I’m Buying My First Home. Now What?: A Roadmap from Search to Closing Day

The home-buying process is confusing, complex and comes with big stakes. For most people, it's the biggest financial decision of their entire lives. I'm Buying My First Home. Now What? gives first-time buyers a step-by-step roadmap from the first home search to closing day. Each chapter includes checklists, reality checks, questions to ask, warning signs and next steps tied to a specific stage of the process. Buyers can start at the beginning or jump straight to the section they need before a lender call, second showing, inspection or closing.The book covers how to decide whether you're ready to buy, choose a monthly payment that fits your life, prepare for the mortgage process, compare different types of homes, look past listing photos, make an informed offer, stay on top of inspections and title issues and walk into closing prepared. As a companion to The Homebuyer's Question & Answer Book (2nd edition, 2026), it also helps buyers think through the costs that don't always make it into the first mortgage estimate: taxes, insurance, HOA fees, repairs, maintenance and cash needed at closing. This is also a useful client resource for real estate agents, brokers, lenders and homebuyer education programs that want to help buyers educate themselves on the process and steps involved with buying a home.