Call or Text Kelly Vandever | 770.597.1108 | REALTOR® | License # 391485

Planning Ahead to Buy Your First House

buying a home in 2026 buying real estate home buying home buying process home buying tips Apr 14, 2026

How much money do you need to buy a house? I find that many first time home buyers are aware that they need a down payment to buy a house. But they aren't familiar with the other expenses of buying a house.

Here's a list that you'll need to plan for when buying a house and about how much it will cost in the state of Georgia:

1. Down Payment

The amount you need as a down payment can vary. There are first time homebuyer programs that allow you to put down as little at 3.5% or 5% of the sales price of the home.

For qualified veterans, the VA has a 0% down program.

Talk to your favorite real estate agent to get a list of their most trusted lenders who can help you find what program(s) you qualify for.

2. Earnest Money

Earnest money* is an amount that you provide when you go under contract when you get an offer accepted to purchase a property. That money will be applied to the down payment, but I like to let clients know that they will need to be able to ...

The Home Offer Process: How Long It Takes & What to Expect

home buying process home buying tips making an offer on a house real estate offers Mar 05, 2025

The Offer

You have been searching for that perfect home, and it looks like you found it. Now is time to put in your offer. And wait…

How Long Does It Take for an Offer on a House to Be Accepted?

There's a super easy answer to that question, but there are also some nuances to go along with it.

First, what's the simple answer?

On or before the time limit when the offer expires.

Let me elaborate:

Whenever you submit an offer on a house, you put an expiration date and time for that offer. In other words, you give the homeowner a deadline by which they need to make a decision. If the homeowner is interested in your offer, they'll either sign the contract and send it back to you, or they may send you a counteroffer. Either way, they're going to respond to your offer on or before the expiration date and time on your offer.

Now for the Nuanced Answer: It Depends

In actuality, the better answer, like so many things in life, is more nuanced. And in reality, the dependenc...