Buying a Home
Our Home Buying Guide will walk you through the process, step by step, in chronological order. You’ll never have to wonder what’s going to happen next in your home buying journey. Start from the top, or jump in wherever you are in the process.
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1
Starting Out as a Home Buyer
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2
Getting Pre-Approved
- Why every home buyer needs a pre-approval before home shopping
- Should you get pre-qualified or pre-approved? What’s the difference? [Video]
- How long does it take to get pre-approved for a mortgage? [VIDEO]
- What are your chances of mortgage approval? Your down payment and credit score make a big difference
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3
Finding a Lender
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4
Out-Of-Pocket Costs
- How much down payment do you need for a house?
- How to save for a house: The complete guide
- Buying a house without a lot of cash
- Down payment gifts: How to give and receive a cash down payment gift for a home
- Earnest money check, down payment and closing costs: When are they due?
- Guide to mortgage closing costs: Average closing costs and how to keep yours low
- The lowdown on down payment grants
- Complete guide to down payment assistance in the USA
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5
Mortgage 101: The Basics + Definitions
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6
Which Type of Mortgage is Best for Me?
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7
Hiring a Real Estate Agent
- Do I need a real estate agent to buy a home?
- Hiring a real estate agent when you buy a home: Avoid these mistakes
- Dual agency can cost you: Beware of “double agents” when buying a home
- How much do real estate agents make from my home purchase? And who pays?
- Discount brokers: Do they really provide 1 percent rebates to buyers?
- You want to fire your real estate agent. Can you do that?
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8
How To Find the Right Home
- First-time home buyers guide: Finding the perfect house
- Buying a home: How do you know that you’re getting a good house?
- Safe neighborhood: How to check it out before buying a home
- Considering a home with a long commute? Don’t drive yourself crazy
- Open houses: What’s their role in the home-buying process?
- How to buy a short sale home
- Complete guide to building a house
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9
Types of Homes
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10
Making an Offer
- Avoid these 7 mistakes when making an offer on a house
- Understanding a real estate contract or purchase agreement
- What happens when my real estate offer is accepted? [Video]
- What’s a contingency in a real estate purchase contract?
- Getting sellers to pay your closing costs
- Watch out for these pitfalls in your real estate purchase agreement
- Counteroffer definition: What does it mean when I get a counteroffer?
- How to choose the right closing date
- How to get out of a real estate contract
- How do I finalize my offer to buy a home?
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11
Requesting A Home Inspection
- Home inspections: A must for every home buyer
- Home inspection checklist: What to expect on inspection day [VIDEO]
- What to look for in a home inspection: Recognizing the deal breakers
- What’s in a home inspection report?
- Home inspection: Check these important systems before buying
- Should I bail after a really bad home inspection?
- Home inspection: What does a home inspector do and why should I get one?
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12
Getting a Mortgage Rate & Locking In
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13
Submitting Remaining Application Items to the Lender
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14
Ordering The Appraisal
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15
The Next Step: Mortgage Processing
- My mortgage is in “processing.” What does a mortgage loan processor do?
- How to decipher the stack of mortgage loan disclosures from your lender
- What is title insurance, and is it required?
- Background check: Verbal verification of employment and other intrusions
- Final approval from the underwriter: What happens next?
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16
"Closing" On My Home
- Escrow definition: What an escrow company does
- Preparing for your real estate purchase closing
- Mortgage closing: What happens at your signing
- Use your mortgage Closing Disclosure (CD) to get the deal you were promised
- Mortgage closing: Why does my lender want so much escrow money?
- Cash to close: What is it, how to pay it and how to avoid fraud
- Home closing: What you need to read, what you can skim
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17
After Signing your Final Loan Documents
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18
Getting Keys, Moving In
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