Answers by Michelle Fenske

“Absolutely—you can still move forward with financing even if the home isn’t on the market yet. In Wisconsin, private or off-market sales happen more often than people think, especially when it involves a family friend. As a first-time buyer, your best first step is to connect with a lender and get pre-approved so you know exactly what you can afford. From there, we can structure an offer just like any other transaction using Wisconsin’s standard Offer to Purchase, and the lender will still require an appraisal to confirm the value. I’d also recommend having inspections in place to protect yourself, even in a private sale. If the seller is offering the home below market value, there may even be an opportunity to use that difference as a gift of equity toward your down payment.