Free guide

Before You Look at a Single House, Know Your Buying Power

A plain-language guide for East Bay first-time buyers. What actually decides your budget, the down payment assistance most people never look into, and how to stop guessing.

You have been looking for a while. Rent went up again. A big bank sent you a pre-approval number once and never explained it. This guide walks through the money side the way it should have been explained the first time.

• ✓Why the pre-approval number you have might be wrong in both directions
• ✓What you can actually put down, and what it costs you to put down less
• ✓Why down payment assistance probably applies to you, even if you think you earn too much
• ✓How a seller credit works and what it does to your monthly payment
• ✓The one test that tells you if a payment is safe for you
• ✓Seven things to do before you tour a single home

From KeysWithCeCe, the Bay Area.