What Is an Appraisal—and What Happens If It Comes in Low?
Plain-English explanation of the appraisal process and the possible paths if value and purchase price don’t line up.
Buying a Home While Getting a Mortgage: What NOT to Do
The big financial mistakes buyers should avoid after getting preapproved and especially after their offer is accepted.
MONEY, INSURANCE & CLOSING
How Much Cash Do I Really Need at Closing?
Down payment isn’t the only money you’ll need. We’ll break down the other costs buyers should be thinking about.
What Are Closing Costs?
A plain-English explanation of the fees and expenses that can show up at closing—and why the amount can vary.
Homeowners Insurance: What Buyers Need to Know
Why you need it, when to arrange it, what it generally covers, and why you shouldn’t wait until the last minute.
What Should I Know About Property Taxes Before Buying?
Should I Buy a Home Warranty?
What a home warranty is, what it may cover, what it doesn’t necessarily cover, and questions to ask before spending the money.
What Should I Know About HOA & Condo Fees?
What Is a Closing Disclosure & What Should I Look For?
The Final Walkthrough: What Should I Look For?
The last opportunity to walk through the property before closing and make sure things are as expected.
Closing Day: What Actually Happens?
What buyers can expect when they sit down to sign, what they should bring, and what happens before they finally get the keys.
YOU GOT THE KEYS!
You Got the Keys! What Should You Do First?
The first 24–72 hours: locks, utilities, documents, safety, photos, maintenance information and the things people forget.
Moving Into Your New Home: What Should I Do Before the Boxes Arrive?
A practical pre-move checklist for cleaning, painting, repairs, measurements, utilities and anything easier to do while the house is empty.
Your First 30 Days as a Homeowner
What to handle during the first month so small things don’t become expensive surprises.
The Homeowner Emergency Fund: How Much Should I Keep?
Why owning a home means planning for the unexpected—and how to think about a reserve without pretending there’s one magic number.
Things I Wish Every First-Time Homeowner Knew
The honest, practical stuff nobody puts in the glossy home-buying brochure.
2027 Homeowner’s Maintenance Calendar
Download the full year with holidays, helpful reminders, and simple tips to make home maintenance easier.
JANUARY 2027
Start the Year With a Home Checkup
January is a great time to take a fresh look at your home and catch small problems before they become expensive ones.
FEBRUARY 2027
Know What Your Home Is Worth
You don’t have to be thinking about selling to benefit from knowing what your home is worth.
February is a good month to take a look at your home’s value and the things that may affect it.
MARCH 2027
Spring Is Coming. Look Up!
Spring is around the corner, which means it’s time to start thinking about everything winter may have left behind.
And yes—look up. Your roof and gutters deserve some attention too.
APRIL 2027
Don’t Let Spring Cleaning Stop at the Closets
Spring cleaning isn’t just about organizing the closets and washing the windows.
This is also a good time to check some of the things around your home that are easy to overlook.
MAY 2027
Before You Start That Big Project…
Home improvement projects can be exciting.
They can also become expensive very quickly.
Before you start tearing things apart, take a few minutes to decide whether the project actually makes sense for your home and your budget.
MAY 2027 ← media link
JUNE 2027
Get Outside & Look Around
Now that you’re spending more time outside, take a walk around your property.
You may notice things that have been slowly deteriorating—or things you simply stopped seeing because you look at them every day.
JULY 2027
Enjoy Your Home!
Not every month needs to be about fixing something.
Sometimes the best thing you can do is enjoy the home you’ve worked so hard to have.
AUGUST 2027
Check Your Home’s “Invisible” Systems
Some of the most important things in your home are the things you rarely think about—until something goes wrong.
August is a good month to make sure you know where things are and how they work.
SEPTEMBER 2027
Start Preparing for Cooler Weather
Fall will be here before you know it.
A little preparation now can save you from dealing with a preventable problem when the temperature drops.
OCTOBER 2027
Don’t Forget the Roof Over Your Head
Fall is a great time to give your roof and attic another look before winter arrives.
You don’t need to climb onto the roof to start looking for potential problems.
NOVEMBER 2027
Give Thanks for the Home You Have
Before the holiday season gets completely crazy, take a little time to make sure your home is ready.
And while you’re at it, review something many homeowners don’t think about until it’s too late: insurance coverage.
DECEMBER 2027
Before the Year Ends…
Before you completely shut down for the holidays, take a few minutes to look back at your home.
What worked? What didn’t? What did you keep saying you were going to fix?
Write it down now so you don’t forget about it in January.
