awesome-home-buying

Everything we know about saving on Realtor commissions.

Save up to 50% of the buyer's side commission by taking on the fun parts of the real-estate process yourself.

A thorough calculator and explainer for comparing mortgage rates.

The differences between brokers and direct lenders, pros and cons, and which to choose depending on your situation.

An introductory explainer on the different types of mortgages offered by lenders, banks and brokers.

Useful resource for understanding mortgages, includes links to popular reddit threads that discuss the topic.

A fairly exhaustive compendium of articles on all the different types of mortgages/home loans.

Whether to choose a broker or a lender, and what specific items to shop around for and focus on.

The basics of down payments, your options, and the implications of each.

Explains what down-payment brackets will trigger PMI, how it works, how it's paid, and when you can refinance out of it.

Private Mortgage Insurance explainer, how it works, and why you might consider paying 20% down to avoid it.

A celebrated guide on down payments, how you can source them, and the consequences of a low down payment via private mortgage insurance.

A comprehensive look into the different types of mortgages that allow for less than a 20% down payment.

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.

Fairly exhaustive look at all the reasons you and the seller might fall out of escrow and drop the deal.

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.

Explains the fundamentals of house appraisal. Who organizes it, what occurs, who pays for it and why it's important.

Defines what title insurance is, the various types, and what it protects you from.

Appraisal gaps and how they can impact your transaction.

A great explainer on categories of closing costs, and the general fee amounts (will be different state-to-state).

Covers a lot of ground on what closing costs are, how they work, and how to best shop around and compare.

A simple calculator that lists out all the possible closing costs, contingent on your purchase price and location.

Tips, tricks and strategies on how to shop around for the lowest closing costs, and how to negotiate for lower fees.

A guide on how to search for homes without professional assistance. Includes tools and resources to evaluate your choices.

Fundamentals of making an offer, the steps getting there, what to understand and include in the offer -- with or without a buyer's agent.

Appraisal Contingencies and everything you need to know about them.

Basic primer on what contingencies are, and how they can protect you from unfortunate surprises so you can pull out of the deal.

Explains the basics of disclosures, and what disclosures are required for the seller.

A comprehensive look at disclosures and state-by-state requirements with documents detailing all the necessary information.

Details possible buyer and seller contingencies, and the risks associated with having too many as a buyer in a competitive market.

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!