Things to Watch Out For
First Time Buyers
The traps that catch even experienced buyers off guard, and how Brian keeps your next move sharp.
Trusting an outdated read on the market
Even if you bought a few years ago, prices, inventory, and what it takes to win an offer have all shifted. Don't anchor to the last time you did this, the playbook changes fast.
Skipping safeguards because you know the drill
Experience can breed shortcuts: a waived inspection, a loose contingency. The deals that bite seasoned buyers are usually the ones where they dropped a protection they didn't think they'd need.
Mistiming the buy and the sell
Coordinating the sale of your current home with buying the next is where move-up buyers get squeezed, double payments, a rushed sale, or scrambling for somewhere to land. That sequencing needs a plan before you start.
Budgeting on your current home's "value"
What you paid, or what you assume your home is worth, isn't what today's market will actually pay. Build your budget on the wrong number and everything downstream is off.
Assuming the contract is the same as last time
Financing rules, disclosures, and contract terms change. Glossing over the paperwork because it looks familiar is how experienced buyers get surprised at the closing table.
Going it alone to save the commission
You've done this before - so why pay an agent? Because the money is made or lost in the negotiation and the fine print, and that's exactly where a sharp agent earns far more than they cost.