The First Home Playbook

The myths that keep renters renting

"You need 20% down." You don't. Conventional loans go to 3% down, FHA to 3.5%, VA and USDA to zero. In much of Middle Tennessee (Robertson County, parts of Cheatham and Montgomery), USDA's zero-down program applies and almost nobody talks about it.

"My credit isn't good enough." Maybe, but buyers are wrong about this in both directions constantly. A 20-minute conversation establishes reality, and if the number needs work, there is a specific, boring, effective path to fix it. I've walked hundreds of borrowers down it.

"I should wait for rates to drop." Rates matter less than everyone thinks and payments matter more. Buydowns, assumptions, and refinancing all exist; the question is whether owning beats renting on your actual numbers, this year.

Your actual path, start to keys

Step one is money, not houses: a real pre-approval (documents verified, not a form on a website) so your budget is a fact instead of a hope. As a 36-year lending veteran, I make sure the pre-approval you carry is one listing agents trust on sight.

Step two is strategy: which loan program fits your savings, income shape, and target area; whether down-payment assistance applies; and what monthly payment keeps your life comfortable, including the taxes and insurance most first-time budgets forget.

Step three is the hunt, and it's the fun part precisely because steps one and two are done. You tour knowing your numbers. You offer knowing your ceiling. And you close on schedule, because nothing in your file is a surprise.

Why first-timers pick Monty

Read the reviews: first-time buyers in Clarksville and across Middle Tennessee describe the process as 'simple and manageable from start to finish.' That's not luck; it's what 36 years of watching deals succeed and fail does for the person guiding yours.