Home Buying Institute - About Us

Welcome to the Home Buying Institute. This website offers advice on all aspects of the home buying process. You can find tips on house hunting, finding a real estate agent, shopping for a mortgage and more.

The HBI Mission

In a nutshell: We give home buyers the information they need to make smarter decisions during the home-buying process.

We hope to create a smarter class of home buyers in the United States. History shows us there is a need for more (and better) advice for first-time home buyers, and that is what we aim to provide. Many of the problems associated with the 2008 - 2009 mortgage crisis could have been avoided, if buyers were better educated about the process. As we have seen, quality education is in everyone's best interest — and that is what we offer through this website.

HBI In the News

We frequently contribute to news stories all over the country. For example, Brandon offered his mortgage insight for this piece published in the Dallas Morning News. Additionally, you can find our articles published on thousands of real estate blogs and websites, all over the United States.

About the Publishers

Most of the content on this website is written and/or edited by Brandon and Melissa Cornett. We also publish content from writers-at-large, who are too many to mention here. Bylines and credentials are provided on individual contributions.


Brandon Cornett

Brandon Cornett, Editor-In-Chief
Brandon is a consumer advocate who has covered the real estate scene for nearly a decade. He is the creator of the Home Buying Institute. His educational articles appear on thousands of websites all over the United States.


Melissa Cornett

Melissa Cornett, Writer & Researcher
Melissa has an extensive background in the finance industry. She provides research services for the Home Buying Institute and writes many of the articles and news stories as well.


We also accept articles from a variety of real estate and mortgage experts. If you fit this description, and you would like to publish an educational article on this website, please use the link provided above.

Website Funding

The Home Buying Institute is funded by various advertising programs. This website has no financial backers, other than publisher Brandon Cornett. We are not beholden to any company or advertiser, so we are free to publish objective information. What does this mean to you, as a home buyer? It means that every article on this website is designed to inform you, not to persuade you.

Statement of Objectivity

As mentioned above, we are not paid to say or write anything on this website. We write articles to help first-time home buyers, not to sell products or services. We work hard to present all sides of a particular issue. For example, in this discussion of ARM loans, we discuss the potential dangers as well as the potential benefits of that financing method. We apply that same objectivity to everything we do.

Attention Journalists - We Can Help

If you are writing and researching a piece about real estate, consumer credit, mortgage loans or a similar topic, we can help. We monitor real estate developments on a daily basis, so we can provide you with informed quotes for your piece. We offer phone interviews free of charge, though a citation to our website is always appreciated. Please use the email address below to reach us.

Contact Us
Brandon Cornett, Editor
3341 Fossil Lane
Austin, TX 78754

Key Sections of the Website

There are more than 1,800 articles and tutorials on this website, but most of them are organized into the following categories: