You want to buy a house.

Not necessarily tomorrow.

But...

Eventually.

So what's the plan?

For a lot of renters, it looks something like this:

Step 1: Keep renting.

Step 2: Look at houses online at midnight.

Step 3: Say, “Maybe next year.”

Step 4: Renew lease.

Step 5: Repeat.

😂

Let's build a better plan.

Because you don't need to wait until your lease is almost over to start preparing for homeownership.

In fact:

The best time to build your home-buying plan may be while you're still comfortably renting.

Here's how.

---

Step 1: Start With Your Lease Expiration Date

Before we talk about credit.

Before we talk about houses.

Before we talk about mortgage rates.

I want one date:

When does your lease end?

That's the anchor for everything else.

If your lease expires in:

12 months

our plan looks different than if it expires in:

90 days.

Knowing the date helps us work backward.

---

Don't Just Know the Expiration Date

Actually read the lease.

Look for provisions regarding:

Required notice

Renewal

Month-to-month terms

Move-out requirements

and other relevant obligations.

Don't assume that because your lease says:

“Ends June 30”

you don't need to do anything until June 30.

Your agreement may require earlier action.

---

Step 2: Figure Out What You're Actually Paying to Rent

What's your rent?

Sounds easy.

But let's calculate the real number.

Suppose your apartment advertises:

Rent: $1,750

But you're also paying:

Pet rent: $50

Parking: $75

Trash/amenity fees: $45

Now you're actually spending:

$1,920 per month.

That's the number I care about.

---

Why Does Your Actual Rent Matter?

Because eventually we're going to compare:

What you're spending now

with

What owning might realistically cost.

Not because owning must be cheaper.

It might not be.

We just want to understand the difference.

---

Step 3: Decide What Monthly Payment Feels Comfortable

This is one of the most important parts of your entire game plan.

Don't start with:

“What's the maximum house I can qualify for?”

Start with:

“What housing payment would fit comfortably into my life?”

Those are not the same thing.

---

Think About Your Entire Life

Your house isn't your only expense.

You still have:

Cars

Food

Insurance

Travel

Entertainment

Savings

Debt

and everything else.

You don't want to own a beautiful house...

and then sit inside it every weekend because you're broke.

😂

Your home should fit your life.

Your life shouldn't have to fit your home.

---

Step 4: Talk to a Lender Earlier Than You Think

Here's where renters often wait too long.

They think:

“I'll talk to a lender once I'm ready to buy.”

But how do you know you're ready if you haven't talked to the person evaluating the financing?

Exactly.

A qualified lender can help you understand:

Where you currently stand

Potential financing options

Credit considerations

Debt-to-income considerations

Potential cash requirements

and

What you may need to work on.

---

You're Not Asking for Permission to Buy a House

You're asking for information.

Maybe the lender says:

“You're in a good position.”

Great.

Maybe:

“Give me six months.”

Also great.

Maybe:

“Here are three things I'd work on first.”

Perfect.

Now we have a plan.

---

Step 5: Build Your House Fund

Create a separate savings bucket.

Label it:

🏠 HOUSE

Depending on your transaction, you may eventually need money for things such as:

Down payment

Closing costs

Prepaid expenses

Earnest money

Option fee

Inspection

Moving

and other costs.

You also want money left after closing.

---

Your Goal Isn't to Spend Every Dollar at Closing

If buying the house leaves you with:

$37.18 in your bank account

we probably need to rethink the plan.

😂

Homes need maintenance.

Unexpected expenses happen.

Keeping appropriate reserves is part of responsible homeownership planning.

---

Step 6: Stop Obsessing Over 20% Down

Do you need 20% down?

Not necessarily.

Different financing programs have different requirements.

Depending on your eligibility and lender requirements, potential options can include:

Conventional

FHA

VA

USDA

and certain assistance programs.

For qualified borrowers, some programs may allow significantly less than 20% down.

---

Military and VA Buyers 🇺🇸

If you're an eligible Veteran or service member, learn how your VA benefit applies to your situation.

Eligible borrowers with sufficient entitlement may potentially purchase without a down payment required by the VA loan program.

VA itself does not establish one universal minimum credit score, although lenders may have their own standards.

VA-backed loans don't require monthly mortgage insurance.

And some eligible Veterans may be exempt from the VA funding fee.

But VA financing can still involve closing costs, prepaid expenses and other transaction expenses.

Learn your actual numbers.

---

Step 7: Review Your Credit—But Don't Play With It

Check your financial situation.

But please don't start doing random things because somebody on TikTok said:

“THIS ONE CREDIT HACK ADDS 100 POINTS!”

😬

If mortgage qualification is your goal, work with the lender.

Don't automatically:

Close old accounts

Open new cards

Move balances around

or make other significant credit changes without understanding the potential effect.

Your lender can identify priorities based on your situation.

