1. Get your money ready
- Pull your credit report and fix any errors
- Save for down payment, closing costs and 2–3 months of reserves
- Avoid new credit cards, car loans or job changes
- Gather 2 years of tax returns, 2 months of bank statements, 30 days of pay stubs
2. Get pre-approved
- Talk to at least two lenders and compare rate, fees and turn time
- Ask about FHA, VA, USDA and NJHMFA first-time buyer options
- Get a written pre-approval letter, not a pre-qualification
- Confirm your true monthly payment including taxes, insurance and PMI
3. Define the home
- List your must-haves vs nice-to-haves
- Pick target towns — Egg Harbor Township, Northfield, Linwood, Galloway, Mays Landing
- Check flood zone and flood insurance costs for shore-area homes
- Review commute, schools and property tax rates by township
4. Tour and compare
- Set up alerts so you see new listings the day they hit
- Tour 5–10 homes before deciding what good value looks like
- Photograph problem areas: roof, basement, windows, HVAC age
- Ask for the seller's disclosure and recent utility bills
5. Make the offer
- Review comparable sales before choosing a price
- Decide deposit amount, closing date and inclusions
- Keep inspection, mortgage and appraisal contingencies in writing
- Start NJ attorney review (3 business days) as soon as the offer is signed
6. Under contract
- Schedule home, radon, termite and (if applicable) septic/well inspections
- Lock your rate and return lender conditions quickly
- Complete the appraisal and title search
- Get homeowners insurance bound before closing
7. Closing week
- Do the final walkthrough the day of or day before closing
- Review the Closing Disclosure and compare it to your Loan Estimate
- Wire funds only after calling the title company to verify instructions
- Bring photo ID — and get your keys
What most first-time buyers get wrong
- Shopping before pre-approval, then losing the home they wanted
- Budgeting for principal and interest only, forgetting NJ property taxes
- Skipping the radon or septic inspection to look competitive
- Waiting for a lower rate instead of buying the right house and refinancing later
Want me to walk you through it?
A free 30-minute buyer session — budget, towns, timeline and a written plan.
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