5 Things to do THIS WEEK if You Want to Buy a Home in 2026

If you want to buy a home in 2026, here are 5 actionable steps you can take THIS WEEK.

It's very important to note, as a homebuyer, you need to give yourself 3-6 months of prep time before pullling the trigger. The main reason for this, is because the last thing ANYONE wants to do is make a bad investment or move into a home, having spent 100's of thousands of dollars, and realizing they dont even like it. Real estate IS NOT a liquid asset. You cannot just buy a home and then sell it if you dont like it, you cannot lemon law it. So you need to be very careful and very smart about it! While these 5 things are things you can do this week, this is only the very beginning of a 3-6 month process if you do this correctly.

NOTE: It's probably best to chat with your trusted real estate advisor for roughly 15-30 min, they can help you complete these 5 tasks VERY QUICKLY.

1) Know your rough budget (15 minutes)

Knowing your budget is almost ALWAYS the very first step in searching for a home. However, before you even fill out a loan application, run credit, or anything, you can get an idea of your rough budget and start having a goal to work towards. THIS DOES NOT NEGATE THE NEED FOR A PREAPPROVAL. Getting pre-approved is still required at the start of the process. Here's how you get a rough idea of your budget:

- take the total monthly income for everyone on the loan (husband/wife, you alone, you and a cosigner, etc.) and divide it by 50%

- reduce any monthly debt obligations from that amount (EX: $300/month car payment)

- That amount left is going to be roughly what the bank will allow for your total monthly mortgage payment. 

- Reverse engineer: there are tons of resources out there so you can reverse engineer your mortgage payment to see what you'd ualify for. However, if you want to skip the hard work, call me or whoever you trust as a realtor. 

Based on this, you can come up with an expected down payment and closing costs. For first time home buyers, you can usually get in the door with as little as 3-5% down payment (this is based on the purchase price). Closing costs are roughly 3% of the purchase price as well. Add these 2 estimates together to get an idea of what you will need in hand to make the purchase! Keep in mind, as a buyer, you can negotiate the seller to pay your closing costs! Once you've done this, now you have an end goal to work towards. Now, make sure you also have an emergency budget planned, this way if anything happens AFTER buying that home, you are fully prepared!

What to do: Estimate what you comfortably want to pay per month (not just what a bank might approve).
Why it matters: Your monthly payment drives your price range more than anything.
Quick tip: Write down:

• Monthly comfort payment: $____

• Down payment goal: $____

• Emergency savings after closing: $____

2) Pull your credit and clean up 1–2 items

Credit is tricky! We can usually only base our knowledge on what Credit Karma says, or maybe what Experian says. So unless you are willing and able to pay to pull a full credit report, you can only guess what score the bank is going to use (pro tip: usually they pick the middle score once they pull your credit report). One rule of thumb is that the better your credit the better chance you have at getting a lower rate. However, the rates based on credit score are in brackets. A 640 score isn't going to get much better of a rate than 630. Don't focus too much on your credit score, as long as you are over a 580. 

What to do: Check your credit and look for obvious fixes (errors, high balances, small collections).
Why it matters: Even small changes can improve your loan options.
Action step: Choose one thing to do today:

• Pay down a card to under 30% utilization

• Dispute an error

• Set all bills to autopay

3) Get a “starting point” pre-approval conversation

Now you've gotten your rough budget in your head, you've looked at your credit and realize what you do or dont need to do, the next thing is to have a consult call with a trusted mortgage professional. Honestly, if you want to skip this step for now you can. I always chat with my home buyers first, give them an idea of what to expect, so they don't waste time talking to someone about the exact same things and get asked to fill out an application they wont even use yet. With all that said, talking to a lender is a far more detailed conversation, and definitely a wise choice for a first time home buyer especially. 

What to do: Talk with a lender—not to commit, just to get a plan.
Why it matters: You’ll learn what you potentially qualify for and what to improve if you’re not there yet.
What to ask:

• “What price range makes sense with my comfort payment?”

• “What’s the fastest way to improve my approval?”

• “How much cash should I keep aside after closing?”

4) Build your “must-have vs nice-to-have” list

This is one of the most important pieces of your home search, as you can imagine. But it is very important to really understand the difference between "wants" and "needs". Needs are crucial to have in your home, almost non-negotiables. Wants, are just things that would be nice to have, things you can add on or change to later, or things that are not crucial to your life or lifestyle. I always tell my buyers when looking for a home, focus on the things you cannot change. You can't pick up a home and move it somewhere else, at least not yet, so location is very important. Most times, you can't make the footprint of the house bigger, sometimes you can add on or expand, but a lot of times you can't. You can change countertops, paint, flooring, anything cosmetic. Heck, you can even add a pool, add a patio, or redesign the floorplan in some cases. Make a list of the absolute MUST HAVES and a list of the WANTS and somewhere in the middle you will find the hidden gem you didn't know existed. 

What to do: Make a short list before you fall in love with a random listing.
Why it matters: It prevents expensive emotional decisions.
Example:
Must-haves: ___ beds, ___ baths, location: ___, max commute: ___
Nice-to-haves: pool, upgraded kitchen, big yard, etc.

5) Start watching ONE neighborhood consistently

This is great, not only for you, but for your real estate agent as well. As mentioned, you can't move a house from one location to another, so it is important to keep your eye on the neighborhoods or cities you want to be in. Your realtor should be able to set you up on a personalized home search to keep you in tune with the market, and the type of homes you are looking for. But before you even get to that step, if you pick 2-4 houses in the neighborhoods and cities you like, and send them to your agent, they can help you determine which one's are good options FOR YOU and which ones are not. They can also give you insight on some things you may have overlooked. This will help them know what you want and need, as well as help them guide you in the right direction!

What to do: Pick one area and track what’s listed and what’s selling.
Why it matters: You’ll recognize a good deal instantly when it hits.
Action step: Write down:

• Neighborhood/city: ____

• Target price range: $–$

• 3 homes you like and why: ____

Conclusion

Buying a home can be one of the most stressful and biggest decisions of your life. A lot of people get overwhelmed by the idea and just keep holding off on it, but if you break it down into simple steps, you can make it very achievable and very easy to do! If you do these five things, you’ll be in a stronger position—whether you buy in 2 weeks or 6 months. If you want, I can help you turn your budget + wish list into a realistic game plan and send you a short list of homes that match what you actually want.

If you’re not sure where you stand, I’ll help you map out the next best step—no pressure.