Steps to Buying a House in Utah Valley

Buying a home is a BIG deal. Whether it’s your first home, your fifth, you’re moving across the country, or you’ve lived in Utah your entire life, there are a lot of moving pieces that go into getting from “maybe we should buy a house” to holding the keys to one.

And if you’re at the very beginning thinking, I want to buy, but I literally have no idea where to start, you’re not alone.

That’s what I’m here for.

For all of my clients, whether you’re brand new to me or a longtime friend, I like to start with a conversation. I want to know why you’re thinking about moving, what you’re hoping for, what your timeline looks like, and what questions are already running through your head. From there, one of our first moves will usually be connecting you with a lender I love and trust.

I’ve met a lot of really great lenders in this industry, but I’ve also learned that they’re not all the same and the lender who was perfect for one client might not necessarily be the best fit for another. Once I know a little more about you, your goals, and what you’re hoping to accomplish, I can help connect you with someone who fits your situation.

And no, you do NOT need to be ready to buy next week before you call me.

Before We Ever Walk Through a House

Some of my clients reach out when they’re ready to start looking tomorrow. Others are planning six months or even a year ahead. Both are completely fine with me!

If you’re still a ways out, we can start with a buyer consultation. Think of it as your chance to interview me. Ask me the hard questions, tell me what you’re nervous about, and let me show you what working with me and my team actually looks like. We can talk about your timeline, connect you with a lender, and start putting together a game plan long before you need to make an offer.

Getting pre-approved is one of the most helpful things we can do early. Your lender will look at things like your income, employment, credit, debts, and available funds to determine which loan options may work for you and what different price ranges could actually look like as a monthly payment.

And please don’t assume you need perfect credit and 20% down before you’re even allowed to have the conversation! There are many different loan programs, and this is exactly why I want you talking with a knowledgeable lender instead of trying to figure everything out from Google.

I recently worked with buyers moving here from another state and connected them with a lender who specialized in down-payment assistance programs. After looking at their options, we realized their original plan didn't have to be their only plan. Instead of settling for the townhome they thought their budget limited them to, we found them a single-family home with a HUGE backyard for their two little kids—and kept their monthly payment where they wanted it.

THAT is why we start these conversations early.

And just because a lender says you can qualify for a certain amount doesn’t mean that’s what you have to spend. Your monthly comfort level matters. Your lender and I can help you look at the bigger picture, including things like property taxes, HOA fees, mortgage insurance when applicable, and other housing expenses.

Once we decide we’re a good fit, we’ll also put our working relationship in writing with a Buyer-Broker Agreement—or BBA. But don’t worry, we won’t ask for any blood samples!

The easiest way I explain a BBA is that we’re simply putting our relationship into writing. We’ve talked, we jive, and now I’m officially going to be your go-to gal. The agreement lays out things like what you can expect from me, the area and timeframe we’re working within, and how compensation is handled. It doesn’t mean you have to buy a house tomorrow—or at all. It means we both understand our relationship and responsibilities while we work together.

And my job involves a LOT more than opening doors.

Now We Get to Do the Fun Part

I always start by asking my buyers one big question: Why are you moving?

Are you empty nesters? Growing your family? Moving closer to family? Brand new to Utah? Buying your first place together?

Your why tells me which questions I need to ask next.

How many bedrooms do we really need? Is a big entertaining space important? What does your commute look like? Do we need a yard? Would you consider new construction? What about a basement or future ADU? What are the things we absolutely cannot compromise on—and what would simply be nice to have?

We may not be able to check every single box, but the more I get to know you, the better I can distinguish between a “that would be nice” and a “we really need this.”

Then... we go look at houses.

And I absolutely love showing homes.

Before I ever became an agent, my husband and I would spend date nights grabbing whatever our treat of choice was at the time and driving around looking at houses, just DREAMING about what our future could look like. It didn't matter if the house cost millions and was wildly outside anything we could afford—we still had opinions, haha.

And when Parade of Homes rolled around? Suddenly we were professional critics of homes we could only dream of buying.

But somewhere along the way, friends and family started asking me questions about homes and real estate, and all of that knowledge I had gathered “just for fun” started coming to the forefront of my mind. Eventually I decided to get my license so I could give that advice on a professional level, and it has been an addictive blast ever since.

Now I get that same feeling when I'm walking through homes with my clients.

We aren't just counting bedrooms and bathrooms. We're deciding whose room would be whose. We're figuring out where the Christmas tree would go. We're imagining the kids in the backyard and whether everyone can fit around the kitchen island at Thanksgiving.

When we walk through a home together, we dream about your life there, together.

When it comes to scheduling showings, I’ll do everything I can to get us in when you need to. We also try to be mindful of the people currently living there. I have two little kids of my own, and I KNOW what it would take to suddenly get everyone and everything out of my house because someone is “in the neighborhood.” So when possible, I like to give sellers some notice. Other times, the home is vacant or the sellers can accommodate us quickly, and it never hurts to ask.

And then eventually, we walk into one that feels different.

When “I Like This One” Turns Into “I Want This One”

When you finally find the one, that’s where another kind of fun begins for me.

Before we throw a number on a piece of paper, I do my homework.

I’ll look at relevant recent sales, how long the home has been on the market, price changes, and other information that can help us understand the property and current market. I’ll communicate with the listing agent to learn what I can about the seller’s priorities and whether we may be competing with other offers.

Then you and I talk through the offer together, because there is SO much more to an offer than purchase price.

We’ll discuss earnest money, contract deadlines, potential closing-cost contributions, settlement timing, and other terms that matter to your situation. My job is never to pressure you into offering a specific number. My job is to give you the information and strategy you need to make a decision you feel confident about.