---

Step 8: Review Your Debt

Look at your monthly obligations.

That may include:

Vehicle payments

Credit cards

Student loans

Personal loans

and other debt.

Your lender can help you understand how those obligations interact with mortgage qualification.

But again:

Don't automatically drain your savings paying everything off.

Ask first.

The goal is a coordinated financial strategy.

---

Step 9: Avoid Creating New Problems

As you get closer to buying, don't sabotage the plan.

This might not be the ideal time to finance:

A new $70,000 truck.

Or:

A boat.

Or:

$15,000 of furniture for the house you haven't bought yet.

😂

New obligations can affect your financial picture.

Before taking on significant new debt while preparing for a mortgage, talk with your lender.

---

Step 10: Build Your Location List

Now we can start talking about San Antonio.

Instead of asking:

“What's the best area?”

build the search around your needs.

Consider:

Budget

Commute

Home style

Lot size

New construction vs. resale

HOA preferences

Access to places important to you

and your longer-term plans.

---

San Antonio Is BIG

This is something relocation buyers sometimes underestimate.

You can say:

“I live in San Antonio.”

and still be a long way from another person who also:

“Lives in San Antonio.”

😂

Your daily commute matters.

If possible, test the routes you're considering during the times you'll actually travel.

---

JBSA Buyers: Start With the Commute

If you're stationed at:

Lackland

Randolph

Fort Sam Houston

or another JBSA location, your duty station can be an important starting point for your search.

But don't assume the closest house is automatically the right one.

Compare:

Commute

Budget

Housing options

and your personal priorities.

---

Step 11: Make Your Three Lists

I love this exercise.

Create:

MUST HAVE

Things the house genuinely needs.

For example:

3 bedrooms

Workable commute

Specific monthly budget

Garage

Then:

WOULD LIKE

Features that matter but aren't deal-breakers.

Maybe:

Large backyard

Office

Kitchen island

Then:

BONUS

The fun stuff.

Pool

Game room

Outdoor kitchen

Massive shower

A pantry large enough to qualify as its own ZIP code.

😂

This helps tremendously once we start touring homes.

---

Step 12: Decide Whether to Consider New Construction

San Antonio has many new-home communities.

Depending on your budget and desired location, new construction may deserve a spot in the search.

But don't automatically assume:

New = better.

And don't assume:

Resale = better value.

Compare both.

---

Builder Incentives Can Affect the Math

Builders sometimes offer incentives on qualifying inventory.

Depending on current promotions, those may include:

Closing-cost assistance

Financing incentives

Rate buydowns

Price adjustments

or other offers.

Promotions change.

Qualifications apply.

So we verify current terms and compare the whole transaction, not just the biggest number in the advertisement.

---

Step 13: Get Pre-Approved When the Timeline Makes Sense

Your initial lender conversation may happen months before you seriously shop.

Pre-approval generally comes later when you're approaching the actual purchase.

Your lender can tell you when it makes sense based on your timeline.

Once you're ready, pre-approval helps us understand:

Financing

Potential price range

Estimated payment

Potential cash needed

and how you're positioned to make an offer.

---

Step 14: Start Shopping With a Plan

Now we finally get to the houses.

🔥

But notice what happened first.

We already established:

Timeline

Rent

Budget

Financing

Savings

Location

Needs

and

Priorities.

So instead of touring random houses...

we're looking at homes that have a realistic chance of working.

---

This Makes House Hunting WAY Better

Without a plan:

“This house is beautiful!”

Then:

“Wait...the payment is WHAT?”

Or:

“Wait...that's an hour from work?”

Or:

“Wait...I don't have the cash needed?”

😬

Planning eliminates a lot of unnecessary disappointment.

---

Step 15: Understand What Happens After You Find the House

Finding the property is only one stage.

Once you're under contract, depending on the transaction, you'll be navigating things such as:

Earnest money

Option fee

Inspection

Financing

Appraisal

Insurance

Title

Contract deadlines

and

Closing.

That's why education before house hunting matters.

---

Your Rental-to-Homeownership Game Plan

Here's the simplified version:

1. KNOW YOUR LEASE

📅 Expiration + notice requirements

2. KNOW YOUR RENT

💵 Calculate the real monthly cost

3. SET YOUR BUDGET

📊 Decide what feels comfortable

4. TALK TO A LENDER

🏦 Learn where you actually stand

5. BUILD SAVINGS

💰 Create your house fund

6. REVIEW CREDIT & DEBT

💳 Follow an informed plan

7. CHOOSE YOUR AREAS

📍 Budget + commute + priorities

8. DEFINE YOUR HOME

🏠 Must have / would like / bonus

9. GET PRE-APPROVED

✅ When appropriate for your timeline

10. HOUSE HUNT

🔎 Search with purpose

11. GET UNDER CONTRACT

📝 Manage the transaction

12. GET THE KEYS

🔑 Buy a damn house.