Buying Tips

Be sure you’re ready

• Making the transition from renting to buying
• Calculate your income vs. debt
• Understand your credit
• How much do I have to save to buy a home?
• Homebuying for young people: plan ahead

Looking

• Take charge when buying
• How a REALTOR® can help
• Wish list worksheet
• House-hunting tips
• A short guide to real estate lingo and acronyms
• Don’t forget your preapproval letter

Choose a home, make an offer

• How to choose a neighborhood
• How to choose a home
• Home comparison chart
• Wait! Are you buying the right house?
• The basics of making an offer

Get a loan

• Mortgage basics
  
• What are my mortgage options?
  
• How to get a mortgage
  

Inspection and final negotiation

• Hiring a home inspector
  
• Goodbye inspection, hello trouble
  
• Environmental inspection tips
  
• The bottom line on contract negotiation
  
• Negotiating to yes
  
• How to win the bidding wars
  
• Terms and conditions
  

Closing and possession

• Costs associated with a home loan
  
• What is escrow?
  
• Tax benefits of home ownership are almost too good to be true
  
• Home sweet home: shelter from taxes