This applies to new construction too—and Utah County has a LOT of it.

There are so many builders and communities here, and different builders can be a great fit for completely different buyers. I’ll always encourage you to bring me along and look at your options.

The sales agents at model homes can be incredible to work with, but they work for the builder. I represent YOU.

I can help compare builders and communities, figure out what’s included versus an upgrade, look at available incentives, keep track of deadlines, attend walkthroughs, and ask the questions you may not even know to ask yet. I’ve recently worked on deals involving Oakwood Homes in Lehi and EDGEhomes in Saratoga Springs, including navigating rates, incentives, and concessions.

And this is one reason you want to call me before casually popping into every model home in Utah County. Some builders have specific policies regarding when an outside buyer’s agent must be registered or involved, so bringing me in from the beginning can matter.

Whether we're buying brand-new or an existing home, once that offer gets accepted, things start moving FAST.

Suddenly we have earnest money, due diligence, inspections, financing, appraisal, title work, and contract deadlines all moving at the same time.

Consider me your traffic control.

We'll make sure your earnest money is handled according to the contract, get the inspection scheduled, and work through your due-diligence period while your lender continues working toward final loan approval.

And then comes the inspection report.

First-time buyers: do not panic when you see how long it is.

An inspector's job is to find things. Even a beautiful, well-maintained home can come back with pages of notes. My job is to help you look at the bigger picture. Is this normal home-maintenance stuff, or is this something we need to investigate further?

I've had clients fall in love with a home that looked perfect from the outside, only for the inspection to uncover deeper issues than they were comfortable taking on. It wasn't the news we wanted that day, but ultimately we moved on and found something they loved even MORE—and they were so grateful they did.

Depending on what we find and the terms and deadlines in our contract, we can discuss the options available to you. That may include moving forward, requesting certain repairs or concessions, investigating an issue further, or deciding the home simply isn't the right one.

My goal isn't to convince you to buy a house.

It's to help you feel confident buying your house.

From Under Contract to “Where Are My Keys?!”

While we're working through inspections and due diligence, your lender is hustling behind the scenes too.

They're working through underwriting, verifying financial information, coordinating the appraisal, and getting everything lined up for final loan approval.

And an appraisal is NOT the same thing as an inspection.

The inspection helps you learn about the physical condition of the home. An appraisal provides an independent opinion of the property's value for the lender. If an appraisal comes in lower than needed for the transaction, we look at what our contract says, talk through the options available, and determine how you want to proceed.

Meanwhile, I'm staying in communication with your lender and the listing agent, monitoring our contractual deadlines, helping solve issues as they arise, and keeping you informed about what's coming next.

Then suddenly... we're almost there.

Before closing, we'll do a final walkthrough of the home. You'll be getting homeowners insurance lined up, preparing to transfer utilities, and receiving final instructions from your lender and title company regarding any funds you'll need for closing.

Then it's time to SIGN.

I love working with Novation Title and their team because they help make this part of the process feel so much less intimidating. They'll walk you through the documents you're signing, answer your title-related questions, and then CELEBRATE with you—because you just made a HUGE purchase, and that deserves a celebration!

One thing that catches a lot of first-time Utah buyers off guard, though, is that signing those papers doesn't necessarily mean I can immediately toss you the keys across the closing table.

After settlement, the remaining requirements for closing still need to happen, including the required funds being delivered and the applicable documents being recorded with the county. Once we receive confirmation that the transaction has officially closed, we'll follow the possession terms we agreed to in your contract.

And THEN we get to do the absolute best part of this whole journey.

KEYS!

Finding Your Place in Utah Valley

If I could tell every first-time buyer—or every family wondering if they're ready for their next home—one thing, it would be that this process does not have to be scary.

People worry about the numbers. That's why we connect with a lender early.

People worry they're going to make a decision too quickly. If something feels right, we'll talk about why. If you're not ready and want to keep looking, let's keep looking!

I'm not here to push you across a finish line. I'm here to educate you, be your cheerleader, help you navigate the intimidating parts, and do everything I can to make sure you don't walk away thinking, “Did I just make a huge mistake?”

And getting to do that here means even more to me because Utah Valley is home.

I grew up here. I've spent years driving these streets, watching new communities pop up, wandering through Parade of Homes, and—as previously established—having way too many opinions about houses I had absolutely no intention of buying.

Utah Valley also has SO much variety. We can look at established neighborhoods with mature trees, brand-new communities, larger lots, townhomes, mountain views, and everything in between. Knowing these communities helps me look beyond whether you simply like a house and think about whether the home and area actually fit the life you're trying to build.

That's the part of this job I love.

Every client is looking for something different, and getting to be there when we finally walk into the home that feels like theirs never gets old. Some of my clients have even become lifelong friends along the way.

I grew up here. I love it here. Let me show you why.

And if buying a house is somewhere on your radar—even if it's six months away, a year away, or still just a “maybe someday” thought—please reach out.

You absolutely do not need to have everything figured out before we start talking. In fact, I'd rather you reach out early.

Maybe our first step is connecting you with a lender so you know what to work toward. Maybe we start watching certain neighborhoods and price ranges. Or maybe you just have 700 questions and need somebody you can text when another one pops into your head.

Buying a home is a BIG deal, but you shouldn't feel like you need to become a real estate expert before you're allowed to start.

That's literally what I'm here for, haha.

So if Utah Valley homeownership is somewhere in your future plans, send me a message. There's no pressure to tour houses tomorrow or make an offer next week.

We'll start with a conversation, make a game plan, and when the time comes, you'll already know exactly what your next step is.