Buying a Home
Buying a home is an exciting experience. It can also be a challenge! This guide tells you everything you need to know about buying a home, from getting preapproved to closing.
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1
The First Step in Buying a Home – Preapproval
- What Is a Mortgage Preapproval?
- How much can I afford?
- How Long Does It Take to Get Preapproved For a Mortgage?
- Why Should I Get Preapproved Before Shopping For a Home?
- What is the preapproval process like?
- Should I get pre-qualified or preapproved?
- What Documents Do I Need for Mortgage Preapproval?
- What Is the Difference Between a Standard Preapproval and an Underwritten Preapproval?
- How Long Does a Mortgage Preapproval Last?
- How Much Will My Down Payment Be?
- How Much Will My Monthly Payment Be?
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2
How do I choose a lender?
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3
How much money do I need?
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4
The Basics of Mortgage
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5
Finding a Real Estate Agent
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6
Getting an Offer Accepted
- Four Mistakes to Avoid When Making an Offer
- Making a Competitive Offer Without Overpaying
- Negotiating With a Seller: Do's and Don'ts
- How Much Earnest Money is Enough?
- What is a Contingent Offer?
- When Is It Safe to Waive Contingencies?
- When to Use an Escalation Clause
- Should I Ever Waive the Home Inspection?
- Home Inspection Red Flags
- Who Controls the Home Inspection?
- Can I Get Out of a Real Estate Contract?
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7
How to find your perfect home
- How to Find Your Dream Home
- Am I Getting a Good Deal on My Home Purchase?
- How Do I Avoid Buying a Money Pit?
- How to Tell if a Home Is in a Good Neighborhood
- Should I Buy a Resale or a New Construction Home?
- Should I Buy a Fixer Upper Home?
- Should I Build a Home on a Lot?
- Should I buy a foreclosure or short sale home?
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8
Types of Homes
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9
Getting the Best Mortgage Rate
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10
Steps to the perfect loan process
Additional Free Tools
Use our free mortgage calculator tools to estimate your monthly mortgage payments based on your unique loan scenario. See how your monthly payment changes by making updates to your home price, down payment, interest rate, and loan term.
Mortgage Calculator
Wondering what your monthly mortgage payment might be? Plug in your data to get an instant mortgage payment estimate.
VA Loan Calculator
Military service can mean eligibility for a no-down payment mortgage. Find out if you qualify for a VA home loan.
FHA Calculator
Designed for first-time and low-income homebuyers, an FHA loan could put you on the path to home ownership fast.
Refinance Calculator
Seeking to refinance? Find out how much you can save in interest over the term of your home loan by refinancing now.
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