At Step One- what is the one thing you wish you had known?

We’re in contract for a brownstone in Bed-Stuy right now and here’s my advice: 1)Act fast if you see a property you like and get pre-approved if you can. Do NOT wave the mortgage contingency. 2)Be prepared to offer over list in some cases. 3) We didn’t have a broker so the seller’s broker will be taking both sides of the commission. This worked out for us in that maybe he pushed for our offer to be accepted over others? This is just a possibility. 4) Try to find a home with FAR. It might be more expensive than others of the same size on the market but down the line you have the option to expand the property and increase value.