First-time buyers in metro Atlanta. Every step, in the right order.
The order matters more than any one word.
What changes the first time: terms everyone seems to know
First-time home buyers in metro Atlanta tend to arrive with the same quiet worry: everyone else seems to know how this works. Pre-approval, earnest money, due diligence, a closing attorney. Each word is simple once someone explains it, and the order matters more than any one of them.
You see the whole order before you tour a single home. NRG Nguyen Realty Group starts with a discovery call about what has changed and what you want the next few years to hold. If you're financing, a lender comes next. Then a buyer strategy meeting walks through the process: your goals, the costs buyers can expect, and how we work together. That's when we go over the buyer agreement, and we don't tour homes until it's in place. You can read all seven steps, or start with buying a home with our team.
Buying can feel nerve-racking, especially the first time. What we find is that once you've sat down with a lender and understand what you need to do, it brings a lot of clarity. You have a clearer picture of how to get to your next move.
A first-time buyer we helped in North Fulton came to us nervous, and sure the market was going to crash. Saving their cash and not facing repairs after closing mattered most to them. Insurance can be hard to get on a home with an older roof, and we negotiated a new one, which gave them great relief. They were much more confident by closing, and as homeowners they're happy they bought. That's one buyer and one home, never a promise about any market.
It is also fair to ask whether buying makes sense yet. A home tends to reward the owner who stays long enough to cover the cost of buying and selling it. If you are fairly sure you will move within two years, renting a little longer may serve you better, and we'll say so.
Your first question is a good place to start.
Your down payment: it can be less than 20%
Twenty percent is the number people remember, and it is the point where a conventional loan stops calling for private mortgage insurance. These are the official starting points to bring to a lender:
- FHA. HUD says a down payment can be as low as 3.5% of the purchase price. FHA mortgage insurance applies, with an upfront cost and a monthly cost.
- Home Possible. Freddie Mac allows 3% down for borrowers within its income limits.
- VA. The VA says its home loan program does not require a down payment or monthly mortgage insurance for eligible borrowers.
Georgia also has the Georgia Dream Homeownership Program from the Department of Community Affairs, offered through participating lenders. Its assistance comes as a second loan with no monthly payment, due when you sell, refinance or no longer live in the home. It comes with published limits on price, income, credit and savings, and those limits change, so a participating lender can tell you in one conversation whether you qualify.
A smaller down payment keeps more cash in your hands and raises the loan. A larger one does the reverse. Ask your lender to set two or three options side by side, with the monthly payment and the total cash for each. If you don't already have a lender in mind, one option is for us to connect you with lenders our clients have had success with.
The other costs: what a rent check never covered
Your down payment isn't the only cash you bring. On the 2026 Georgia REALTORS® purchase contract, the buyer pays the state transfer tax, the title search and the deed preparation, along with the closing costs the contract doesn't assign to the seller. Earnest money is a good-faith deposit made soon after your offer is accepted, and it usually goes toward your purchase at closing. Inspections and the appraisal get paid along the way.
A home that takes every dollar on day one leaves little room for the first repair, or for the months after move-in. A budget also includes what a rent check never did: property taxes, homeowners insurance, upkeep and any association dues.
You can find a home you love, look at the payment and close the tab. So those costs go in the monthly number you choose before you look at a listing. What a lender will approve and what you want to spend each month are two separate numbers.
How our team helps: one step at a time
- Before the search. A true pre-approval, with documents verified, and a look at your credit with your lender. Once you are pre-approved, small changes can affect your loan.
- During the search. We narrow the field to homes worth your time and tour them with you. A condo or townhome comes with an association, so we read what the dues cover, what the reserve fund holds and what the rules say about renting.
- At the offer. Price, terms and timing built from real comparable sales. Earnest money has no figure set by the state, so we talk through the amount and which dates protect it.
- Under contract. Your due diligence period is your time to inspect and decide. On the standard Georgia contract you can terminate during that window by written notice, and if the deadline passes, the contract treats that as a decision to go forward. Our team tracks every date for you.
- At closing. A final walkthrough, your numbers, and a licensed Georgia attorney conducting the closing. In a standard closing with a loan, that attorney represents the lender.
Where you buy: what changes from one address to the next
Metro Atlanta crosses county and city lines, and taxes, services and school assignments can change from one address to the next. For schools, the district confirms the assignment for an address, so we point you to it. For a commute, test the drive at the hour you would make it. See the areas we work in, including East Cobb.
One date matters after you buy. A homestead exemption generally looks to whether you owned the home and lived in it as your legal residence on January 1, and you apply with your county's tax officials.
Bring your first question. Tell us what you're looking for.
This page describes our general process. It is not legal, tax or lending advice. Loan programs and limits change, so confirm your options with a licensed mortgage lender.
Buyer questions
Answers, simplified.
Do I need 20% down to buy my first home?
No. Twenty percent is where a conventional loan stops calling for private mortgage insurance. HUD says FHA allows as little as 3.5%, Freddie Mac's Home Possible allows 3% within its income limits, and the VA's program doesn't require a down payment for eligible borrowers.
Can my down payment come from family?
It can on some loans. Tell your lender about a gift early, before the money moves, so it can be documented the way your loan requires.
What is the difference between pre-qualified and pre-approved?
A true pre-approval has your documents verified, and a quick pre-qualification doesn't. Neither is a final loan offer, and a pre-approval carries more weight with a seller.
Can I lose my earnest money?
Yes, if you walk away for a reason the contract doesn't cover. If the contract ends for a reason it allows, the money comes back to you. The dates decide it, and our team tracks them.
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