Buying in West Michigan
The home buying process should feel like a clear path, not a pressure campaign. Jay starts with education, builds a strategy around your goals, and walks with you every step of the way to the closing table.
The Approach
Buying a home is one of the most significant financial decisions you will ever make. It should not feel rushed, confusing, or like something is being sold to you. Jay's role is to equip you with the knowledge you need, help you understand what the market is actually doing, and make sure you move forward on your own terms. The goal is not a fast close. It is helping you build long-term wealth through a decision you genuinely feel good about.
“Talking with a real estate professional is free. Make sure to speak with one at the very beginning of your journey.”Jay Kilgo
How Jay Helps Buyers
Buying a home in West Michigan is one of the biggest decisions of your life. You deserve someone focused on your outcome, not just the transaction.
Before you look at a single listing, Jay makes sure you understand the full process, the real costs, and what to expect at every stage. Informed buyers make better decisions and avoid the stress that comes from being surprised somewhere along the way.
A lender will give you a maximum number. Jay helps you think through the full picture, monthly payment, closing costs, taxes, and insurance, so you know what the home actually costs to carry every month. Comfort matters as much as qualifying.
The search is built around your real priorities, your neighborhood needs, and what you actually want to come home to. Every showing has a reason. Jay helps you evaluate each property beyond the photos, with real market data behind the price.
When it is time to make an offer, you will understand every term before anything is signed. Jay explains contingencies, earnest money, and the inspection process ahead of time so you go into it with clarity and confidence, not guesswork.
What to Expect
Buying a home involves a lot of steps, and most of the stress comes from not knowing what is coming next. Here is what the process looks like when it is done the right way.
Before anything else, Jay wants to understand your situation: where you are, where you want to be, and what timeline makes sense for you. There is no obligation and no pressure. Just an honest conversation about whether now is actually the right time given your circumstances.
Pre-approval versus pre-qualification, what each actually means, and the full picture of down payment, closing costs, and what you will actually pay each month. Jay introduces trusted local lenders when you are ready to take that next step.
The search is built around your priorities, not a list of every available property. Every showing has purpose. Jay helps you evaluate each home based on your real needs, the neighborhood, and the market data behind the asking price.
Offers are built on data and strategy. You will understand every term, contingency, and number before anything is signed. The inspection process is explained ahead of time so nothing arrives as a surprise.
Appraisal, title, and closing timeline tracked and communicated at every step. Jay keeps you informed so the final stretch feels calm and clear, not chaotic or confusing.
Every buyer situation is different, and each one gets a strategy built around its specific goals. Whether you are buying your first home, your next one, relocating to West Michigan, or adding an investment property, there is a plan for it.
The Buyer's Roadmap
From pre-approval to closing, a clear walkthrough of what to expect and how to compete. Written in plain language, free to read, no form required.
First-Time Buyers
Buying your first home starts with knowing where you stand. Work through it yourself, talk it out one on one, or come to a free live class. No pressure, no cost.
A self-paced workbook with the questions, budgeting, and planning that show you exactly where you stand on the path to your first home.
Open the workbook →A quick 10 to 15 minute call with a Legacy advisor. No pitch, just an honest look at where you stand and what comes next.
Book a readiness call →A free, live class with Legacy and VanDyk Mortgage. Learn the real numbers, the loan programs, and the path to your first home.
Register for the class →Buyer Questions
No, and that belief has held a lot of people back from homeownership longer than it needed to. Conventional loans typically start around 3 to 5 percent down, FHA loans around 3.5 percent, and VA and USDA programs offer zero down for those who qualify. Twenty percent mainly matters if you want to avoid private mortgage insurance. The first step is to talk with a lender and find out where you actually stand, because the answer is often better than people expect.
Yes, and not just pre-qualified. Pre-approval means a lender has reviewed your financials and committed to a real number. In West Michigan, well-priced homes in good condition move quickly, and if you find something you love without pre-approval in hand, you will likely lose it to someone who has theirs ready. It takes a few days and is worth doing before you start looking seriously.
Closing costs typically run about 2 to 3 percent of the purchase price, separate from your down payment. They cover lender fees, title work, appraisal, and prepaid items like taxes and homeowners insurance. The exact number depends on your loan and the specific property. Jay walks through the real figures for your situation so nothing at the closing table is a surprise.
In Michigan, a home's taxable value is capped while one owner holds it, and then it resets when the property sells. That means your tax bill can be meaningfully higher than the current owner's on the exact same house. It is not a trick. It is how Michigan property tax law works, and it is worth understanding before you are at the closing table, not after.
Connect
“Tell me what you are trying to do. Whether you are buying your first home, ready to sell, or just starting to think about it, my job is to help you understand your options and get you to the right outcome. No pitch. Just honest guidance from start to finish.”