Home Buying Advice for First-Time Buyers

Welcome to the home buying section of our website. Here, you'll find hundreds of expert tips on all aspects of the home buying process. If this is your first time buying a house, you probably have a lot of questions about house hunting, credit, mortgages and all the rest. You'll find answers here!

Tools for Home Buyers

Using the convenient tools provided below, you can get mortgage offers online, quotes for homeowners insurance, and access to your credit information. Three important things for home buyers!

Tips on Buying a House

Your No-Nonsense Guide to Buying a Home
Economic changes over the last few years have altered the home buying process in several ways. This article takes a modern look at that process, and explains what buyers should know and do before venturing forward.
Published on 6/24/08

10 Things You Must Do Before Buying a Home
When you consider that a home purchase is probably the largest financial transaction you'll ever make in your life, it only makes sense to have a solid plan for success. This article is a great place to start. It lists ten of the most important steps you should take when beginning a home buying process of your own.
Published on 7/12/08

101 Tips for a Smoother Home Buying Process
This article serves two purposes, both of which will benefit you as a home buyer. For one thing, it outlines the process of purchasing a home from start to finish. It will also help you identify areas that are unfamiliar to you, so you can focus your research where it's needed most.
Published on 5/16/08

The Housing Crisis Explained for Home Buyers
This article was written in October 2008, a time of economic hardship and uncertainty in the United States. The housing crisis has grown into a full-blown economic crisis, and it has changed the "rules" of home buying. We will help you make sense of it all in this lesson.
Published on 10/14/08

Buying a House in the New Economy
If you are buying a house in the near future, recent changes to the economy have everything to do with you. Here's an overview of those changes and how they relate to your credit score.
Published on 5/24/08

How to Be a Home Buying Statistic - The Good Kind
2007 was a year of record-breaking real estate statistics in the United States. Unfortunately, most of those stats were bad. On the up side, there is a lot you can do to prevent this kind of real estate misery. Here are some tips for home buying success.
Published on 5/20/08

How to Lower Your Home Insurance Costs
When you buy a home, your mortgage lender will require a homeowners insurance policy in order to protect their interest in the home. This article will show you how to choose the right kind of policy for your particular needs.
Published on 6/1/08

Home Moving Made Easy - Relocation Tips from the Pros
Moving can be a stressful time for anyone. But by preparing for your next move, you can greatly reduce the stress involved and simplify the entire process. Here's how to go about it.
Published on 7/3/08

Home Inspection Tips for Home Buyers
The home inspection is an important part of the home buying process and should not be skipped over. It will help you determine if there are any major problems with the property. It's best to schedule an inspection as soon as possible after the seller accepts your offer.
Published on 5/16/08

Custom Homes 101 - A Buyer's Guide to Success
One bit of good news for buyers is that there are many more custom builders today than there were just a few years ago. The reason for this can be summed up with one word -- demand.
Published on 6/5/08

Real Estate Auctions - 21 Things Buyers Should Know
Many of the properties that get foreclosed upon end up being sold at real estate auctions for less than market value. What this means to you, as a home buyer, is that you can often save a lot of money by purchasing a home at auction.
Published on 5/16/08

How to Buy a Home With a Low Down-Payment
It's no surprise that so many Americans are looking for ways to buy a home with a low down payment. After all, with so many other costs associated with a home purchase, coming up with a large down payment isn't always an option.
Published on 6/16/08

Low-Income Home Buying Programs Explained
What are low-income home buying programs, and how do they help home buyers? I get this question a lot, especially from first-time home buyers. So here's an overview of low-income home buying programs, how they work, and where you can learn more.
Published on 5/19/08

Also see: Blog articles on this topic