Months 1-3
Foundation (pre-LO)
Pull credit reports. Drop card utilization. Open dedicated savings account. Take Three Pillars assessment. This is the highest-leverage period and most buyers skip it. Don't.
Buying Timeline · realistic week-by-week
Six months minimum.
Twelve is normal.
Most buyers take 6-12 months from 'I want to buy' to keys. Here's the realistic timeline — what happens when, what slows people down, and how to compress it without losing.
· The realistic timeline
Five phases.
Honest timeframes.
Months 3-6
Pre-approval + readiness
Gather doc stack. Get real pre-approval from a network LO. Map DPA programs. Build the budget. By end of this phase you know your number AND have a written pre-approval letter.
Months 6-10
Active search
Tour 3-5 houses per weekend max. Driving by twice. Writing offers. Most buyers find their house in 1-3 offers. Some markets stretch this.
Months 10-11
Under contract (30 days)
Inspection within 72 hours of acceptance. Appraisal in week 2. Underwriting throughout. Document responses within 24 hours. CTC issued day 25-28.
Month 12
Closing day + move
Two-hour closing. Wire confirmed by phone. Keys handed over. Move-in. The end of the buying timeline = the start of ownership.
· Watch-outs
Four ways
buyers slow themselves down.
Pitfall 01
Skipping foundation phase.
Going straight to LO without prep = pre-approval at suboptimal terms. The 90 days you 'save' costs you 30 points on credit + 0.5% on rate.
Pitfall 02
Touring too many houses.
More than 5/weekend = decision fatigue. Houses blur. Burn out hits at house #25. Pace yourself.
Pitfall 03
Slow document responses.
Underwriting is a conveyor belt. Same-day responses keep deals moving. 24+ hour delays compound.
Pitfall 04
Believing 'I'll buy when rates drop.'
Rates dropping creates buying competition. The advantage you wait for becomes the advantage everyone else also wants. Buy when YOU are ready, refi when rates cooperate.
Six to twelve months.
Start the clock today.
Five minutes for the Three Pillars assessment. Tells you exactly where in the timeline you are.