Skip to content
Kelsie JimenezClient Resources

The Buyer's Starting Line · Utah County

Before you make an offer

The part that happens before the fun part. Get clear, solve your numbers, and get to an accepted offer without falling for a home you cannot actually buy.

Here is what a lot of agents do: they get excited and start touring right away. I do it differently, because I want to protect you from the one thing that actually hurts, falling in love with a home that was never possible. So before we tour a single house, we solve your numbers. Then the search becomes the easy, fun part.

Step One

Know what you actually want.

Before anything else, get honest about what is driving this and what you truly need. When we talk, I will ask you to tell me everything first, because the more you share, the better I can help. Sit with these on your own to start.

Why now? What has you wanting to buy at this point, and what are you leaving, renting, outgrowing, relocating?
Needs versus wants. What does the home have to have, and what would just be nice to have?
Location. Which areas, and what matters most, commute, schools, being near people, land?
Tell me everything. Beds, baths, yard, style, dealbreakers, timeline. Write it down while it is fresh, and we recap together so nothing gets missed.
Step Two

Solve your numbers before you tour.

This is the step most people want to skip, and it is the one that protects you most. A pre-approval is proof you can qualify. If you do not qualify yet, we would much rather find that out now and fix it than after you have fallen for a home. There are really only three numbers that matter, and the list price is not one of them.

Cash to Close
What you actually need on closing day
Interest Rate
What the loan costs you over time
Monthly Payment
What it feels like every month
Start Right Away

Begin your pre-approval

This pins down your three numbers so we shop with confidence instead of guesswork. It only takes a few minutes to start, and we can begin the search at the same time.

Begin your pre-approval →

This is the lender I know and trust, Torin Shelley. You are always free to use any lender you like. I do not receive a fee for the referral, this is simply the fastest way I know to get your numbers solved.

Step Three

Let's make it official.

Before I can show you homes and truly represent you, we sign a Buyer Broker Agreement. It is now a required step, and honestly, it is a good one. It is simply how I go to work for you: it puts your interests first, spells out exactly what I do and what it costs, and makes clear I am on your side of the table.

The BBA, Explained

I walk you through the whole form

Just like my contract walkthrough, I break the Buyer Broker Agreement down in plain language, so you know exactly what you are signing and why it protects you, before you sign a thing.

Watch the BBA walkthrough →
Step Four

We start looking together.

The good news: you do not have to wait for the pre-approval to finish before we start. I begin the search right away, so the two run side by side and you feel real momentum. Then we tour with your numbers set. When we walk a home, I look past the staging, at the roof, the systems, the layout, and the things a fresh coat of paint hides. That is the part I am especially good at catching.

One honest warning: do not fall for the first one before your financing is locked. Excitement is normal. Just keep the numbers in the driver's seat until the pre-approval letter is in hand.

Step Five

Write one that gets accepted.

When you find it, a strong offer is about more than the highest number. Price gets attention, but terms often win the deal.

Your pre-approval letter. This is why we did lending first. A clean, strong letter tells the seller you are real.
Earnest money. Your good-faith deposit. A solid amount signals you are serious.
Contingencies and dates. How you structure due diligence, financing, and settlement timing can matter as much as price.
A clean, simple offer. Sellers love certainty. Fewer complications often beats a slightly higher, messier bid.

The goal is to stand out without overpaying. A well-structured offer at a fair price often beats a higher one that looks shaky. This is exactly where having someone in your corner earns its keep.

Step Six

A quick readiness check.

Work through this before you write an offer. When these are checked, you are in a genuinely strong position to buy.

Ready to Offer Checklist

Check off as you go. Your progress saves on this device.
I know my needs, wants, and target areas
I started my pre-approval
I know my three numbers: cash to close, rate, and monthly payment
We have made it official with a signed agreement
I have my pre-approval letter in hand
I understand what makes an offer strong
Offer Accepted?

Then the real countdown begins.

The moment your offer is accepted, you go under contract, and a whole new set of deadlines starts. I built a full transaction roadmap for exactly that stretch, earnest money, disclosures, due diligence, appraisal, and settlement day.

Open the Transaction Roadmap →
The honest fine print: This page is educational only. It is not legal or lending advice. Reading it does not create an agency, representation, or client relationship until we sign a written agreement, and nothing here obligates you to use any particular lender or service. Loan terms and approval are determined solely by your lender.
Not sure where you land yet?Text me and we'll start together →