Buying your first home can feel like learning an entirely new language while making one of the biggest financial decisions you have ever made.
Preapproval. Earnest money. Escrow. Inspections. Appraisals. Closing costs. Buyer representation. Contingencies.
If you do not know what all of that means yet, that is okay.
You do not need to know how to buy a house before you contact me.
That is part of what our first conversation is for.
My job is to help you understand the real estate side of the process, explain your options as decisions come up, connect you with the appropriate professionals when something falls outside my area of expertise, and give you the information you need to make your own decisions.
You do not have to figure everything out before you start.
Where Do I Even Start?
This is one of the most common questions first-time buyers have.
Do you call a lender first? A REALTOR®? Start looking at houses online? Figure out how much money you need?
You can start with a conversation.
I offer buyer consultations by phone, Zoom or in person, depending on what works best for you.
We will talk about where you are in the process, what you are hoping to accomplish, your general timeline, where you would like to live and what questions you already have.
I will also walk you through what the home-buying process generally looks like so you can see the steps ahead before you are in the middle of them.
You do not have to wait until you understand real estate to ask for help understanding real estate.
Understanding What You Can Afford Comes Before Finding the House
It is easy to start your home search by looking at properties online.
But before we get serious about touring homes, it is important to understand your financing.
If you do not already have a lender, I can provide you with a list of lenders that clients have worked with and had good experiences with. Working with a knowledgeable local lender can also be helpful because they are familiar with our market and the way local transactions work.
Your lender, not your real estate agent, is the appropriate professional to advise you about:
Loan options
Qualification requirements
Down-payment requirements
Interest rates
Credit
Assistance programs that may be available
Your estimated monthly payment
Your financing costs
Financial decisions that could affect your loan
There is not one loan program or down-payment strategy that is right for every first-time buyer.
Your lender can look at your actual financial circumstances and explain the options available to you.
My role is to stay focused on the real estate side of your purchase and work with your lender as we move through the transaction.
That relationship remains important after you are preapproved. Friends, family, coworkers and social media may all have advice for you, but when it comes to decisions that could affect your financing, talk with your lender before making significant financial changes or taking on new debt.
Your lender knows your particular financing and can tell you what may affect it. I stay in my lane and handle the real estate side of your transaction, and I want the other professionals involved in your purchase doing the same.
We Will Talk About More Than Bedrooms and Bathrooms
Once we understand your financing, we can start building your home search.
But I do not believe in simply entering a price range, number of bedrooms and city into the MLS and calling that a personalized search.
We will talk about what actually matters to you.
That may include:
Location
Commute
Property type
Monthly budget
Must-haves
Deal-breakers
Yard or outdoor space
Pets
Garage or shop needs
HOA preferences
Neighborhood versus rural living
Well and septic versus public utilities
Acreage
Waterfront
Future plans for the property
Then I will create a personalized property search based on what we discussed.
As you start seeing homes, your priorities may change. That is normal too.
Sometimes you do not know how important something is, or is not, until you have actually walked through a few houses.
Your home search can evolve as you learn more about the market and what you really want rather than forcing you into a checklist you created before you had enough information.
Before We Start: Understanding Buyer Representation
Before providing brokerage services, we will also talk about the Buyer Brokerage Services Agreement, often called the BBSA.
If you have never bought a home before, being asked to sign an agreement with a real estate broker may be completely unfamiliar.
The BBSA establishes how you and your real estate broker will work together.
Among other important terms, we will review the services being provided, the geographic area covered by the agreement, how long the agreement lasts and broker compensation.
I do not expect you to simply sign it because someone puts it in front of you.
We will go through the agreement, and you can ask questions before signing.
It is also important to understand that seller-paid buyer-broker compensation can vary from one property to another. The compensation agreed to between you and me in our Buyer Brokerage Services Agreement remains our agreement. What may vary is whether and how much a seller is offering toward that compensation for a particular property.
We will discuss that when it is relevant so you understand how a property’s seller-paid compensation may affect you before deciding how you would like to proceed.
The goal is for you to understand who is representing you, what you have agreed to and how compensation works before you are making decisions about a particular house.
What Happens When We Start Looking at Homes?
I will personally show you the properties you are considering and help you look beyond what attracted you to the listing online.
First-time buyers sometimes feel like they should already know what they are looking at.
You do not.
That is part of the process.
As we tour homes, we will pay attention to the property as a whole and identify questions that may need additional investigation.
Depending on the home, that could involve the age or apparent condition of major systems, well and septic considerations, acreage, easements, HOA information or other property-specific issues.
I am not the home inspector, septic professional, electrician, lender, attorney or other specialist, and I will not pretend to be.
