You'll come across various mortgage and real estate specialists on your path to becoming a homeowner, and their roles will range from confirming your income history to discussing your financing alternatives to doing an appraisal on your possible dream home.The first...

Prepare to Close on your House Closing on your house is such an exciting time, but you should be prepared before it happens, so it goes smoothly. After you place a bid and sign a sales contract, a lot goes on behind the scenes. The more you understand the smoother the...

6 Reasons to Work with a Real Estate Agent If you’re buying a house you may think you can do it yourself. The internet makes it a lot easier to see what homes are available and you can just do the work yourself, right? You can, but you shouldn’t. A real estate agent...

How to Find a Home to Buy Finding the right home to buy can feel like looking for a needle in a haystack. Even when you see a lot of homes listed, it doesn’t mean any of them are a good fit. Knowing how to find a home to buy using the right steps is important. Use...

Managing your Mortgage Payments Approximately 45 days after you close on a home, you’ll make mortgage payments. Because you pay interest in arrears, the interest in your payment covers the previous month. For example, if you close on May 20th, you won’t have a...

Take These Steps to Get Approved for a Mortgage Getting approved for a mortgage may seem overwhelming, but when you break it down into simple steps, you’ll see just how possible it is. The more knowledge you have, and the more you prepare yourself for the mortgage,...

Understanding Your Mortgage Payment You borrow money to buy a home and think you pay back just the amount borrowed plus interest, right? Wrong. Mortgage payments have many pieces that if you don’t understand them could make it difficult to budget. Here’s what to...

Home buyer's guide Preparing to buy a home before you jump in headfirst is one of the best decisions you can make. Buying a home is a big decision, but when you know what’s expected and how to get the best rate and terms on your mortgage, you’ll have an easier time...