She didn't trust the online calculators. She sat down and figured out a mortgage payment that wouldn't leave her "house poor," making sure she still had money for groceries and, occasionally, a nice bottle of wine. Chapter 2: The Gatekeepers (Pre-Approval) Before Maya even looked at a porch, she called a lender.
She pulled her report, relieved to see it was in the "Excellent" range. This would be her golden ticket to lower interest rates. buying your first house checklist
The rain drummed a steady rhythm against the window of Maya’s cramped, third-floor walk-up—the kind of apartment where the radiator clanked like a ghost in the walls. She clicked "Save" on her spreadsheet, her eyes blurring from hours of scrolling through Zillow. She didn't trust the online calculators
Maya insisted on an inspection contingency . She wouldn't buy a house that was secretly being held together by termites and hope. She pulled her report, relieved to see it
She tallied her savings. It wasn't just the down payment (she was aiming for 10% to avoid massive monthly costs) but also the closing costs —those sneaky fees for lawyers and taxes that usually take up 2–5% of the home's price.
An hour before closing, she checked that the seller hadn't taken the fridge or left a giant hole in the wall.