When something requires expertise outside my role, we will identify the appropriate professional or source of information.
You do not have to know every question to ask before you have ever owned a home. Part of my job is helping you recognize when we need more information.
You Found a House You Love. Now What?
Finding the house is exciting.
This is also where first-time buyers can suddenly feel pressure because there are now real decisions to make.
Before you write an offer, I will walk you through the offer and explain the terms and options that are relevant to that property and the current market.
We will look at available information about the property, the market activity and the circumstances we know about.
Then we will discuss strategy.
A competitive offer is not necessarily about offering the most money or giving away every protection.
The right strategy depends on the property, the market and what you are comfortable with.
I will give you information and recommendations.
You make the decisions.
That is an important distinction throughout the entire purchase.
What Is Earnest Money?
Earnest money is a good-faith deposit you make after you and the seller reach an agreement. It shows the seller that you are serious about purchasing the home.
The amount, when it is due and where it will be deposited are all part of the purchase agreement, so we will review those details before you sign your offer.
If the transaction moves successfully through its contingencies and closes, your earnest money is generally credited back to you at closing and applied toward the funds you owe, such as your down payment or closing costs.
There are circumstances where a transaction may not close, and what happens to the earnest money will depend on the terms of the purchase agreement. That is one reason it is important to understand the contingencies and deadlines in your contract.
You do not need to figure this out on your own. I will explain how the earnest money works with the particular offer you are making before you sign it.
What Happens After My Offer Is Accepted?
This is the part of buying a home many first-time buyers have never seen.
Finding the house and getting an offer accepted is actually just the beginning of the transaction.
While every purchase can be different, your path may look something like this:
Buyer Consultation → Financing/Preapproval → Buyer Brokerage Services Agreement → Personalized Home Search → Showings → Offer → Mutual Acceptance → Earnest Money → Inspection & Due Diligence → Financing/Appraisal as Applicable → Title & Escrow → Final Walkthrough & Signing → Closing
There are deadlines, documents and moving pieces throughout the transaction, but you do not need to manage all of them on your own.
I have a support team that helps me keep the transaction organized and moving forward from mutual acceptance through closing. We work together behind the scenes while also coordinating with your lender, title, escrow and other professionals involved in your purchase.
I will continue communicating with you about what is happening, what is coming next and when there is a decision you need to make.
The goal is to make the process as organized and seamless as possible for you while making sure you remain informed along the way.
What Happens During the Home Inspection?
A home inspection is intended to give you more information about the condition of the property.
Homes, especially existing homes, are rarely perfect.
A home inspection may identify small maintenance items, larger concerns or issues that deserve evaluation by another professional.
The home inspector provides information about the condition of the home.
I help you understand the real estate contract and the options available to you under your agreement.
Then you decide what you are comfortable with and how you would like to proceed.
The answer will not necessarily be the same for every buyer or every property.
We look at the actual information and your contractual options so you can make an informed decision.
How Much Money Do I Actually Need to Buy My First Home?
This is a better question than simply asking, “How much is the down payment?”
There can be several different expenses involved in purchasing a home.
Depending on your particular transaction, those may include things such as:
Down payment
Earnest money
Home inspection
Appraisal or other lender-related costs
Closing costs
Prepaid items associated with your financing
Moving expenses
Immediate homeownership expenses after closing
Not every buyer will have the same expenses, and some costs may be structured differently depending on the loan and transaction.
Your lender is the best source for your financing numbers.
We will also review the real-estate-related costs that apply to the property and offer you are considering.
The goal is to look beyond the purchase price so you have a better understanding of the financial pieces involved before closing day arrives.
Buying Your First Home in Stanwood, Camano Island or the Surrounding Area
Buying in Northwest Washington can also mean encountering property types and systems you have never dealt with before.
Depending on where you are looking, you may find homes with:
Private wells
Septic systems
Acreage
Shops and outbuildings
Equestrian features
Waterfront or water access
Easements
HOAs
Other property-specific considerations
You do not need to become an expert in all of those things before buying your first home.
You do need to recognize when something deserves additional investigation.
I have experience with rural, acreage, waterfront and equestrian properties and can help you identify questions and bring in the appropriate professionals when needed.
Learn More About Waterfront & Acreage Properties
What First-Time Buyers Have Said
★★★★★
“We had an absolutely amazing experience working with Tricia Jacobs in the Arlington/Stanwood area. From start to finish, she was incredibly attentive to our needs and made the entire process feel smooth and stress-free—especially as first-time homebuyers.
