First-time and move-up homebuyers who skip pre-qualification before touring homes set themselves up to fail.

The Lyons Group team, Ben Lyons, Shannon Martin, and Aspen Groen, breaks down the five costliest buyer mistakes they see repeatedly, starting with the brutal truth that browsing above your budget permanently ruins your satisfaction with homes you can actually afford. From the medical analogy that reframes pre-approval as a non-negotiable first step, to why skipping a $500 inspection on a $500,000 purchase is financial negligence, the team delivers a concrete, sequential fix: know your number, understand your comfort zone, and never waive the inspection, even on new construction.

Ben, Shannon, and Aspen walk all five mistakes in sequence. Mistake one: skipping lender-verified pre-approval, which confirms actual income, debt, student loans, and co-signed obligations rather than a self-stated online estimate. Mistake two: choosing a realtor by default rather than vetting for personality and communication fit. Mistake three: buying at the approval ceiling, leaving no buffer when an $8,000 to $12,000 furnace replacement surfaces within the first twelve months. Mistake four: waiving inspections even on new construction. Mistake five: waiting years for a market crash that current industry data shows no signs of producing.

Listeners leave with a clear action sequence: get lender-verified pre-approval before any showing, interview realtors for personality and communication fit, set a purchase price below the approval ceiling to absorb surprises like a $500 inspection on a $500,000 purchase, and schedule the inspection within the first days of going under contract. When rates eventually drop, competition rises and prices follow, so the buyer who is already pre-approved and working with a vetted agent can move immediately rather than scrambling to catch up with everyone else entering the market at once.

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What really happens between an accepted offer and the closing table?

In this episode of The Den, hosts Ben Lyons, Paul Barry, Shannon Martin, and Aspen Groen pull back the curtain on the real work behind every real estate transaction, from coordinating inspections and lenders to tracking deadlines, managing compliance, navigating contract changes, and helping clients through the emotional side of buying or selling a home.

This conversation is especially valuable for home buyers, sellers, and realtors in Farmington, San Juan County, and the Four Corners region who want a clearer look at what happens behind the scenes. The team talks through why a smooth transaction often means the realtor has been working hard in the background, making sure every detail is handled before it becomes a problem.

Learn more or schedule a consultation at SJCbroker.com.

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Is earnest money still enough to prove a buyer is serious? In this episode of The Den, Ben, Paul, Shannon, and Aspen break down New Mexico’s new independent consideration requirement, what it means for real estate contracts, and why buyers and sellers need to understand how it differs from earnest money.

The hosts dig into how consideration works, why sellers may finally have a little more protection, and how buyers should think about due diligence, offer strength, contingencies, appraisal deadlines, loan estimates, and money that may go directly to the seller. This is a practical real estate conversation for buyers, sellers, Realtors, and anyone watching contract changes in the Four Corners market.

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