Your first home, without the mythology
First-time buyers get more bad advice than anyone in real estate. You do not need 20% down. You do not need to time the market. You do need honest math, underwritten financing, and an agent who will tell you when to walk away. Eileen has guided first purchases in this county for 20 years — here is the playbook.
What are the steps to buying your first home?
Seven steps: check your credit, set a real monthly budget, get fully pre-approved, choose your target area, tour and shortlist, make a protected offer, and close in about 30 days. Start to keys typically takes two to four months.
- Credit and documents. Pull your credit early; gather two years of tax returns, pay stubs, and bank statements.
- Budget from the monthly payment, not the price. Include taxes (~1.1–1.3% of price/year here), insurance, and any HOA.
- Full pre-approval. Underwritten, not a 10-minute online letter — it wins ties against other offers.
- Pick your market. Concord, Pleasant Hill, Martinez, Pacheco, and Walnut Creek condos are the usual first-buyer entry points here.
- Tour with discipline. We flag condition issues and real ownership costs on every home.
- Offer with protection. First purchases keep inspection and financing protections wherever competitively possible.
- Escrow to keys. We manage inspections, appraisal, and the final walk-through with you.
How much does it really cost up front?
Down payment plus roughly 2–3% of the purchase price in closing costs, plus moving and immediate repairs. On a $800,000 Concord starter home with 10% down, plan on roughly $80,000 down plus about $16,000–$24,000 in closing costs.
| Item | Typical amount |
|---|---|
| Down payment | 3–20% of price |
| Closing costs (lender, title, escrow) | ~2–3% of price |
| Inspections | $500–$1,200 |
| First year insurance | $1,500–$3,000+ |
| Moving + immediate fixes | $2,000–$10,000 |