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A Step-by-Step First Time Buyer's Guide

Buying a home is one of the most exciting milestones of your life. To prepare yourself for this moment, you need to know what to expect during the process. This step-by-step first time buyer’s guide created by our team will help reduce the stress of buying a home and help you enjoy the journey as much as possible.

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Step 1: Get Curious

Do you already know your dream neighborhood—or are you still scoping out the area? Whether you’re leaning toward a chunk of land, cozy cabin, a home in town, or a family-friendly farmhouse, now’s the time to explore. What features light you up? What’s a dealbreaker? Start poking around listings, asking questions, exploring the different areas, and noticing price shifts. Trends and patterns tell a story—and the more you learn now, the more confident you’ll feel when it’s go time.

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Step 2: Know Your Numbers

Before you get hypnotized by granite countertops and lakefront views, let’s talk budget. Not what the bank says you can spend—but what you’re actually comfortable spending. Pre-approvals often stretch higher than your happy place. So build a full picture: your income, expenses, lifestyle, and all those “extras” that come with homeownership—like property taxes, insurance, utilities, and snow removal (yes, even that). Trust us, your future self will thank you.

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Step 3: Prequalify Like a Pro

Here’s the deal—your dream home might be dreamy, but if your financing isn’t solid, it could slip right through your fingers. Before you get emotionally attached to that view or barn, check in with a mortgage pro. They'll look at your credit, job history, and financial situation to tell you what you actually qualify for. Need help? We can recommend our favourite all-star lenders. Bonus: Sellers take you way more seriously when you’ve got that prequalification in hand.

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Step 4: Partner with a Pro

Can you buy a home without an agent? Sure. Can you also cut your own bangs or build IKEA furniture without the instructions? Yep—but why make it harder than it needs to be? A great agent (hi, that’s us 👋) will guide you through the search, the showings, the paperwork, and the whole wild ride. We know the local market like the back of our hand, and we’re here to help you avoid the potholes. You bring the vision—we’ll bring the strategy, support, and a little bit of house-hunting magic.

Our goal is to provide you with the most personalized service that is designed to help you buy your dream home

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Step 5: Start House Hunting!

This is the fun part—but also where buyers can quickly feel overwhelmed. With your wishlist in hand and budget dialed in, we’ll start touring properties that match your goals (not just your dreams). We’ll help you evaluate each one with a clear eye and guide you through the pros and cons so you can make confident, informed decisions. Bonus: We also help protect you from falling in love with a money pit or that one listing with "cozy charm" a.k.a. wonky floors and a pack rat roommate.

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Step 6: Make an Offer

Found the one? We’ll help you write a strong, strategic offer based on market data, property condition, and your personal goals. This includes advising on price, possession dates, subjects (aka conditions like financing or inspection), and more. If there’s competition, we’ll talk game plan. If there’s room to negotiate, we’ll flex those skills.

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Step 7: Due Diligence & Subject Removal

Once your offer is accepted (yay!), we enter the subject period—this is your chance to inspect the home, finalize your financing, and do any other due diligence before fully committing. We’ll help you manage timelines, get trusted pros lined up, and make sure everything checks out before removing subjects and making it official.

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Step 8: Closing Day Prep

After subjects are removed, the countdown to keys is on! We’ll guide you through the pre-closing steps: coordinating with your lender and lawyer, booking your movers, finalizing insurance, setting up utilities, and preparing for possession day. There might be a few butterflies, but we’ve got your back every step of the way.

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Step 9: Move In & Celebrate!

It’s possession day! 🎉 Whether you’re doing a full reno or just unpacking that first box of dishes, we’ll be here to celebrate your big win and answer any lingering questions. And no, our relationship doesn’t end here—we want to be your go-to for anything home-related now and in the future.

Congratulations!

After signing the final paperwork to complete the purchase, you are now the owner of a new house. It may take a few days for your loan to be funded once the paperwork has been returned to the lender, but once that check is delivered to the seller, you’ll be all set to move into the home of your dreams.

From Listed to Sold—Our Client Wins

Lyle is a super honest and genuine guy who is out there to make your house sale or purchase a great experience for you. He cares about your needs and doing the right thing to make your decision for change as perfect as possible. Your needs become his, and he is out there to help you meet them!

— Arlene R.

From Listed to Sold—Our Client Wins

Lyle was amazing to work with through the purchase of our home. He found exactly what we were looking for! He made the process easier with all his genuine effort to make it a smooth process! Thanks Lyle!

— Amy T.

From Listed to Sold—Our Client Wins

We enjoyed working with Lyle to find the perfect house for our family. He went above any expectations we may have had. Lyle is a great guy, easy to work with, and maintains a high level of professionalism. Would recommend Lyle to anyone out there looking to buy their next home.

— Ross D.

From Listed to Sold—Our Client Wins

Lyle is a great guy, going above and beyond the necessary. He was always available and helpful when closing the deal on our house, and what a beautiful basket of goodies he and his wife left for us in our new home! I would definitely recommend Lyle if you are looking to sell your home or purchase a new one.

— Shirley E.

From Listed to Sold—Our Client Wins

An absolute pleasure dealing with Danita. Hard working, dedicated, and so in touch with what we wanted. Thanks for everything you did for us.

— Tim H.

From Listed to Sold—Our Client Wins

My parents made the mistake of trying to deal with another real estate agent, who sat on their listing for over a year, and didn't care to explain what was going on or what the delay was. He just didn't care. We found Danita, and within two weeks, she had an offer within 5k of my parents' selling price. They just recently closed and moved. Thank you so much, Danita! You took the time to take great pictur...

— Susanna N.

From Listed to Sold—Our Client Wins

We would not have sold our property without the extra effort put in by Danita. She was knowledgeable about the market, accommodating, and honest with us throughout the entire process. We would highly recommend Danita to assist with the sale of any recreational property. Thank you, Danita, for all your assistance.

— Doug R.

From Listed to Sold—Our Client Wins

Danita is an awesome realtor! She is honest and knowledgeable within her scope of work. In other words, she’s the go-to person for any of your real estate needs. Even she and her truck “Bertha” match that Cariboo lifestyle with the Black Dodge Longhorn!

— Gary G.

From Listed to Sold—Our Client Wins

Danita is a great realtor who can help get you into the house you're dreaming of! She goes above and beyond and works really hard to make you happy and feel like you're the most important! I definitely recommend Danita for your next sale or buy!

— Jan B.

From Listed to Sold—Our Client Wins

Danita was an absolute dream to work with! From the very beginning, she took the time to truly understand our vision for a farm property and found us the perfect place to bring our dreams to life. Her deep local knowledge of the best areas for raising kids, farming, and keeping horses made the entire process smooth and stress-free. Beyond just being a fantastic realtor, Danita was our first friend in the...

— Katey M.

Guiding You Home, Every Step of the Way

With Your Cariboo Home Team, you get more than a transaction. You get local expertise, honest advice, and real people who genuinely care — today, tomorrow, and ten years from now.