If you’re buying your first home in Washington, this page is designed to be a practical starting point. It serves as an online guide that brings together the key lessons first-time buyers usually need most, including mortgage options, down payments, pre-approval, the home buying process, inspections, closing costs, and closing day.
Use this page like a learning hub rather than reading everything in one sitting. Start with the topic that matches where you are now, then work through the related lessons below as you move from planning to financing to making an offer and closing on a home.
Our web-based class consists of a series of lessons relating to the mortgage and home buying process in Washington State. It’s a lot to read in one sitting, so you might want to bookmark this page for future reference. You can start with any topic below.
If you’re not sure which lesson to read first, use this quick guide:
Find out everything you need to know about buying a home for the first time in Washington. We’ll answer questions about the real estate market, home loans, and the buying process itself.
This tutorial is a great place to start, because it outlines the entire home-buying process (including many of the topics listed below), breaking it down into a series of steps. It’s a must-read for first-time buyers.
If you plan to use a mortgage loan when buying a house, there are some basic requirements you should know about. These include the down payment, credit scores, and (usually) a home appraisal.
Are you a millennial looking to get into the housing market for the first time? Then this guide is for you! Discover how to stand out from other millennials, overcome myths about student loans and required credit history, and why you may want to buy a home now.
The closing represents the final step in the home buying process. First-time buyers tend to have a lot of questions about this step, so we’ve created a closing lesson for our virtual home-buying class.
In a typical real estate transaction in Washington State, both the buyer and seller have certain closing costs that must be paid when the deal closes. This article explains who pays which closing costs, and how it might be negotiated.
Generally speaking, first-time buyers in Washington are not required to have a full property inspection. But you’ll probably need an appraisal, if you’re using a mortgage loan. This home-buying mini class explains the difference.
This tutorial is an integral part of our first-time home buyer class, because it explains the different kinds of mortgage loans that are available these days. You’ll learn about FHA, VA, conventional, fixed versus adjustable rates, and more.
This is a virtual class for Washington first-time buyers who are interested in the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loan program. This program offers a relatively low down payment of 3.5%, among other benefits to borrowers.
If you’re a veteran or member of the military, you may be eligible for a VA loan. This guide will teach you what a VA loan is, the benefits of VA loans, and what the VA loan application process is like.
There is a widespread misconception that first-time home buyers in Washington have to put down at least 20% when buying a house. But that’s not always true. In fact, depending on the type of loan you use, your down payment could be much smaller than that.
If you’re a first-time homebuyer, this guide will help you understand the pre-approval process, how to apply for a home loan, and what it takes to secure a mortgage.
No. As this guide’s down payment lesson explains, the amount you need depends on the loan program you use, and some options allow for a much smaller down payment.
A good starting point is understanding the overall process and your financing options. Begin with the Home Buyer’s Guide and the Washington home buying process tutorial, then move into loan and pre-approval lessons.
Start by reviewing the pre-approval lesson on this page. It explains what lenders look for, how the application process works, and what it takes to secure a mortgage.
Generally speaking, a full home inspection is not always required, but buyers often choose to have one. If you use a mortgage loan, you will probably need an appraisal, and the inspection lesson explains the difference.
Buyers in Washington usually have certain closing costs due when the deal closes, while sellers have their own costs as well. The closing-cost lesson linked above explains who typically pays what and how those costs may be negotiated.
Sammamish Mortgage can help. We serve clients across Washington, Idaho, Colorado, Oregon, and California. Since 1992, we’ve been providing several mortgage programs and products with flexible qualification criteria to borrowers across the Pacific Northwest. Visit our website to get an instant rate quote or to use our online mortgage calculator. Or, reach out to us if you are ready to get pre-approved for a mortgage.
No. The down payment amount depends on the mortgage program you use, and some loan options allow for a much smaller down payment than 20%.
A practical first step is learning how the overall buying process works and reviewing your financing options. After that, many buyers move into mortgage pre-approval so they can understand their price range and shop more confidently.
Mortgage pre-approval generally starts with a lender reviewing your financial profile and loan application. Lenders look at factors such as your income, assets, credit profile, and the details needed to determine whether you can qualify for a home loan.
Common mortgage-related requirements include a down payment, acceptable credit scores, and usually a home appraisal. The exact standards can vary based on the loan program and the lender.
Credit score requirements vary by lender and loan program. Credit scores are one of the basic factors lenders consider when reviewing a mortgage application.
Generally, a full home inspection is not always required. But if you use a mortgage loan, you will probably need an appraisal, which serves a different purpose than an inspection.
A home inspection is used to evaluate the property’s condition, while an appraisal is typically used by the lender to help determine the home’s value for mortgage purposes. Buyers often confuse the two, but they are not the same step.
In a typical Washington real estate transaction, buyers usually have certain closing costs due when the deal closes, while sellers have their own costs as well. Which party pays specific costs can also be negotiated.
Closing is the final step of the home buying process. It is the stage where the transaction is completed and the remaining documents, funds, and final steps are handled before ownership transfers.
First-time buyers often compare FHA, VA, and conventional mortgages, along with fixed-rate and adjustable-rate options. The right choice depends on your eligibility, down payment, and long-term goals.
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