№ 01 Buyers

Know before you offer.

This guide is the buying process the way I teach it: programs you might qualify for, neighborhoods worth comparing, the rules that changed in 2024, and an offer strategy built on data, not instinct. By the end, you will know exactly what to expect and what to ask me next.

Start with a consultation The five steps

A bright kitchen with white marble countertops and brushed brass hardware — The details that decide your offer

02 The process

Five steps, no surprises.

Every buyer walks the same road, and the road is clearer when you have seen the map. Here is the order we work in.

Consultation and numbers

Budget, monthly payment math, timeline, and program eligibility. We run the numbers before we look at a single listing.

Pre-approval

A lender who knows Montgomery County programs, chosen from a short list I trust. You make the final call.

Neighborhood shortlist

Built from your commute, school needs, walkability, and lifestyle. The hardest part of buying is narrowing the map, so we do it first.

Showings and offer strategy

Data-driven pricing and negotiation strategies. Every offer carries your priorities: price, terms, timing, and protections.

Settlement

Inspections, repairs, title, and final numbers. You will not negotiate alone at that table, ever.

03 Programs

Montgomery County stretches first-time budgets.

Most first-time buyers have no idea how much assistance is available. These programs change what is possible, and eligibility rules change with each funding round, so we check them against the current cycle.

Read the full first-time buyer guide

Montgomery Homeownership Program (MHP)

Zero-interest, deferred down payment and closing cost assistance up to $50,000, paired with a Maryland Mortgage Program first mortgage.

McHAF

The county Homeownership Assistance Fund offers deferred assistance up to $25,000 for qualifying first-time buyers, with homebuyer education required.

"5 for 5" and purchase assistance

HOC closing cost assistance up to 5% of price (max $10,000) plus purchase assistance for buyers with Montgomery County ties.

MEDPAL

Down payment assistance up to $50,000 for Montgomery County employees and MCPS union members.

Income limits, fund availability, and program status change; the Maryland HomeCredit tax credit is currently closed to new reservations. Your exact eligibility gets verified with a lender during the pre-approval step.

04 The new rules

Buyer agency, in writing, before the first tour.

Since the NAR settlement took effect in August 2024, buyer-agent compensation is no longer advertised in the MLS, and you sign a written representation agreement before touring. It is a better system, and it needs explaining.

Compensation is negotiated outside the listing, often as a seller concession in your offer.
The written agreement states the fee and who pays it, before you walk through any door.
You may owe your agent directly if the seller declines to cover it, so the numbers are on the table from day one.
In the DMV, most buyers still see the seller cover the buyer agent fee; through 2025, rates held near 2.5% for most sales.

The plain-English version, in depth