The Utah first-time buyer guide
Your first-time buyer checklist for Utah.
This is the do-this list, not the explainer. It walks you from three to six months out all the way to the day after you get the keys, with concrete tasks you can check off at each stage. Pull your credit, fix your budget, get pre-approved, sign the paperwork before you tour, make a clean offer, run the due-diligence clock, get through closing week without a wire scare, and set up the house once it is yours. Print it, save it, and work it in order.
This is the action checklist. For the story of how a purchase unfolds, read the home buying process in Utah, and the full path lives on the first-time buyers hub.
On this page
How to use this list
One checklist, worked in order.
Buying your first home is less about one big decision and more about a stack of small tasks done in the right order. This page is that stack. It is built to be printed or saved and checked off, one stage at a time, so nothing important sneaks up on you. If you want the narrative version, the reasons behind each move and how it all fits together, read the home buying process guide. This page assumes you already want to buy and just need to know what to actually do, and when.
Work it top to bottom. The early stages, months before you shop, are where first-time buyers gain or lose the most ground, because credit and savings both take time to move. The middle stages are fast and paperwork-heavy. The late stages are where a single missed detail, a late wire or a skipped walkthrough, can cost real money. Every task below is concrete and checkable. Where a step has a deeper guide on this site, I have linked it so you can go one level down without leaving the plan.
Stage 1: three to six months out
Set the foundation before you shop for anything.
Start here even if you are not sure you are ready. Credit and savings both take months to move, so the earlier you begin, the more options you have when it is time to buy.
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Pull all three credit reports, free
Go to AnnualCreditReport.com, the only federally authorized free site, and download your reports from Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. Read each one line by line and dispute anything wrong. Errors are common and they take weeks to correct, so do this first. Credit and home buying.
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Run a real budget reality check
Write down your actual take-home pay and every fixed bill. Owning adds property taxes, insurance, utilities, and upkeep on top of the loan payment, so a home costs more than rent for the same square footage. Figure out what number you can carry comfortably, not the maximum you might qualify for.
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Set a savings plan and automate it
You will need money for your down payment plus closing costs plus a cushion for move-in and early repairs. Pick a target date, divide the total, and set an automatic transfer so the account grows without you thinking about it. If family is planning to help toward that target, gift funds for a down payment explains the gift letter and paper trail a lender will need. Saving for a down payment.
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Check whether you qualify for buyer assistance
Utah has programs that help qualified first-time buyers with the cash needed up front. They have rules and limits, so look into them early rather than at the offer stage. I can point you to what fits your situation. Utah housing programs.
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Start the do-not-do list now
From this point until you close, do not open new credit, finance a car, or change jobs. Each of those can undo an approval later. The full list is further down this page. Tape it to the fridge.
Stage 2: get pre-approved
Turn your budget into a real number.
A pre-approval is a lender's written estimate of what you can borrow, based on documents you provide. It is what turns you from a browser into a buyer a seller will take seriously. Gather the paperwork, pick a lender, and get the letter before you tour.
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Gather your income and asset documents
The standard package is your two most recent pay stubs, W-2 forms and tax returns for the last two years, and your most recent bank and retirement statements. Self-employed buyers bring full returns and profit-and-loss records. If you carry student loans, add your servicer statement showing the required monthly payment to that same folder. Put it all in one folder so you can hand it over at once.
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Choose a lender, and ask questions
Talk to more than one. Ask how they communicate, how fast they close, and what the full cost looks like, not just the headline. A first-time buyer needs a lender who explains things, not one who rushes you. You do not have to use a builder's or agent's preferred lender. Pre-approval explained.
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Get the pre-approval letter in hand
Once the lender reviews your documents and pulls credit, they issue a pre-approval letter stating the amount and terms. That letter is what you attach to an offer. Ask for one you can update quickly, since sellers want a current letter.
