The honest answer
Can I actually buy?
Most people who ask me that have already decided the answer is no. They’re usually wrong — and it costs them years.
Find out where you stand
The four things people think disqualify them.
“I don’t have a down payment saved.”
The most common one, and the most often wrong.The 20% figure everyone repeats comes from conventional loans, where it lets you avoid mortgage insurance. It was never a rule about who’s allowed to buy a home. There are loan programs built for first-time buyers in Florida with far lower requirements — and some with none at all in eligible areas. Whether you qualify depends on your situation, but the number is almost always smaller than people assume.
“My credit isn’t good enough.”
Sometimes true. Often fixable faster than you’d think.Credit requirements vary by loan program, and the cutoff is usually lower than people expect. And if you’re genuinely not there yet, the fix is often a handful of specific actions over a few months — not years of waiting. Either way, you deserve to know which one you’re looking at.
“I don’t make enough.”
Worth checking against a real number.What you can afford depends on your income, your debts, the price point, and the program. Some first-time buyer programs are designed specifically around income limits — meaning earning less can occasionally help rather than hurt. Guessing at this from the outside is how people rule themselves out wrongly.
“I’ll deal with it once I’ve saved up.”
The one that quietly costs the most.Saving is a moving target. While you build the down payment, prices and rates move too. Plenty of buyers who waited three years found the home they wanted now costs more than the amount they saved. Waiting might still be the right call — but it should be a decision you made with real numbers, not a default you fell into.
You may not need $60,000.
You may need the right program.
That’s the difference between renting another three years and owning this one.
Read the free guideWhat happens next
How you actually find out.
- 1
You tell me where you actually are
Income, what you have saved, what your credit looks like as far as you know. No judgment and no paperwork to bring.
- 2
We find your real number
What you’d realistically need out of pocket, and which programs are worth asking a lender about for your situation.
- 3
You see what that buys in Hernando
Actual homes at that number — existing and new construction — so the price range stops being abstract.
- 4
You leave with a 90-day plan
Either the steps to start looking now, or the specific things to fix first and how long each one takes.
30 minutes. No cost. You won’t be asked to sign anything, and you won’t be pushed to look at a house before you’re ready. If the honest answer is “not yet,” you’ll hear that — along with exactly what to do about it.
More options than you realize
Think you need a big down payment? Think again.
Depending on your situation, qualified buyers may have access to programs that reduce the amount of money needed upfront — sometimes dramatically. The kinds of help worth asking a lender about:
- 0% down options — certain loan programs may offer 100% financing to eligible buyers and properties
- Low-down-payment mortgages — some programs allow qualified buyers to purchase with far less upfront than the 20% myth
- Down payment & closing-cost assistance — certain programs may help eligible buyers with some of the funds needed
- VA financing — for eligible veterans and service members
- Seller concessions — in some transactions the seller may contribute toward certain costs, which can be used toward lowering your rate or payment, subject to loan rules
The important part: there isn’t one program that works for everyone. Your income, credit, employment, location, and the property itself all affect what’s available — and I can’t approve any of it, because that’s a lender’s call. What we do in your plan session is figure out which of these are worth asking about for your situation, so you walk into that lender conversation knowing the right questions.
If the answer is “not yet”
Then we get you ready.
A good number of the people I sit down with aren’t ready to buy this month. That is not a rejection and it is not the end of the conversation — it’s usually the start of a much shorter timeline than they were expecting.
“Not ready” almost always comes down to a small number of fixable things:
- A credit score that needs a few months of specific, boring work
- A little more saved — often far less than the number in your head
- Time on the job, or income that needs to be documented differently
- An old account or collection that needs handling in the right order
- Nothing at all — some people find out they were ready a year ago
You still leave with a written plan. If the answer is “not yet,” you get the specific steps, the order to do them in, and a realistic timeline for each one. Then I check back in when it makes sense — no cost, no pressure, and no obligation to use me when you’re ready.
Book it
Find out where you stand.
Free, in person, about 30 minutes — at 10554 Spring Hill Drive, Spring Hill, FL 34608, United States.
Pick a time that works
Calendar not loading? Open it in a new tab or call (352) 652-3998.
Let’s talk.
Call, text, or email — whatever’s easiest. I answer my own phone.
Joe Salinas
Licensed Florida Realtor
Florida’s A Team Realty,
Powered by Sellstate
10554 Spring Hill Drive
Spring Hill, FL 34608
United States
Hernando, Pasco &
Citrus Counties