Your first home is a big step. It does not have to be a confusing one. Start here.
The steps are more orderly than they feel right now, and you never have to walk them alone.
First-Time Homebuyer Hub
This hub is the plain-language order of operations for buying your first home in Las Vegas: money, financing, neighborhoods, offers,and closing. You get the questions answered before anyone asks you to commit, and the strategy stays yours throughout. There is no one-size-fits-all path, but there is a sequence that works for nearly everyone: this one
Brought to you by
Steve Lockhart, Las Vegas REALTOR. The Lockhart Method is his decision-first strategy for first-time buyers: understand affordability and the sequence before you commit.
In Short
Buying your first Las Vegas home is a series of decisions, and Steve, as a Las Vegas REALTOR, guides first-time buyers step by step.
01 · The sequence
Five steps from budget to keys
1
Money
Income, debts, down payment, and the all-in monthly payment with taxes, insurance, and HOA.
2
Financing
VA, FHA, conventional,and down-payment assistance, matched to your situation.
3
Neighborhoods
Commute, schools, lifestyle,and resale, narrowed to the shortlist that fits.
4
Competitive offers
Pre-approval, escalation or gap plan, clean terms, anda schedule sellers trust.
5
Closing
Inspection, appraisal, documents,and the walkthrough, handled in order.
02 · Financing in plain language
The loan programs worth knowing about
VA
For eligible veterans and service members: no down payment on most purchases, no monthly mortgage insurance, and a stronger credit appetite. Plus order-and-timing advantages military buyers value.
FHA
A trusted low-down program, typically around 3.5 percent down, with a funding structure built for first-time buyers.
Conventional
Low-down conventional options exist at the 3 percent level for qualified buyers, often with strong rate choices.
Down-payment assistance
Nevada and local programs offer down payment and closing cost help that change year to year. We check the current versions for you.
Which program fits depends on your credit, down payment, timeline, and whether you have VA eligibility. I work daily with lenders who know all four programs, so the recommendation comes from your numbers, not a marketing table.
03 · Questions first-time buyers ask
Honest answers, before the tours
- How much do I need for a down payment?
- It depends on the program: VA can mean zero down for eligible buyers, FHA typically runs around 3.5 percent,and qualified conventional buyers can find programs near 3 percent. Your lender turns your actual numbers into the real minimum.
- What are closing costs in Las Vegas?
- Budget a few percent of the purchase price, plus reserves. The exact mix varies by lender, loan type, title, and escrow fees. We estimate yours early so the surprise tax and insurance stack does not derail the budget.
- Should I rent longer and save more?
- Sometimes yes, sometimes no. The honest answer comes from the comparison: your rent versus the all-in ownership payment, your down payment runway, and what the market is doing with homes you would actually buy. That is a one-conversation analysis, not a slogan.
04 · The first move
Start with the money conversation, not a listing portal
The strongest first-time buyers arrive at a neighborhood with a pre-approval, an honest payment number, and a shortlist of homes that serve the strategy. I help you build exactly that: the lender recommendation, the budget translation, the neighborhood fit, and then the search, in that order.
Ready when the numbers are?
Let's look at your options. First meeting, no pressure: we establish what is real, what is possible, and what the first step actually is for you individually.
Schedule a ConsultationLive listings
See what first-home budgets can reach
Active and coming-soon listings from the local MLS, newest first. A quick look at the real market keeps the down payment and financing conversation grounded in actual homes.
Common questions