A First-Time Buyer’s Guide to Buying a Home
A step-by-step guide to buying your first home: what to check, what to save, which loan fits, and what to expect from offer to closing in today's market.
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Home Buying
What Happens After Your Offer Is Accepted: The Timeline to Closing Day
From earnest money and the Loan Estimate to the appraisal, Closing Disclosure, and final walk-through, here is what happens after your offer is accepted and how to keep…
How Much House Can I Afford? A First-Time Buyer’s Guide for 2026
Lenders decide what you qualify for using debt-to-income ratios and the cash you bring to closing. Here is how those rules translate into a price range at today's…
How to Make an Offer on a House When Buyers Have More Choices
NAR reported a 4.8-month supply and a $417,500 median existing-home price in September 2026. Here is how a pre-approved buyer writes a competitive offer, asks the seller to…
Low Rate Mortgages | 2026
What is a good mortgage rate in today’s market? What qualifies as a good mortgage rate is in the eye of the beholder. Certain types of home loans…
Buying a house with a boyfriend or girlfriend
Most couples used to get married before making any major financial decisions together. But buying a house with a boyfriend or girlfriend before marriage is not rare. A…
5 Ways to Buy a Home with 5% Down or Less
One of the most common misconceptions about mortgages is that you need 20% down to buy a home. Options for buyers with 5 percent down or less show…
FHA Loan Down Payments | Requirements 2026
With an FHA loan, you can buy a home with as little as 3.5% down. Your FHA loan down payment minimum depends on your credit score.
Seller Contribution Maximums for Conventional, FHA, VA, USDA | 2026
Mortgage closing costs range from 2-5% of a home’s purchase price. That can add up. Many sellers are eager to pay your closing costs to sell their home…
How much is a down payment on a house? (FHA, VA, USDA, Conventional)
Many people still think down payment requirements for a house start at 20 percent. However, many borrowers are able to buy homes with little or no down payment.…