Don't Start House Hunting! A Top Realtor in McKinney Shares Step #1

Hey there! Brandon Scribner here, your friendly neighborhood top realtor in McKinney. I get asked a lot of questions about buying a home, but one of the most common, and definitely one of the most important, is: "What is the first step I should take in the home-buying process?"

It’s an exciting thought, right? Picturing yourself in a new home, maybe with a bigger backyard or a kitchen you actually want to cook in. It’s easy to want to jump straight into the fun part—scrolling through listings and touring homes. But as your dedicated top realtor in McKinney, I’m going to let you in on a little secret: that’s not step one.

The real first step, the one that sets you up for success and saves you a ton of potential heartache, is getting pre-approved for a mortgage.

I know, I know. It sounds like boring paperwork, and not nearly as fun as open houses. But trust me on this. A pre-approval is basically a lender telling you, "Yep, we've looked at your finances, and we're willing to lend you X amount of money."

Why is this so critical?

First off, it gives you a solid, realistic budget. There's nothing worse than falling in love with a home, picturing your life there, and then finding out it’s $50,000 more than you can get a loan for. By getting pre-approved first, we can focus our search on homes that are comfortably within your price range. My Home Buying Assistance service becomes way more effective when we have a clear target.

Second, it makes you a serious buyer. When we find "the one" and want to make an offer, having a pre-approval letter to submit with it tells the seller you’re not just window shopping. You're a credible, qualified buyer. In a competitive market, which McKinney often is, this can be the single factor that makes a seller choose your offer over someone else’s. As a Real Estate Negotiation Expert, I can tell you that a pre-approval is one of our strongest negotiating tools.

Finally, it uncovers any potential surprises early on. Maybe there’s a little blip on your credit report you didn't know about, or the lender has a specific requirement for your down payment. Getting this sorted out before you’re on a tight contract deadline is a massive stress reliever.

So, how do you do it? You'll chat with a mortgage lender or a bank. They'll ask for documents like pay stubs, bank statements, and tax returns to get a clear picture of your financial health.

If you're not sure where to start, that’s exactly what I’m here for. As part of my Free Consultation, we can go over the whole process, and I can point you toward some fantastic, reputable local lenders who I've seen do great work for my clients.

Once you have that pre-approval letter in hand, the fun part begins! We can start the hunt, confident that when you find the perfect place, you’ll be ready to make a strong, winning offer.