A Guide to Buying your first home in 2023

Ready to buy your first home in Guelph in 2023? I’m Christine Pyke and I specialize in helping first-time home buyers like you find their dream property in Guelph.

Before you start searching for homes online, it's important to take the first step to house shopping: Getting pre-approved for a mortgage.

Your pre-approval will tell you what you can afford and what your monthly payment will be, so it's important to determine this before you start searching for your new home.

Pre-approval is good for about 90-120 days, so once you're ready, take these first 3 steps to get it done.

1.  Contact me, and I’ll send over a list of lenders I know and trust.

2.  Look over the list, check out online reviews, and ask friends and family for referrals.

3.  Email 2-3 lenders you like or let me introduce you over email.

Once you've got your pre-approval letter in hand, it's time to start the search!

Before we hop into the home search, I like to advise my clients to create a 'Needs' list and a 'Wants' list. This will help us to really focus on the things that are most important in your future home.

Needs are the non-negotiable features; the features you simply must have in your next home. Wants are the ones you’d like to have, but you can add or change down the road. Remember, you can’t change the lot or the location so make sure you love both.

Once you've established what you're looking for, I will set you up on a search so you can receive an email the second a home that fits your criteria goes live. If you have any questions about a property, send me the information and I will find out for you. Send me listings you like and I can get more information and set up showings on your behalf.

After touring houses and choosing the one you love, it's time to make an offer. You'll also need to make a deposit of approximately 3%-5% of the purchase price once your offer has been accepted. This will go towards your downpayment at closing.

Have more questions about buying a home or what happens after making an offer?

Have more questions about buying a home or what happens after making an offer? Contact me.