HomeShark guides you through every stage of buying a home — how much you can truly afford, what closing costs to expect, what documents your lender needs, and how to find the right professionals. Bait floats along. Sharks are in control.
Affordability Calculator
Know exactly what price range you can afford — not just what a lender approves. Factors in taxes, insurance, HOA, and all closing costs.
Financial Readiness Quiz
Find out if your credit, savings, and income are in the right shape before you apply for a loan or start touring homes.
The Real Cost of Buying a Home — and What Your Lender Will Ask For
Two essentials in one: a plain-English breakdown of every cost you'll face at closing, plus a complete list of the documents your lender will require before you get approved.
Buyer Dashboard
Your custom dashboard shows your next step at every point in the process — from first search to signed contract. See where you are and what to do next.
Why You Need a Lender, Inspector & Attorney Before You Find a House
Most buyers line up professionals after they find a home — that's too late. Here's why locking in your team before you search protects you at every stage.
Georgia Down Payment Assistance Programs
A curated directory of Georgia DPA programs — state, county, and nonprofit — with eligibility requirements, income limits, and direct links to apply.
Browse the same listings every agent sees — every home on the Georgia MLS. Not a curated subset, not homes from agents who paid to be featured. This section gives you the knowledge and tools to search smarter, prioritize what actually matters, and move fast when the right home appears.
HomeShark Needs Tool
Clarify your must-haves vs. nice-to-haves before diving into the MLS — so your search stays focused.
Affordability Calculator
Know your real price range — not just what a lender approves. Factor in taxes, insurance, HOA, and closing costs.
How to Create a Home Search on HomeShark
A step-by-step walkthrough of setting up your MLS search — filters, saved searches, and real-time alerts — so you never miss a listing that fits.
How to Read an MLS Listing (Without a Real Estate License)
What do DOM, contingent, and active under contract actually mean? This guide decodes listing status and data.
How to Research School Districts Like a Pro
Whether you have kids or not, school districts drive home values. Here's how to evaluate them objectively.
HomeShark gives you three ways to tour a home — one is free, the others give you privacy without locking you into a long-term buyer's agent agreement just to walk through a door. This section prepares you to tour with purpose: what to look for, what questions to ask, and how to evaluate a home beyond the staging.
See It Like a Shark
A free 4–5 part video series that walks you through a showing the way a sharp buyer does it — starting before you ever schedule the visit. Covers what to research beforehand, what to look for room by room, what to ask on-site, and how to evaluate what you saw once you get home.
How HomeShark Showings Work
A quick walkthrough of all three showing options — open houses, listing agent showings, and on-demand showings.
Home Tour Checklist (Bring This)
47 things to check during a showing — from foundation cracks to water pressure to cell signal in every room.
Red Flags to Spot at a Showing (That Agents Often Miss)
Freshly painted basement walls, new carpet over hardwood, and 9 other signs a seller is hiding something.
Questions to Ask at Every Showing
What to ask the listing agent, what not to say, and how to get honest answers about the home's history.
How to Evaluate a Neighborhood in 30 Minutes
Drive patterns, noise windows, walkability, and the one thing most buyers forget to check before making an offer.
How to Read a Georgia Seller's Disclosure
Every section of the GAR F301 explained — what the seller is telling you, what red flags to look for, and how to use it before you make an offer.
HomeShark's Contract Builder walks you through every term in the Georgia purchase agreement in plain English. You understand what you're signing and why each clause matters before you sign it. This section builds your confidence: offer strategy, negotiation, and exactly how the GA-standard contract protects you.
Contract Builder
Answer guided questions, we populate the official Georgia Association of Realtors form. Reviewed by a licensed agent before submission.
Every Decision You Need to Make Before Writing an Offer
Purchase price, due diligence period, earnest money, closing date, financing contingency, appraisal gap, special stipulations — every contract term explained in plain English so you walk in prepared, whether you're writing with HomeShark or an agent.
Offer Preparation Checklist
A fillable checklist covering every decision you'll need to make before writing: price, due diligence days, earnest money amount, contingencies, closing timeline, and special stipulations. Fill it out before you sit down to write — with HomeShark or anyone else.
How to Read Your SharkComp Like an Agent
A step-by-step walkthrough of how to use the SharkComp tool — HomeShark pulls comparable sales based on your home's parameters, and this video shows you how to read them the way an agent would to determine what an offer should look like.
Georgia Contract Contingencies, Explained
Financing, inspection, and appraisal contingencies — what they protect, when to waive them, and the risk of each.
Counter-Offers: How to Negotiate Without an Agent
What moves to make, what to let go, and how to keep a deal alive when a seller counters your offer.
Getting under contract is just the beginning. The period between accepted offer and closing is where most buyers feel lost — inspections, lender milestones, appraisals, due diligence, and the final walkthrough. Your Buyer Dashboard tracks every milestone and surfaces your next action. This section prepares you for each stage so nothing falls through the cracks.
Home Capital Plan
Map your roof, HVAC, water heater, and appliances - plus any renovations you're planning - against a 10-year timeline, and see exactly how much to save each month after closing.
How to Use Your Inspection Report in Negotiations
Not every issue is a dealbreaker. Learn how to triage inspection findings and what to ask the seller to fix vs. accept.
Georgia Closing Costs: The Complete Breakdown
Every fee on your closing disclosure — lender fees, title, transfer tax, prepaid escrow — explained line by line.
Closing Day Checklist
What to bring, what to expect, and what to verify before you sign. Final walkthrough notes included.
What Happens if the Appraisal Comes in Low?
A common situation that derails deals — here's what your options are and how to navigate it with your lender.
Lender Milestones After Acceptance: A Timeline
Conditional approval, appraisal order, clear to close — what each lender milestone means and how long each takes in Georgia.
Be the Shark,
Not the Bait.
Buy a Home. Save the Commission.
