Craig Berry, contributor

Your mortgage lender might pull up a lower credit score than you thought you had. Here's why, and how to check the right credit score before you apply.

Some closing costs can increase on the Closing Disclosure (CD) but others can't. Here's how to use the CD to get the deal you were promised.

Stated income loans were all the rage pre-2008, but they don't exist anymore. Learn what companies really mean when they say "stated income loan" today.

Bad credit doesn't always mean you can't get a mortgage. Here are 7 low credit score home loans to help bad credit borrowers become homeowners.

An appraisal gap happens when the appraisal is lower than your offer. Here's how to navigate this situation as a home buyer.

Learn how to buy a high-priced home using your VA loan benefits with the VA jumbo loan.

Here are three ways to avoid PMI without 20% down, including lender-paid mortgage insurance, piggyback loans, and no-PMI loans,

Learn how to finance closing costs when you buy a house or refinance. Roll closing costs into the loan or take a higher interest rate.

Bank statement loans can help self-employed buyers qualify to buy or refinance a home. Learn how they work here.