Step 1: Choose Your Search Location
At the top of the Preferences screen, you’ll see Search Location with a large input (for example: “San Antonio, TX”).Type Your City or Metro
Start entering your city, metro area, or state. Autocomplete helps you find valid locations quickly.
Confirm the Area You Actually Want
Choose the city or region where you realistically want to live or invest (you can change this anytime later).
Step 2: Tell Us Who You Are (About You)
Right below your location, you’ll see an About You section with simple checkboxes such as:- “I am a licensed realtor”
- “I am a real estate investor”
Everyday Homebuyers
Leave both boxes unchecked. OwnerFi will treat you as an owner-occupant looking for a primary home.
Licensed Agents
Check “I am a licensed realtor” if you hold an active license. This helps us tailor experience and future tools for your workflow.
Investors
Check “I am a real estate investor” if you’re mainly looking for rentals, flips, or cash-flow properties.
Both or Unsure
If both apply, you can select both; if neither fully fits yet, leave them blank and focus on the property filters.
Step 3: Set Your Property Filters
The Property Filters section lets you define what your ideal home roughly looks like. All fields are optional—you can be super specific or keep things flexible while you explore.Bedrooms & Bathrooms
You’ll see input pairs for Bedrooms and Bathrooms:- Min – the minimum you’re comfortable with
- Max – the maximum you’d consider
How to set Bedrooms
How to set Bedrooms
- If you’re a single person or couple: you might set Min 2 / Max 3
- Growing family or multi-generational: Min 3 / Max 5+
Leaving Max blank keeps the upper bound open.
How to set Bathrooms
How to set Bathrooms
- Tight budget: Min 1 / Max 2
- Prefer convenience or guests: Min 2 / Max 3+
Again, you can leave Max blank if you don’t have a hard limit.
Square Feet
You’ll see Square Feet with Min and Max inputs.Set a Comfortable Minimum
Think about how much space you realistically need—maybe 1,200–1,400 sq ft for a small family, more if you work from home.
Asking Price
Finally, there’s an Asking Price range (Min and Max in dollars).- Min: The lowest price you’d seriously consider (can be left blank).
- Max: Your absolute ceiling for listing price—not just what you’d like, but what you can’t go beyond.
Align With Your Budget
Make sure your Max asking price lines up with your monthly payment comfort and down payment—this keeps your search realistic.
Use It as a Guardrail
The Max helps OwnerFi avoid showing you properties that will almost certainly be out of reach, even with flexible financing.
Step 4: Save Preferences (And Why It Matters)
At the bottom of the screen, you’ll see a large “Save Preferences” button.Review Your Choices
Double-check your location, About You section, and property filters. Nothing here is permanent, but it’s worth a quick look.
Click ‘Save Preferences’
This applies your choices across the app: the Discover feed, recommendations, and alerts all respect these settings.
Saving preferences doesn’t start any application, pull your credit, or contact any seller. It simply fine-tunes what you see.
When Should You Update Your Preferences?
Your preferences are meant to evolve as your situation and taste change.When your life changes
When your life changes
New job? Growing family? Remote work now permanent? Update location, bedrooms, and square feet to match your next chapter.
When your budget changes
When your budget changes
If your income, savings, or debt situation shifts, revisit your Asking Price range and, later, your budget settings.
When your strategy changes
When your strategy changes
Started as an investor but now want a primary home (or vice versa)? Toggle the About You checkboxes so we adjust recommendations.
Quick Reference: Preference Fields
| Section | Field | Example Input | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Search Location | City / Metro | San Antonio, TX | Centers your search where you actually want to be |
| About You | Licensed Realtor | Checked / Unchecked | Tailors tools and education for agents |
| About You | Real Estate Investor | Checked / Unchecked | Surfaces more investor-friendly opportunities |
| Property Filters | Bedrooms (Min/Max) | Min 2 / Max 4 | Keeps homes aligned with your space needs |
| Property Filters | Bathrooms (Min/Max) | Min 2 / Max 3 | Avoids homes that feel too tight for daily life |
| Property Filters | Square Feet | Min 1,300 / Max (blank) | Ensures enough space while staying flexible |
| Property Filters | Asking Price ($) | Min 150,000 / Max 325,000 | Keeps you within a realistic price envelope |
Next Steps
Once your preferences are set, you’re ready to see OwnerFi at its best:- Dashboard Overview — See how your preferences power your home search
- How to Find Your New Home — Learn how to explore in a low-pressure way and move fast when ready
- Is Owner Financing Right For Me? — Check how owner financing fits your situation
Support: Need help deciding what to put in any of these fields? Email support@ownerfi.ai and we’ll help you dial in realistic, flexible preferences.