Guide
Buying a homeYour first home, step by step
A clear path from “maybe someday” to getting the keys.
Open resource ↗THE FREE RESOURCE LIBRARYA little homework.
A little homework.
A lot more confidence.
Practical guides, checklists, and tools for your next home decision. Read, save, print, or share—no account needed.
32free resources
for the decisions ahead
for the decisions ahead
25 guides, checklists & worksheets · 7 calculatorsNeed a definition? Mortgage glossary ↓
32 resources
Checklist
Buying a homeThe preapproval document checklist
Gather the right paperwork before your first lender conversation.
Open resource ↗Worksheet
Buying a homeBuild your down-payment plan
Separate the down payment, closing costs, and money you keep.
Open resource ↗Guide
Credit & budgetWhat can you comfortably afford?
Build a housing budget that leaves room for the rest of life.
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Comparing lendersRead a Loan Estimate with confidence
Know where to find the rate, costs, credits, and assumptions.
Open resource ↗Guide
Comparing lendersInterest rate vs. APR
Two percentages, two different questions.
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Comparing lendersShould you pay points or take a credit?
Understand the trade between upfront cost and monthly payment.
Open resource ↗Worksheet
Comparing lendersCompare three lenders side by side
A practical worksheet for a fair, apples-to-apples comparison.
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Comparing lendersBefore you lock your mortgage rate
Confirm what is locked, for how long, and under which conditions.
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RefinancingDoes a refinance actually help?
Look beyond a lower rate to costs, term, and your goal.
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RefinancingGet your refinance paperwork ready
A focused list for an existing homeowner.
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RefinancingWhat “no-cost refinance” really means
Find out who pays the costs and where they appear.
Open resource ↗Worksheet
Refinancing15-year or 30-year: compare the trade
Balance required payment, interest, and flexibility.
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Home equityHELOCs: draw period, repayment, and risk
Understand a credit line secured by your home.
Open resource ↗Worksheet
Home equityEstimate your available home equity
Separate estimated equity from an approved borrowing limit.
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Home equityBefore you move debt onto your home
Check the total cost and the risk, not only the new payment.
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Credit & budgetYour credit-report checkup
Find errors and questions before a lender does.
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Credit & budgetDebt-to-income ratio, without the jargon
Calculate the ratio and understand what it leaves out.
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Credit & budgetA self-employed borrower’s preparation guide
Make the business story and document trail easier to evaluate.
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Closing & ownershipWhere closing costs actually go
Sort lender charges, third-party costs, and prepaid expenses.
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Closing & ownershipYour closing-day checklist
A calm final review before signatures and keys.
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Closing & ownershipGive your mortgage an annual checkup
Review the balance, escrow, insurance, and changes in your goals.
Open resource ↗Guide
Buying a homeFixed rate or ARM? Ask these questions
Understand certainty, adjustment rules, and the payment you could face.
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Buying a homeConventional, FHA, VA: questions to ask
Compare the program’s full cost instead of choosing by its label.
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Comparing lendersTen questions worth asking a lender
Make your first conversation more useful—and easier to compare.
Open resource ↗Calculator
Buying a homeMortgage payment
See principal, interest, taxes, insurance, and the full monthly picture.
Open calculator ↗Calculator
Buying a homeComfortable home budget
Work backward from a housing payment that fits your life.
Open calculator ↗Calculator
RefinancingRefinance break-even
Compare payment relief, closing costs, and scheduled interest.
Open calculator ↗Calculator
Closing & ownershipExtra payment payoff
See how additional principal could change your payoff date.
Open calculator ↗Calculator
Credit & budgetDebt-to-income ratio
Understand your estimated ratio before a lender conversation.
Open calculator ↗Calculator
Comparing lendersPoints break-even
Compare a lower rate with the upfront price of getting it.
Open calculator ↗Calculator
Home equityHELOC payment
Compare interest-only, repayment, and higher-rate scenarios.
Open calculator ↗PLAIN-ENGLISH TRANSLATIONS
Mortgage terms, decoded.
APR+
Annual percentage rate. A broader measure of financing cost that includes certain charges.
Cash to close+
The estimated funds needed to complete closing after deposits, credits, and adjustments.
Closing Disclosure+
The document showing final mortgage terms and closing costs for covered transactions.
CLTV+
Combined loan-to-value. Total secured borrowing divided by the property value.
Discount point+
An upfront charge equal to 1% of the loan amount per point, usually exchanged for a lower rate.
DTI+
Debt-to-income ratio. Monthly debt payments divided by qualifying gross monthly income.
Escrow account+
An account a servicer uses to collect and pay certain property expenses, commonly taxes and insurance.
HELOC+
A revolving home equity line of credit secured by the property.
Lender credit+
A credit toward closing costs, often in exchange for a higher interest rate.
Loan Estimate+
A standardized summary of estimated mortgage terms, costs, and payments.
LTV+
Loan-to-value. The loan amount divided by the property value used by the lender.
P&I+
Principal and interest. The loan repayment portion of a mortgage payment.
Rate lock+
An agreement to hold specified pricing for a period, subject to its conditions.
Recast+
A recalculation of the required payment after a principal reduction when the loan’s terms allow it.
Servicer+
The company that handles payments and certain account administration for the mortgage.
Underwriting+
The lender’s evaluation of the borrower, property, and loan against its requirements.