First Time Home Buyer

By Mary O'Neil

Buying your first home can be scary, but if you follow these tips, you will do just fine! Look at as many homes as possible to get a better feel for ones available in your price range. Keep track of what you like and dislike about each home that you visit by printing and using…

Understand Your Credit

By Mary O'Neil

If you have ever applied for a charge card, student loan, or other kinds of credit, you probably have a credit report (or credit profile). Credit reporting agencies collect and organize information about you and your repayment history, and make it available to those who are considering granting you credit. Landlords, employers, government licensing agencies,…

How Much Home Can You Afford?

By Mary O'Neil

Home loans can be available from several types of lenders–thrift institutions, mortgage companies, commercial banks, and credit unions. Various lenders may quote you different prices, so you should contact several lenders to make sure you’re getting the best price. You can also get a home loan through a mortgage broker. Brokers set up transactions rather…

Pros and Cons of Home Ownership

By Mary O'Neil

You probably started the home buying process in one of two ways: you saw a home you were interested in buying or you consulted a lender to figure out how much money you could borrow before you found a home (sometimes called pre-qualifying). The next step is to sign an agreement of sale with the…

Transitioning from Renting to Buying

By Mary O'Neil

Why should I buy, instead of rent? Answer: You’ll love the feeling of having something that’s all yours – a home where your own personal style will tell the world who you are. A thriving vegetable garden in the backyard, a tiled entryway, a yellow kitchen…when you own, you can do it all your way!…

Are You Ready to Buy a Home?

By Mary O'Neil

Know Your Rights as a Homebuyer Before you start, there are many laws that protect you from scams, unnecessary expenses, and discrimination in the process of homebuying. Know your rights! Find out How Much Mortgage Can You Afford You can save yourself a lot of wheel-spinning if you take a minute to figure out how…