Awesome Home Buying
A compendium of resources for the home buyer who wants to know everything they can about real estate. Most resources pertain to residents of California, but the general principles can be applied to the rest of the United States.
Content
HomeGuessr
- HomeGuessr - Put your inner home appraiser to the test! - Our free browser game where players guess the value of recently listed homes. See how much of a grip you have on modern property prices!
Generalist Guides
- Michael Bluejay's Home Buyer's Guide - A commonly referenced internet classic, originally published in 1999. The author has updated it over the years and still remains a highly useful primer for home buyers.
- Investopedia: First Time Buyer's Guide - A basic guide for all the fundamentals of the home buying process. What to look out for, what needs to be done, budget considerations, and perks of being a first timer.
- RocketMortgage: Buying a Second Home - Details the differences and similarities in the home buying process for second timers. What to expect, down payment requirements, and types of designations for your second property.
Budgeting
Guides
- Investopedia: Set a Budget for Buying Your First Home - What an "affordable" mortgage actually looks like, as well as other expenses to keep in mind that go beyond the mortgage.
- Khoury Finance: How Much Mortgage Can I Afford? - A comprehensive guide on mortgage budgeting. Starting with the lifestyle budget, and working through what mortgage lenders look for.
- MotleyFool: Factors Determining Mortgage Approval - Details the major factors mortgage lenders look for when they're considering your risk profile.
Calculators
- NerdWallet: How Much House Can I Afford? - A mortgage calculator that features all the bells and whistles you need to make an educated decision.
Mortgages
Guides
- Investopedia: Mortgage Brokers vs. Direct Lenders - The differences between brokers and direct lenders, pros and cons, and which to choose depending on your situation.
- Time: How to Find the Best Mortgage Lender - Whether to choose a broker or a lender, and what specific items to shop around for and focus on.
- RocketMortgage: Types of Mortgages - An introductory explainer on the different types of mortgages offered by lenders, banks and brokers.
- TheMortgageReports: Types of Home Loans - A fairly exhaustive compendium of articles on all the different types of mortgages/home loans.
- /r/PersonalFinance: Mortgage Wiki - Useful resource for understanding mortgages, includes links to popular reddit threads that discuss the topic.
Calculators
- BankRate: Mortgage Rates - A thorough calculator and explainer for comparing mortgage rates.
Down Payments
- Bankrate: What is Home Down Payment - The basics of down payments, your options, and the implications of each.
- Reddit: Housing Down Payments 101 by /u/yes_its_him - A celebrated guide on down payments, how you can source them, and the consequences of a low down payment via private mortgage insurance.
- TheMortgageReports: Low to 0 Down-Payment Mortgage Options - A comprehensive look into the different types of mortgages that allow for less than a 20% down payment.
- CFPB: What is Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI)? - Explains what down-payment brackets will trigger PMI, how it works, how it's paid, and when you can refinance out of it.
- Khoury Finance: What is private mortgage insurance (PMI)? - Private Mortgage Insurance explainer, how it works, and why you might consider paying 20% down to avoid it.
Commissions
About Realtor Commissions
- Avoiding Real Estate Commissions - Everything we know about saving on Realtor commissions.
Discount Real-Estate Providers
- Khoury Finance: DIY Home Buying - Save up to 50% of the buyer's side commission by taking on the fun parts of the real-estate process yourself.
Interest Rates
Discount Points
- Khoury Finance: What is a Mortgage Rate Buydown? - A primer on mortgage rate buydowns, how they work, and how they can benefit you in the high rate market.
Home Search
Platforms
Guides
- RocketMortgage: Your House Hunting Checklist - A basic guide on what you should prioritize for your home search, as well as some tips and tactics for what to keep your eyes peeled for.
- Khoury Finance: How to Search for a Home without a Realtor - A guide on how to search for homes without professional assistance. Includes tools and resources to evaluate your choices.
House Tours
- OpenDoor: What to Look for on a House Tour - A short guide on general best practices for private home showings; what to check out, what to ignore, and what questions you should be asking.
- Homes.com: 13 Essential Things to Look for When Viewing a House - Guide to touring houses from the perspective of a home inspector. Has a helpful infographic for major items to look out for, as well as a downloadable checklist to bring with you as your tour a property.
Making an Offer
- HomeBuyer: Making an Offer on a House - Fundamentals of making an offer, the steps getting there, what to understand and include in the offer -- with or without a buyer's agent.
Contingencies
- NerdWallet: Common Real Estate Contingencies Home Buyers Should Know - Basic primer on what contingencies are, and how they can protect you from unfortunate surprises so you can pull out of the deal.
- RocketHomes: How Often do Contingent Offers Fall Through - Details possible buyer and seller contingencies, and the risks associated with having too many as a buyer in a competitive market.
- KhouryFinance: What Does it Mean to Waive an Appraisal Contingency - Appraisal Contingencies and everything you need to know about them.
Disclosures
- Nolo: Required Disclosures When Selling U.S. Real Estate - Explains the basics of disclosures, and what disclosures are required for the seller.
- QuickenLoans: A Guide To Seller Disclosure Requirements: Forms, States And More - A comprehensive look at disclosures and state-by-state requirements with documents detailing all the necessary information.
Escrow and Title
- Moving: A Simple Guide to Understanding Real Estate Escrow - A basic overview of what escrow is, what happens during the process, who organizes it, and why it's necessary.
- Chase: Understanding Earnest Money - Explains what earnest money deposits are, why they're a common convention, and how to protect your earnest money in case the deal falls through.
- Forbes: Title Insurance: Is It Required? - Defines what title insurance is, the various types, and what it protects you from.
- EndPointClosing: 19 Title and Escrow Problems and How to Solve Them - Fairly exhaustive look at all the reasons you and the seller might fall out of escrow and drop the deal.
Appraisals
- Forbes: How Home Appraisals Work - Explains the fundamentals of house appraisal. Who organizes it, what occurs, who pays for it and why it's important.
- TheBalance: How to Deal with a Low Appraisal - Explains what can happen when an appraisal is below the listed price, as well as steps on how to challenge the appraisal.
- Khoury Finance: What is an appraisal gap? - Appraisal gaps and how they can impact your transaction.
Inspections
- Forbes: How a Home Inspection Protects You - Outlines all the benefits of a home inspection from the buyer's point-of-view, as well as recommendations on what to do if the inspection uncovers issues with the home.
- Moving: Who Pays for Repairs After a Home Inspection - Explains how contract contingencies will dictate who pays for needed repairs identified by inspection.
Closing Costs
Guides
- Reddit: Buyer's Closing Costs 101 by /u/yes_its_him - Covers a lot of ground on what closing costs are, how they work, and how to best shop around and compare.
- Forbes: Mortgage Closing Costs Explained: How Much You’ll Pay - A great explainer on categories of closing costs, and the general fee amounts (will be different state-to-state).
- SmartAsset: How to Reduce Closing Costs - Tips, tricks and strategies on how to shop around for the lowest closing costs, and how to negotiate for lower fees.
Calculators
- SmartAsset: Closing Cost Calculator - A simple calculator that lists out all the possible closing costs, contingent on your purchase price and location.