Before you tour
Get ready to buy
You do not need a perfect score or 20% down. You need a file that does not surprise anyone — including you.
What “first-time” actually means
It is not always “I have never owned a house.” Many programs count you as first-time if you have not had an ownership interest in a principal residence for three years. That covers divorces, a house that sold years ago, and people who co-signed for a parent and never lived there — sometimes. We verify the definition that applies, we do not guess from a headline.
FHA does not require first-time status at all. Conventional 3% products and OHFA often do. Tell us the last time your name was on a deed and we will sort it.
Debt-to-income in plain English
Underwriting adds the new house payment — principal, interest, taxes, insurance, mortgage insurance — to the debts that already report: car, cards, student loans, child support. That total is compared to gross monthly income. Overtime, bonuses, and a second job count when they have a history we can document. A brand-new side hustle usually does not.
This is why a new car payment two weeks before you apply is expensive. It is also why we want the student loan story on day one.
Stop doing these
Opening new credit
Furniture cards, a co-signed auto, a store account for a mattress. All of it hits DTI and sometimes the score. Freeze shopping until after keys.
Job hopping mid-file
A raise at the same employer is fine. A brand-new industry with no history can stall the file. Call us before you resign.
Cash deposits you cannot explain
Venmo piles and cash from a relative look like undisclosed loans until we prove they are not. Move gifts early and paper them.
Paying off debt in a scramble
Sometimes it helps. Sometimes it empties the reserves we need at closing. Run the payoff by us first.
Questions
- What counts as a first-time buyer?
- Most assistance programs treat you as first-time if you have not owned a principal residence in the last three years. FHA itself does not require first-time status. OHFA has its own rules and targeted areas. We check the definition that applies to your file.
- What credit score do I need?
- It depends on the program and the rest of the file — reserves, down payment, and debt-to-income. We read the report with you instead of quoting a magic number from a blog.
- How far ahead should I start?
- Sixty days is comfortable. Thirty is workable. Touring this weekend with no letter is how files get rushed and conditions stack up.
Keep reading
More first-time guides
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Paperwork
Documents and where to find them
Paystubs, bank PDFs, tax transcripts, rent history, and how to pull each one without a scavenger hunt.
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The money
Down payment and cash to close
Earnest money, closing costs, seller credits, gifts, and Ohio down payment assistance — one number, not five.
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The payment we count
Student loans and a mortgage
Deferred, income-driven, parent PLUS, and why paying them off mid-file can backfire.
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Income that is not a W-2
Self-employed and 1099 buyers
Two years of returns, add-backs, a current P&L, and why a brand-new LLC does not qualify you overnight.
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Two names
Buying with a partner or parent
Who goes on the loan, who goes on title, occupancy rules, and when a co-signer actually helps.
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The house type
Condos, manufactured, well and septic
Warrantable condos, titled manufactured homes, private well, and septic — what kills a file before the appraisal.
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House hack
Owner-occupied 2–4 units
Live in one unit, rent the others. How FHA and conventional treat rental income on a first purchase.
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Build or buy
New construction vs resale
Builder contracts, rate locks that expire, specs that change, and why a resale file is a different clock.
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The stretch
From offer to keys
Inspections, appraisals, insurance, underwriting conditions, and closing day in this market.
Start here
See where you stand
Call (740) 314-5324 or start the application. Bring student loan balances if you have them.