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Know what the letter is and is not
A pre-approval is a strong estimate, not a guarantee. Final approval comes after underwriting reviews the specific home and re-checks your file near closing. Treat the number as a ceiling to stay under, not a target to hit.
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Set your comfortable price, then hold it
Decide the monthly number you actually want to live with and translate it into a shopping price with your lender. Then look only at homes at or below it. The fastest way to overspend is to tour above your line just to see.
Stage 3: shopping
Tour with a plan, not just hope.
This stage is where the paperwork rules changed. Since a 2024 national settlement, you sign an agreement with your agent before you tour, so handle that first, then shop with discipline.
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Sign a buyer-broker agreement before touring
Since August 17, 2024, a Realtor must have a signed written agreement with you before showing you a home in person or by live video. In Utah this is the Exclusive Buyer-Broker Agreement and Agency Disclosure. It names your agent, sets dates, and states how the agent is paid, which is fully negotiable. Read it before you sign. Choosing a buyer's agent.
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Write a needs-versus-wants list
Split your list into two columns: the things a home must have, like bedroom count or a single-story layout, and the things you would enjoy but can live without. Bring it to every showing. It keeps a nice kitchen from talking you into the wrong house.
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Tour with discipline
See a focused set of homes, not thirty. Take photos and one note per house about what worked and what did not. After three or four tours, patterns appear and your real priorities get clearer. Quality of attention beats quantity of showings.
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Check the facts around each home
For any home you like, look past the finishes: the location, the commute, the condition of the big systems, and what the surrounding streets are like at different times of day. Ask your agent to pull recent nearby sales so your offer is grounded in numbers.
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Be ready to move when the right one shows up
Good homes in a tight price range go fast. Keep your pre-approval current and your documents handy so you can make an offer the same day rather than losing the home while you get organized.
Stage 4: offer to under contract
Make the offer, then start the clocks.
When you find the home, the offer stage moves fast and every date in it matters. Have your money and your calendar ready before you write it.
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Have your earnest money ready
Earnest money is the good-faith deposit that goes with your offer, held in a trust account, not paid to the seller. Know where those funds are and that you can move them quickly, because in Utah you deliver them within four calendar days of acceptance. Earnest money explained.
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Write the offer with your agent
Your agent prepares the Real Estate Purchase Contract with your price, your deadlines, and any conditions. This is where recent nearby sales and your comfortable price come together into a number. Review every line before you sign it. The full buying path.
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Put every deadline on a calendar
The day your offer is accepted, write down the earnest money date, the due-diligence deadline, the financing and appraisal deadline, and the settlement date. They run on calendar days, so weekends and holidays count. Build the schedule backward from closing. After your offer is accepted.
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Deliver the earnest money on time
Send the deposit to the brokerage or title company holding it within the four-day window. It is credited toward your purchase at closing. Late delivery gives the seller a reason to cancel, so this is not a step to leave for later.
Stage 5: due diligence
Use your window to check the house.
The due-diligence window is your protected time to inspect and investigate, with the right to walk away and recover your earnest money if what you find is unacceptable. It is short, so start on day one.
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Book your inspector on day one
Line up your own licensed inspector the day you go under contract, not halfway through the window. A standard inspection is a visual look at the major systems. On the right property you also order radon, well, or septic tests, which take longer to schedule. The home inspection.
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Start homeowners insurance quotes now
Call two or three insurers early for quotes on the specific address. Your lender requires a policy bound and effective on closing day, and starting now avoids a last-minute scramble that can delay funding.
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Read the seller disclosures
The seller provides written disclosures about what they know regarding the property. Read them against the inspection report and ask about anything that does not line up. This is part of your homework during the window, not an afterthought.
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Resolve inspection items before the deadline
If the inspection finds something, you send the seller a written request for repairs, a price reduction, or a credit toward closing, and it carries its own short response deadline. If you cannot agree, you can cancel in writing before the due-diligence date and recover your earnest money.
