Buying a house is a series of decisions. Most of them happen before you walk in.
Here's exactly how I work a buyer's deal, from the first call to the day you get the keys — and a few of the moments where most buyers get clipped.
Six stages. No fluff. If you've bought a home before, you know most of these. If you haven't, this is the map.
- 01
We talk before you tour.
Twenty minutes on the phone. I want to know what you can spend, what you actually need, and what's pulled you out of your last place. The tour list comes after — not before.
- 02
Pre-approval, done right.
Your lender is part of your negotiation. I'll introduce you to two or three in the Milwaukee area I trust, then let you pick. The wrong lender costs you the deal more often than the wrong inspection does.
- 03
Search — narrow, not wide.
I'll send you five houses, not fifty. I'd rather you tour fewer homes with sharper questions than burn through every Saturday open house in Wauwatosa.
- 04
Writing the offer.
Price is one number. Terms are the other nine. I'll explain every one — earnest money, contingencies, inspection windows, conveyances — before we send anything over.
- 05
Inspection and appraisal.
I'm there. Both times. The inspection report becomes the next negotiation; if you don't have someone reading it tactically, you leave money on the table.
- 06
Close and key day.
Final walk, signing, keys. Then I'm still your guy — for the contractor referrals, the property tax appeal, and the eventual sale when life moves you again.
The guide I send to every buyer.
A short, plain-English rundown of how a Wisconsin home purchase actually works. Specific steps, real numbers, the questions worth asking before you write an offer.