First-time · The house
The program can love the buyer and still refuse the property. Check the house type before you spend inspection money.
Warrantable versus not is a project review, not a vibe. HOA questionnaires, owner-occupancy mix, pending litigation, and commercial space all matter. FHA and conventional have different project lists. Send the address. Do not write “FHA” into an offer on a building we have not cleared.
HUD tags, foundation, and whether the home is real property or still on a title. Many first-time buyers in Jefferson, Licking, and Tuscarawas look at these. They close. They do not close on the same checklist as a 1920 stick-built. Tell us it is manufactured on the first call.
Common outside Newark, around Burgettstown, and on township ground that maps USDA. Water potability and septic inspection are part of the file, not a surprise the week of closing. Budget the tests in the contract timeline.
A pre-approval on a stick-built in Heath does not automatically cover a condo in Granville or a titled home in the township. One sentence in a text — “this one is on a well” — saves a rewrite.
Keep reading
Before you tour
What “first-time buyer” means, how debt-to-income works, and what to stop doing 60 days out.
Paperwork
Paystubs, bank PDFs, tax transcripts, rent history, and how to pull each one without a scavenger hunt.
The money
Earnest money, closing costs, seller credits, gifts, and Ohio down payment assistance — one number, not five.
The payment we count
Deferred, income-driven, parent PLUS, and why paying them off mid-file can backfire.
Income that is not a W-2
Two years of returns, add-backs, a current P&L, and why a brand-new LLC does not qualify you overnight.
Two names
Who goes on the loan, who goes on title, occupancy rules, and when a co-signer actually helps.
House hack
Live in one unit, rent the others. How FHA and conventional treat rental income on a first purchase.
Build or buy
Builder contracts, rate locks that expire, specs that change, and why a resale file is a different clock.
The stretch
Inspections, appraisals, insurance, underwriting conditions, and closing day in this market.
Start here
If it is a condo, manufactured, well, or septic, say so when you call (740) 314-5324.