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Keep the do-not-do list running
Underwriting is still working your file. Do not open credit, change jobs, or move large undocumented sums while you are under contract. The approval you got is not final until the loan records.
Stage 6: closing week
Get to the finish line without a scare.
The last week is short and high-stakes. A few specific tasks protect your money and your move-in, and one of them is guarding against wire fraud, which targets buyers exactly at this moment.
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Do the final walkthrough
Shortly before closing, walk the home one last time to confirm it is in the agreed condition and any promised repairs were done. If something is wrong, raise it before you sign, while you still have room to push back, not after.
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Verify wire instructions by phone, at a known number
The FTC and the title industry warn that wire fraud is common in real estate. Before you send a dime, call the title company using a number you already trust, not one from an email, and confirm the wire details out loud. Scammers send fake instructions that look real.
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Confirm clear-to-close and insurance
Check that your lender has issued the clear-to-close and that your homeowners policy is bound and effective on closing day. These two items are the usual last-minute holdups, so verify them a few days out.
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Bring your IDs and your funds
Bring valid government photo identification to signing, and have your closing funds sent by verified wire or cashier's check as your title company directs. Ask ahead for the exact figure, since it can shift slightly right before closing. Closing costs.
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Know that recording, not signing, is the finish
In Utah you sign at the title company, then the loan funds and the deed records at the county. Recording is the legal moment the home is yours, and it is usually when you get the keys, often the same day or the next.
Stage 7: after the keys
The first tasks in your new home.
The deal is done, but a short list of things is worth doing in the first week or two to protect the home and your budget.
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Set up utilities in your name
Transfer or start power, gas, water, internet, and trash for your closing date so nothing lapses. Do this a few days ahead, since some providers need lead time to schedule a start.
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File for the primary-residence tax exemption
Utah gives owner-occupied primary residences a 45 percent exemption on the taxable value, which lowers your property tax bill. It is not always automatic, so confirm with your county assessor that your home is on record as your primary residence. Utah property taxes explained.
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Re-key or replace the locks
You do not know who still has a copy of the old keys. Re-key the exterior locks or have them replaced in the first week, and check that garage codes and any smart locks are reset to you.
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Update your address and records
File a change of address, update your driver license and voter registration, and switch billing on your accounts. Keep your closing documents in one safe place, since you will need them at tax time and when you eventually sell.
The do-not-do list
The moves that blow up a closing.
Most first-time deals that fall apart late do so because of something the buyer did after the offer was accepted. From the day you go under contract until the loan records, avoid every one of these. Print this and keep it in view. For the costly missteps that happen earlier in the process, the first-time buyer mistakes that actually cost you covers the rest.
Do not open new credit or finance a car
A new card, a furniture loan, or a car payment changes your debt ratios and can drop you below the approval you already have. Wait until after the home records to buy anything on credit, including everything you will want for the new place.
Do not change jobs
Lenders re-verify employment near closing. Switching jobs, even for more money, or moving from salary to self-employed, can pause or sink an approval. If a job change is unavoidable, tell your lender before you do anything.
Do not move large undocumented sums
Big unexplained deposits raise questions in underwriting. Keep your down payment funds in place, and if money moves, keep a clear paper trail showing where it came from. Do not shuffle accounts right before closing.
Do not skip the inspection
Even on new construction, get your own inspector. Waiving inspection to win a bidding war can hand you thousands in surprise repairs. The inspection is your protected chance to find problems while you can still act on them.
Do not wire money before verifying
Never send closing funds based on instructions in an email or text. Call the title company at a number you already trust and confirm the details by voice. Wire fraud is the single most expensive mistake a buyer can make.
Do not miss a deadline
The quiet deal-killer. Let a due-diligence, financing, or settlement date pass without acting and you can lose a cancellation right or push the whole contract into default. This is why every date goes on the calendar on day one.
Working the list with me
A first home is a lot of small steps, done in order.
