Ready before you fall in love with a house.

Most buyers start by looking at houses. It feels like the fun part, so it's natural. The trouble is that the house you fall for in week one is often the one you aren't ready to write an offer on, and in Greater Peoria the best homes don't wait for you to catch up.

I start somewhere else. Before we tour anything, you'll know what you can really spend, what it costs to own a home here (including Illinois property taxes), and what it takes to win the kind of home you want. Then we search with a plan, write offers that compete without giving up your protections, and walk from contract to keys with an update at every step.

It comes down to four parts:

• Ready. Your financing and our agreement in place before the first showing.
• Educated. The real costs and the real market, before you fall in love.
• Aligned. A search built around how you want to live, not everything on the market.
• Locked. A strong, clean offer, and a calm path to closing.

Whether this is your first home or your first move in thirty years, you don't need to know how any of this works yet. That's my job.

This is the step that saves people months. Before you fall in love with anything, we look at what your budget actually buys in the towns you're considering and what it costs to own a home once you're in it.

In Illinois, that conversation always includes property taxes. Taxes here can change your monthly payment as much as the interest rate does, and two similar homes in neighboring towns can carry very different tax bills. Many homeowners also qualify for exemptions they never apply for. I'll show you which ones may apply to you. Amounts and rules can change, so always confirm with your county assessor.

We'll also talk about the market as it really is. The best homes here draw attention fast, and some buyers try to win them by waiving their inspection, piling on earnest money, or asking the seller for nothing. You may not need to do any of that. Being early, being prepared, and writing a smart offer often wins without giving up your protections. Sometimes the right move is a home that needs a little work, because other buyers pass it by.

I'll tell you what I see and what I would do. Then you decide what you're comfortable with.

When you find the one, I'll lay out your options for the offer: price, earnest money, inspections, timing and anything you'd like to ask of the seller. You choose. I'll tell you what I'd do and why. I've written offers in all kinds of situations, and we'll do this together.

Here's how the steps usually work on Peoria-area contracts:

• Earnest money is usually about 1% of the purchase price, though it can be any amount the buyer and seller agree to. More and more often it's held by the title company.
• Inspections (the home inspection, and radon, mold or termite inspections if you choose them) typically have 14 days from the day the contract is signed.
• The appraisal typically has 21 days.
• Closing is usually handled by a title company. Sometimes attorneys are involved as well, often when one of the agents is from outside the area.

The exact terms are set in your contract, and I'll make sure you know every date that matters.

The day your offer is accepted, you'll get a short video from me explaining exactly what happens next. After that you'll hear from me at every milestone. I work directly with your lender, your inspector and the title company, so you're never the one chasing answers. If anything comes up, I'll explain it calmly, with your options, the same day.

I'm not an attorney, so I'm not giving you legal advice. If you wish to seek legal advice, I absolutely advise you to contact an attorney. This page describes how I generally work and is not legal, tax or lending advice.