First-time home buyers dropped to just 21% of the market in 2025 — the lowest share NAR has recorded since 1981. For real estate professionals, that makes the first-time buyer conversation both harder to win and more valuable when you do. The First-Time Buyer's Roadmap by Cheryl Lovelace is a 190-page practitioner's guide to walking first-time buyers through every stage of the home buying journey, from the first renting-versus-buying conversation to closing day and long-term homeownership.

Written by the author of Your 1st Year in Real Estate, Florida Edition, this book is structured around the real moments where first-time buyers get stuck, second-guess themselves, or make costly mistakes — and gives you the language, frameworks, and coaching prompts to guide them through. Each section includes Realtor Coaching Tips, Key Takeaways, and plain-English explanations you can share directly with clients who are intimidated by terms like "escrow," "PMI," and "underwriting."

The book works as both a self-study reference for newer agents building confidence in buyer conversations and a structured companion you can reference alongside your first-time buyer clients. It moves methodically through the psychology of first-time buyers, credit and down payment realities, loan types, neighborhood and home selection, inspection red flags, offer strategy, closing logistics, and the post-closing handoff that turns a transaction into a lifelong client relationship.

What's inside (40+ sections across the buyer's journey):

• Foundations & mindset — helping first-time buyers navigate the market, renting vs. buying, buyer psychology, and myths to dismantle early
• Money & financing — credit scores, down payment grants and assistance programs, budgeting beyond the mortgage, how much house clients can actually afford, pre-qualification vs. pre-approval, loan types (Conventional, FHA, VA, USDA), interest rates, closing costs, and approval odds
• Home selection & touring — choosing a neighborhood, housing types (SFH, townhouse, condo, multi-family), must-haves vs. nice-to-haves, touring strategy, and red flags to watch for
• The transaction — offer strategy and negotiation, the inspection process, appraisals, title and escrow, and closing day
• After the close — moving-in priorities, home maintenance basics, property taxes and insurance, HOAs, resale value, building equity, refinancing, and when to sell or upgrade
• Working with buyers long-term — common first-time buyer mistakes, investing as a next step, first-time buyer assistance programs, and why the Realtor relationship matters
• Reference material — printable checklists and a full glossary of real estate terms

Whether you're coaching a nervous renter through their first pre-approval or helping a post-closing client plan their next move, this book gives you a shared roadmap to work from.

Note: The content in this book is for educational purposes and is not intended as legal, financial, or tax advice. Programs, regulations, and assistance availability vary by state and change frequently; consult licensed professionals for guidance on specific situations.