A checklist tells you what to do. Having someone who has done it hundreds of times tells you what matters this week, and what will take care of itself. I sit on both the agent side and the financing side of this list.
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Twenty years in Southern Utah. I have walked first-time buyers through this exact list across Iron and Washington counties. I can tell you which task is the real priority right now and which one can wait a few days.
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Agent and lender, one picture. I am licensed in both. When the pre-approval and the offer and the closing all have to line up, you are not relaying messages between people who do not talk. I take one role on your deal at a time, but I can read the whole board.
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No pressure, ever. First-time buyers get rushed by people who profit from the rush. I would rather you buy the right home a month later than the wrong one this week. The list moves at your pace.
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Statewide, told straight. In Southern Utah I am your agent. Anywhere else in Utah, I connect you with a vetted partner agent I trust in your area and stay involved.
Questions, answered
What first-time buyers ask about the checklist.
Pull your credit reports and look at your budget, months before you shop. Go to AnnualCreditReport.com, the only federally authorized free site, and download your reports from all three bureaus, then dispute any errors, which take weeks to fix. At the same time, work out the monthly number you can carry comfortably, since owning adds property taxes, insurance, utilities, and upkeep on top of the loan. Credit and savings both take time to move, so starting early is the single biggest advantage a first-time buyer has.
Use AnnualCreditReport.com, which is the only site authorized by federal law to give you free reports from Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. It is free and it does not lower your score to check. Read each report line by line for accounts you do not recognize or balances that are wrong, and dispute anything incorrect right away, because corrections can take several weeks and you want them done before a lender pulls your credit for a pre-approval.
Yes. Since August 17, 2024, a Realtor must have a signed written agreement with you before showing you a home, whether in person or by live video. In Utah this is the Exclusive Buyer-Broker Agreement and Agency Disclosure. It names your agent, sets a start and end date, and states how the agent is paid, and that pay is fully negotiable. You can and should read it in full and ask questions before you sign it.
The standard package is your two most recent pay stubs, W-2 forms and tax returns for the last two years, and your most recent bank and retirement account statements. Self-employed buyers bring full tax returns and profit-and-loss records. Gather it all into one folder before you talk to a lender so you can provide everything at once, which speeds up your pre-approval and shows the lender you are organized and ready.
Never send closing funds based on wire instructions you received by email or text. The FTC and the title industry warn that criminals send fake instructions that look exactly like the real thing. Before you wire anything, call the title company at a phone number you already trust, not one from the email, and confirm the account details out loud. If anything about the instructions changes at the last minute, treat that as a red flag and verify again by phone.
Utah gives owner-occupied primary residences a 45 percent exemption on the taxable value of the home, which lowers the property tax bill compared with a second home or rental. It is not always applied automatically when you buy, so after closing confirm with your county assessor that your new home is on record as your primary residence. It is a simple step that many first-time buyers do not know to check in their first year of ownership.
The active part, from making an offer to getting the keys, commonly runs about 30 to 45 days for a financed purchase as of mid-2026, driven mostly by how long the loan takes to underwrite and fund. The preparation before that, building credit and savings and getting pre-approved, is where you should spend three to six months. Cash purchases can close much faster because there is no lender timeline to wait on.
No. Utah is a title-and-escrow closing state, so a title company handles the closing and you are not required to hire an attorney. Your buyer's agent, your lender, and the title company handle the routine work of the purchase. You can still bring in an attorney for any question that is genuinely legal rather than procedural, but most first-time purchases close without one.
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Ready to work the list on a real home?
I am Scott Buehler, and I have helped first-time buyers across Southern Utah go from a credit report and a budget all the way to keys in hand, one checkable step at a time. Tell me where you are on the list and what you are hoping to buy, and I will help you figure out the very next task and who owns it. No cost, and no pressure.
Not in Southern Utah? I will connect you with a partner agent I trust in your area, and stay involved.