Guides, checklists, and expert help for aspiring home buyers preparing to purchase a home. Learn how to budget, secure financing, and move confidently toward your first or next home.
It’s estimated that smart devices are in at least 37% of all homes in the United States. Thanks to advancing technology and the internet of things (IoT), devices are able to connect to the internet and complete different tasks we never thought possible. From smart speakers that tell you the weather and robot vacuums that can detect…
It’s an exciting time! You’re ready to begin the home-buying process by going house hunting and purchasing your dream home. Before you start packing boxes, however, you need to get your financial affairs in order. The first step in preparing to buy a home is getting mortgage pre-approval. To decide if you qualify for a…
When you’re buying a home, it’s easy to get caught up in focusing on things like a property’s appearance, price, and location. But homebuyers also need to carefully consider other factors, like the water you’ll have access to. Unless you’re a robot or an advanced artificial intelligence algorithm, you need water to survive. After all,…
Wondering how to win a bidding war on a house? You’re in the right place. Let’s say you’re a first-time homebuyer who’s been looking for a dream home and you’ve finally found it after attending an open house. Congratulations! Unfortunately, once you make a bid, you discover another potential buyer has also submitted one. In…
Debt can leave you feeling trapped, so learn how to get out of debt fast! Even when you’re making minimum payments against your credit card debt, interest eats up the bulk of what you pay, and you see only minor gains — if you see any gains at all. Even worse, when you have multiple…
Your down payment is one of the most important things to consider when buying a home. But figuring out how much you should save can be a challenge, especially if you’re pursuing homeownership for the first time. How much you should save for a down payment depends on a variety of factors, including the type…
Stepping into the world of homeownership can be thrilling. But it can also be a tad overwhelming — especially when figuring out the initial cash you’ll need. Typically, a first-time homebuyer down payment hovers around 6% of the new home’s purchase price. This blog walks you through the ins and outs of down payments, offering…
How to close on your first property and accelerate your journey to financial freedom So, you’re thinking about buying a home for the first time. That’s great news! From increased financial security and tax benefits to having a permanent roof over your head and being part of a local community, there’s a lot to like…
In most real estate transactions, homebuyers and sellers hire real estate agents to represent them. In many cases, buyers and sellers never interact with each other; the agents work as intermediaries and do all the negotiation. Every now and again, however, you may run into the acronym FSBO on your house hunt. This means “for…
So you’re thinking about becoming a first-time homebuyer in CT? Congratulations! The Nutmeg State is a great place to call home, with proximity to Boston, New York City, and Providence, Rhode Island, and more than 600 miles of its coastline hugging the Long Island Sound. While the wooded state is beautiful and filled with tons…