Financial Planning Guide

Buying a Home

Our guide to buying a home aims at being a great source of information for both the first time home buyer and those thinking about a second home. We'll take you through the entire process - from figuring out how large a mortgage you can afford, right through your closing. We'll explain it all to you in simple terms that should take away all of the mystery around buying a home.

We'll explain to you the difference between a buyer's and a seller's real estate agent and we'll tell you how you can figure out if that home you're thinking about buying only needs a fresh coat of paint or expensive repairs. Finally, don't forget to take a look at our first time home buyers series We've got tips in there that even tell you where you can find information on grants and home buying programs at the federal and local level.

Home Buying Basics

Since a new home is such a big investment, you have a vested interest in doing your best to understand if you're getting a good deal. That means you need to do a little scratching below the surface and a bit of homework to make sure your new home will be a happy one.

If you think you can leave all this work up to your real estate agent, then this series is a must read:

Buying a Home for the First Time

Our first time home buyer series walks you through the entire process of buying a home. That means we start with a "how to" find the best town and run right through negotiating with the homeowner. You're about to spend a lot of money, you should be doing all you can to make sure you're going to do it right or at least minimizing your mistakes:

Home Buying Help

If you've been renting a home or an apartment and you've been wondering if you can ever buy a home to call your very own, this is the series that you should read. There's a government agency (HUD) that has a dream - everyone in America owns their home. Find out what programs there are out there to help you realize that dream:

Financing Your Home

If you've got bad credit or you've been thinking about refinancing your home, we lay out the options you've got in this series of articles. Whether it's a home equity loan or you're considering remodeling your home, here's some information that can help you understand the financing choices you've got:

Prefabricated / Manufactured Homes

The prefabricated housing market is a billion dollar industry. If you're wondering how this market grew so big, then you probably haven't seen the latest lineup of manufactured homes. There're big, safe, and made better than ever. And some are even competing in the luxury home market:

Selling Your Home

Up to this point, most of our information is for those thinking about buying a home. But many of those same people buying homes are also selling a home. Here's an introduction to the process of selling your home including the concept of house flipping and a specialty article dealing with relocating a pet:

Safety and Security in a New Home

While owning a new home can be an exciting experience, you're also going to realize that you've got an obligation to your loved ones and yourself to make sure your home is safe and secure. This series of articles is dedicated to making sure you've done all you can do to make your new home a safe home.