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“I'll walk you through it page by page. Let's look at the numbers, and let's do this together.”
Buying in West Michigan
Browsing listings is easy. Knowing what actually matters is harder. This page is built to give you clarity first, so you can explore, ask questions, and move when it's right for you.
The Approach
Buying a home doesn't need to be rushed or complicated. My job is to walk you through it page by page, so you understand exactly what you're signing and why. That means honest conversations about timing, pricing, and whether now is even the right time to move for you.
“We're in this together. I'll answer the call, and I'll tell you the truth, even when it's not what you were hoping to hear.”Matt Parker
How Matt Helps Buyers
Buying a home is one of the biggest decisions you'll make. You deserve someone who actually picks up the phone and works for your outcome.
Some of the most useful conversations I have end with a reason to wait. You'll get a real read on the Muskegon County and West Michigan market, with no pressure to move before you're ready.
A lender gives you the max number. Let's look at the full picture together: down payment, closing costs, and a monthly payment that actually fits your life.
We get clear on must-haves versus nice-to-haves before we ever walk into a home. School districts, community fit, resale down the road. Every showing earns its spot on the list.
You'll understand every term before you sign anything. How to be competitive without overpaying, what contingencies protect you, and how inspections and repairs actually work.
What to Expect
Most of the stress in buying a home comes from not knowing what's next. Here's what it looks like when someone actually answers the call and walks you through it.
Before anything else, we talk. What you're looking for, why now, and what timeline actually makes sense. No forms, no obligation. Just a conversation about whether moving forward is the right call.
Pre-approval versus pre-qualification, what each one actually means, and the full cost picture including down payment, closing costs, and reserves. Lender introductions when you're ready.
Not a firehose of listings. A focused search built around what you actually need and how you want to live, from the lakeshore to the farm country inland.
We look at comparable sales, understand the seller's situation, and build an offer that's competitive without giving away more than it needs to. Every term explained before you sign.
The inspection is information, not a hurdle. We work through what matters and what doesn't. From there, appraisal and title move forward with someone tracking every step.
Every buyer's situation is different, and every one gets a plan built around what they're actually trying to do. First home or fifth, the approach is the same: I answer the call, and we look at the numbers together.
The Buyer's Roadmap
Pre-approval to closing, walked through page by page. Plain language, free to read, no form required.
First-Time Buyers
Buying your first home starts with knowing where you stand. Work through it on your own, talk it out with someone one on one, or join a free live class. No pressure, no cost.
A self-paced workbook that walks you through the questions, budgeting, and planning, page by page, so you know exactly where you stand.
Open the workbook →A quick call with a Legacy advisor. No pitch, just a straight look at where you stand and what's next.
Book a readiness call →A free, live class with Legacy and VanDyk Mortgage. Let's look at the real numbers, the loan programs, and the path to your first home.
Register for the class →Buyer Questions
No, and that belief keeps a lot of people waiting longer than they need to. Conventional loans can start as low as 3 to 5 percent down, FHA around 3.5 percent, and VA or USDA can be zero down for those who qualify. Twenty percent mainly matters if you want to avoid PMI. Get the real number from a lender before you assume anything.
Yes, and not just pre-qualified. Pre-approval means a lender has actually reviewed your finances and given you a real number. Good homes in this market move fast. If you find one without pre-approval, you'll likely lose it to someone who has it.
Usually somewhere between 2 and 3 percent of the purchase price, on top of your down payment. That covers lender fees, title work, appraisal, and prepaid taxes and insurance. We'll walk through a real estimate before you ever get to the closing table.
In Michigan, taxable value is capped while one owner holds the property, then it resets when it sells. Your tax bill can be noticeably higher than the current owner's on the same house. Worth understanding before you close, not after.
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“I'll walk you through it page by page. Let's look at the numbers, and let's do this together.”