Your first home, one step at a time.
Gabriela Corazo | Opus Elite Real Estate

You don’t need to know everything before you begin. Start with a comfortable budget, gather your questions, and build a team that explains the next step before you take it.

Start with your everyday life
Write down what a home needs to do for you before you start saving listings. Separate your essentials from features you could add later.
- List your space, accessibility, commute, and parking needs.
- Choose a monthly spending range that leaves room for savings and life outside the house.
- Include property taxes, insurance, maintenance, utilities, and any association fees in the conversation.

Get ready for a lender conversation
Review your finances and ask the lender what documents they need. Preapproval helps you understand your search range; it is not a final loan commitment.
- Gather recent income records, account statements, and identification using your lender’s secure process.
- Discuss the down payment, closing costs, and the cash you want left after closing.
- Ask PHFA or an approved counselor about education and current assistance options; eligibility and funding vary.

Build your plan for the search
Agree on a search area and decision process with Gabriela. At each stage, ask what needs to happen next and what deadline applies.
- Discuss representation, services, and compensation before signing an agreement.
- Keep a shortlist of needs and compare homes using the same criteria.
- Plan for inspections, financing, insurance, and the final walkthrough after an accepted offer.

DO
- Ask for plain-language explanations of unfamiliar terms.
- Keep lender documents organized in one secure place.
- Leave some flexibility in your moving timeline.

DON’T
- Treat the highest approved amount as your personal spending target.
- Assume every assistance program is a grant or available to every buyer.
- Send financial documents through an unverified email link.

YOUR CHECKLIST
[ ] Write my must-haves and nice-to-haves
[ ] Set an all-in monthly budget
[ ] Gather the lender’s requested documents
[ ] Ask about PHFA counseling
[ ] Discuss a search plan with Gabriela
[ ] Review the next steps after an accepted offer

LOCAL NOTE
In Bucks County, a mailing address may differ from the municipality that handles permits and local services. Confirm the township or borough for each property.

SOURCES
CFPB: Prepare to shop for a mortgage: https://www.consumerfinance.gov/owning-a-home/prepare/
PHFA: Pennsylvania homebuyer counseling: https://www.phfa.org/counseling/homebuyers.aspx

Educational guidance; confirm transaction terms and property-specific advice with the appropriate professionals.
Gabriela@opuselitere.com | 215-992-4100