First-time buyers · SE Wisconsin
Ask the “obvious” questions. That is the job. Homes for sale are on the team search — this page is how we work before you write an offer.
Patrick Spina, Yoo Realty Group / Real Broker LLC, WI license 97503-94. Serving SE Wisconsin. Call or text 262.205.2463.
Pre-qualification is a conversation. Pre-approval is paperwork — income, assets, credit — and a letter sellers take seriously. Get the letter first. Looking without it wastes weekends. I can share the names of lenders other clients have used, if that helps. You’re free to choose any lender.
Lenders usually want recent pay stubs, W-2s or tax returns, bank statements, photo ID, and a list of debts. If something is messy — job change, gift money from family, extra account — tell the lender early. Hiding it slows the close.
Plan for closing costs on top of the down payment. The exact figure is on the lender’s Loan Estimate — not on this website. A simple cushion for a water heater or a roof surprise after you move in is smarter than stretching to the last dollar the bank will lend.
Do not use a listing’s tax line as gospel. Taxes change. We verify with the municipality and the title work, not a portal screenshot.
Search homes for sale on searchmidwesthomes.com, then text me what you want to see. I will not invent a private inventory.
A general home inspection is the baseline. Add extras when the house calls for them: sewer scope on older laterals, radon where it is common, pest if the inspector flags it. You can waive inspections. I will tell you when that is brave and when that is reckless. Your call either way.
An offer is price plus terms: earnest money, closing date, what stays, inspection window, appraisal gap if you choose to use one. More money is not always the winning card. A clean, funded offer with a realistic calendar often is.
I will not tell you a number is “what the house will appraise for.” That is the appraiser’s job after you are under contract.
Title companies do not suddenly change wiring instructions by email. If you get a message with new account numbers, stop and call the title company on a number you already have. Then call me.
If a date slips, we talk the same day. Silence is how first-time deals get scary.
Text those. That is the work.
Straight answers
Yes. Conventional, FHA, VA, USDA and WHEDA loans all have options under 20% down. Which one fits depends on your credit, income, service history and the property, and your lender makes that call. On a conventional loan, putting less than 20% down usually means paying PMI, so ask for the full monthly number with PMI included.
Yes. Get the pre-approval letter first. Pre-qualification is a conversation; pre-approval means the lender has looked at your income, assets and credit. Sellers take the letter seriously, and you will know your real budget before you fall for a house you can't buy.
It shows the seller you are serious. It is a deposit you put down after your offer is accepted, held in trust, and it goes toward your closing costs or down payment at closing. The offer spells out when it is due and the conditions where you could lose it, so we read those lines together before you sign.
You have options, as long as you are still inside the inspection window in your offer. You can ask the seller to fix items, ask for a price change or credit, accept the house as-is, or walk away if the contingency allows it. We price the big items with a contractor or the inspector, not a guess from the internet.
It depends on the deal, and we put it in writing before you tour. Under current industry rules you sign a written buyer agreement first, and it states how I am paid. Sometimes the seller covers it, sometimes it is part of your offer. You will know the number up front, not at closing.
General information, not legal, tax or lending advice. Your lender, attorney and the contract have the final word. Questions? Call or text 262.205.2463.