Tricia went above and beyond to guide and coach us through every step. She was always available—answering our phone calls day or night, seven days a week—and was 100% supportive throughout the entire process. She truly had our best interests in mind and helped calm our fears on many occasions as we navigated purchasing our first home. What really stood out was how hard she worked to find us the perfect property. She listened to everything we wanted and didn’t stop until she found a place that checked all the boxes.
Our new home has exactly what we were looking for—space for our horses and dogs, plus the shop I’ve been wanting for my woodworking projects. It honestly couldn’t be a better fit for our lifestyle.
She is hands down the best realtor we’ve worked with in the Snohomish and Skagit County areas.
We’re so grateful for everything Tricia did for us and would 100% recommend her to anyone looking to buy or sell a home. She’s the best!”
Jeremiah Swihart, First-Time Home Buyer | Google Review
★★★★★
“Tricia was absolutely wonderful to work with! From start to finish she was professional, knowledgeable, responsive, and genuinely invested in helping us find the right home. As first time homebuyers she made what could’ve been a stressful process feel smooth and manageable. We couldn’t have asked for a better real estate agent and would highly recommend Tricia to anyone looking to buy or sell a home!”
Emma, First-Time Home Buyer
Why My Experience Matters to You
I am Tricia Jacobs, a Managing Broker and REALTOR® with RE/MAX Gateway and an Accredited Buyer’s Representative (ABR®).
I was originally licensed in Washington in 1992 and have called Stanwood home since 2001. My real estate background includes residential sales as well as approximately 30 years of property management experience.
I am also a RE/MAX Hall of Fame Managing Broker and was voted Best Real Estate Agent in Stanwood & Camano Island in 2025 and 2026.
But credentials only matter if they benefit you.
For a first-time buyer, experience means I understand that what feels routine to someone who works in real estate every day may be completely new to you.
I do not expect you to already know the process.
Ask the question.
If I know the answer and it falls within my expertise, I will explain it.
If your lender, home inspector, title company, escrow officer or another professional is the appropriate person to answer it, I will tell you that too.
The goal is for you to have reliable information from the right sources so you can make decisions about your first home with a better understanding of what you are doing and why.
Frequently Asked Questions From First-Time Home Buyers
Should I talk to a REALTOR® or lender first?
Either conversation can be a reasonable starting point.
If you contact me before you have spoken with a lender, I can provide you with a list of lenders other clients have worked with and had good experiences with.
Before we seriously begin touring homes, however, understanding your financing is important. Your lender can help you determine what you are qualified to borrow and what the estimated financial picture may look like.
Do I need 20% down to buy my first home?
Not necessarily.
Down-payment requirements vary depending on the financing being used.
Rather than relying on a generic percentage, talk with your lender about the loan options available to you and the advantages, disadvantages and costs associated with each.
What credit score do I need to buy a house?
Credit requirements vary by loan type and individual circumstances.
Your lender is the appropriate person to review your credit and financing options and explain what applies to you.
Does getting preapproved mean I have to buy a house?
Getting preapproved and deciding to purchase a particular home are separate decisions.
A lender can explain what is involved in the preapproval process and how long their preapproval is valid.
From the real estate side, we will move at a pace that makes sense for your goals and circumstances.
How many houses should I see before making an offer?
There is not a magic number.
Some buyers find the right property quickly. Others need to see more homes before they understand what they really want.
Seeing homes can actually help refine your priorities.
I would rather have your search become more focused as you learn than pressure you to buy because you have supposedly seen “enough” houses.
What happens if the appraisal is different from the purchase price?
An appraisal is generally part of the lender’s process when financing is involved.
What happens if there is an appraisal issue depends on your financing, contract terms and circumstances of the transaction.
If it happens, your lender and I each address the portions that fall within our respective roles, and we will help you understand your options.
Do I need a Buyer Brokerage Services Agreement?
Washington buyers should expect their relationship with their real estate broker to be established in a written services agreement.
We will review the Buyer Brokerage Services Agreement together, including important terms such as services, geographic area, duration and compensation, and I will answer your questions before you sign it.
You Do Not Have to Be Ready to Buy Before We Talk
Maybe you are ready to get preapproved and start looking now.
Maybe you think you would like to buy six months from now.
Or maybe you are wondering whether buying is even realistic for you yet.
You do not need to figure that out before contacting me.
We can start with a conversation about where you are, what you are trying to accomplish and what questions you have.
If the next step is talking with a lender, we will know that.
If you are ready to begin searching, we will build your personalized search.
And if you discover you are not ready yet, you will have a better understanding of what you may need to do next.
Schedule a First-Time Home Buyer Consultation
Tricia Jacobs | Managing Broker / REALTOR®RE/MAX Gateway360-223-1100triciajacobs@remax.nettriciajacobsrealtor.com