With their preapproval in hand, they drafted their "Wish List," which they soon realized was more of a "Reality Check":
How to buy a house: Your step-by-step guide to buying in 2026 criteria for buying a house
Maya and Leo didn't want much—just a place where the floorboards didn't groan like a haunted ship and the neighbors didn't practice the tuba at 3 AM. But as they quickly learned, buying a house is less like a Sunday stroll and more like a high-stakes scavenger hunt. With their preapproval in hand, they drafted their