A First-Time Home Buyer's Guide

From pre-approval to closing day, and what to research every step along the way.

What to do at every stage of buying a home

  1. Step 1

    Figure out what you can afford

    Meet with a lender for pre-approval. You’ll know your price range, monthly payment ballpark, and what paperwork to gather (pay stubs, W-2s, bank statements). That keeps you from falling in love with homes outside your budget.

  2. Step 2

    Define your must-haves

    List neighborhoods, commute needs, space, and deal-breakers. Your agent can narrow the search, but you’ll still want independent data on each address before you commit.

  3. Step 3

    Do this before you tour

    Run a PropertyLens report before you tour.

    Each PropertyLens report pulls from 90+ data sources, 450+ data points, and 18+ climate hazard models, summarized so you don't have to piece it together yourself. See how we surface key findings.

  4. Step 4

    Visit homes with your agent

    Use your PropertyLens report as a checklist: roof age, permit gaps, flood zone, and estimated repair costs. First-time tours are easier when you already know which questions matter for the property.

  5. Step 5

    Make an offer with eyes open

    Offers grounded in full history and repair projections are easier to defend and easier to revise if the data shows risk or costs the listing downplayed.

  6. Step 6

    Negotiate after inspections

    Inspections and appraisal can surface new issues. Compare what you learn to your report’s structure, condition, and risk sections to decide what to ask the seller to fix or credit.

  7. Step 7

    Lock in insurance early

    Carriers use deep property data to price risk. PropertyLens is built on the same kind of intelligence insurers use to underwrite 100,000+ homes a month, so you're not guessing about insurability. Read more on how we model insurability.

  8. Step 8

    Prepare for closing

    Finalize your loan, secure homeowner’s insurance, review the closing disclosure, and wire funds per your title company’s instructions.

  9. Step 9

    Close and get your keys

    Sign, fund, and record. Keep your PropertyLens report with your records as a baseline for maintenance, insurance renewals, and future resale.

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