Home Buying Checklist - The Steps to Buying a Home

Ever wish you had a step-by-step guide to the home buying process, like a home buying checklist?

Sure there are plenty of articles online about the various parts of the home buying process. But what would really be helpful is a home buying checklist that gathered all those parts and explained them in sequence.

Featured Articles at HomeBuyingInstitute.com
Today, we are featuring two -- count 'em, two -- articles at HBI. They both feature home buying checklists that outline the process from start to finish:

The 7-step version:
First Time Home Buying - 7 Steps to Success

The 14-step version:
Home Buying Process: Your 14-Point Path to Success

Good luck, and happy home buying!

Brandon Cornett
Editor, HomeBuyingInstitute.com

The Entire Home Buying Process on One Page

A web page that outlines 75% of the home buying process

I just stumbled across a web page over at the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) website. This page answers 75% of the home buying questions I get asked all the time.

Sure, it's a loooong page, and you'll have to scroll for four screens. But I guarantee you this, if you read through the page in its entirety, you'll have a much better understanding of the home buying process. And it would only take you 20 - 30 minutes ... a wise use of your time.

Visit HUD's home buying "super page"


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The Home Buying Process - Learn the Lingo!

Home Buying Lingo
To understand the home buying process, you have to speak the lingo. This includes a wide variety of credit, mortgage and real estate terms.

Why Learn the Lingo?
If you understand common terminology, your home buying process will go much smoother and be much safe.

Take mortgage terminology for example. Let's say the mortgage lender asks if you'll be paying a point. Paying a point may be a good idea for you, or it may be a bad idea. The only way to be sure is to understand exactly what a point is and how it might apply to your situation. And that's just one example of many.

How Do I Learn the Lingo?
Here's the good news. You can learn the home buying lingo through our A-t-Z glossary at HomeBuyingInstitute.com. Not only that, but if there's a certain term you'd like to learn more about, just visit that section of the website -- mortgage, credit, home inspections, etc.

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View the home buying glossary at HBI
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Good luck!

Brandon Cornett
Editor, HomeBuyingInstitute.com

Home Buying Process - What Steps to Take

The home buying process can be intimidating to first time home buyers. With all the various steps and appointments, it can be a lot to manage.

But when you make education the first step, the rest of the home buying process falls in line nicely. Jason Bertrand, a financial services professional, has broken the process down into six manageable steps.

Read Jason's article:
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The Home Buying Process: What Steps To Take
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Good luck and happy home buying!

Brandon Cornett
Editor, HomeBuyingInstitute.com

Bad Credit Home Loan - Yes, It's Possible

A bad credit home mortgage loan is possible.

That's the focus of a new article in the bad credit home loan section of HomeBuyingInstitute.com.

In the article, author Paul Heath explains that a history of bad credit does not make it impossible to obtain a home loan. He goes on to show how a person with bad credit might apply for such a loan, and benefit from it over the long haul.

Read Paul's article:
A Bad Credit Home Mortgage Loan is Possible

Good luck, and happy home buying!

Brandon Cornett
Editor, HomeBuyingInstitute.com

Bad Credit Home Loan - Steps to Success

A bad credit home loan can be the first step to repairing your credit.

Didn't know that? Many people don't. The fact is, by obtaining a home loan and making regular payments, you can lift eventually yourself out of the "bad credit" category.

These days, there home loans designed specifically for people with bad credit. They're known as bad credit home loans, and they're partly the result of increased competition in the mortgage industry.

Learn more at HomeBuyingInstitute.com
At Home Buying Institute, we have dozens of articles to help you learn more about bad credit home loans. Here are a few to get you started:

* Home Loans for People with Bad Credit

* Don't Be Stopped by Bad Credit

Good luck and happy home buying!

Brandon Cornett
Editor, Home Buying Institute

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Home Buying Tip - The Home Buying Checklist

Purpose of this home buying tip: To explain the importance of having a good home buying checklist.

There's a lot involved when buying a new home. Reviewing your finances, shopping for mortgages, shopping for the actual home, getting a home inspection ... the list goes on.

And the list is the key!

Before you get heavily involved in the process of buying a home, sit down and create a thorough checklist. A good checklist will remind you what all you need to do and help you stay focused.

To create your list, start by reviewing those offered by professionals. For example, at HomeBuyingInstitute.com, we have a variety of home buying checklists you can use as models. A prime example is this one from Andrew Loh:

11 Steps Away From Buying Your Dream Home

Happy Home Buying!

Brandon Cornett
Editor, HBI

Home Buying Tip - Understand Your Credit Score

Purpose of this home buying tip: To educate you on the role your credit score plays in the home buying process.

Your credit score play an important role in the home mortgage process. Mortgage lenders will examine your credit score (also referred to as a FICO score) to determine your risk category. In other words, they will use your credit score to decide whether it's safe or risky to loan you money.

Therefore, it's wise to obtain a copy of your credit report / score so you can examine it yourself. But how do you interpret it? How do you know what the numbers mean to a mortgage lender?

Featured Article at HomeBuyingInstitute.com
In today's featured article, you'll learn what your credit report is, how it's used by mortgage lenders, and how you can review it for accuracy ahead of time.

Read the article here: All About Your Credit Score


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Buying a New Home -- What's Your FICO Score?

Before buying a new home, you should know what your FICO score is and how it reflects your credit.

Mortgage lenders will base your loan approval largely on your FICO score, so it's wise to obtain a copy of your credit report before applying for a loan. That way, you won't be surprised if you have a low credit score.

Learn all you can about your credit report and your FICO score. A good place to start is the websites of the big three credit agencies: TransUnion, Experian and Equifax. Each of these websites offers information about credit reports and scores. You can also order a copy of your credit report from these websites.

Learn more at Home Buying Institute
To learn more about your FICO score, what it means, and how it affects your chances of loan approval, read this article at HomeBuyingInstitute.com.

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Buying a New Home -- Need a Checklist?

Are you a first-time home buyer? Do you need a home buying checklist? If so, Home Buying Institute has just what you need.

A home buying checklist will help you keep track of all the ins and outs of the home buying process. It will also serve as a road map and help you identify areas you need to study further.

For instance, if part of a checklist covers mortgage types, but you don't understand the differences, you'll know you need to learn more about the different types of mortgages.

Home Buying Checklists at HBI:

* Basic Homebuyer Checklist for House Hunting

* 11 Steps Away From Buying Your Dream Home

* First Time Home Buyer's 10-Step Guide


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Buying a New Home -- Check Your Credit First

When buying a new home, your credit will surely go under the microscope. Mortgage lenders will examine all aspects of your financial situation, and it all starts with your credit.

So it pays to review your own credit before submitting it to mortgage lenders. That way, if there are any mistakes on your credit report, you can begin resolving them right away.

To review your credit, simply request copies of your credit report from the big three credit agencies: TransUnion, Equifax and Experian. Mortgage lenders will request copies of your report from these same agencies, so it makes sense to get copies for yourself.

Buying a new home requires a thorough understanding of your credit score, what it means to mortgage lenders, and how it affects your chances of loan approval.

Learn more
At Home Buying Institute, you'll find a variety of articles to help you make sense of your credit report. Here are just a few:

* All About Your Credit Score

* How is Your FICO Score Determined?

* Home Buying 101: How's Your Credit?

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Buying a Home With Bad Credit - Think Long-Term

Buying a home with bad credit has become easier over the years.

Sure, you'll still face some hurdles that a home buyer with good credit wouldn't face. But bad credit home loans have become much more common in the mortgage industry.

You also need to think beyond the home loan. For instance, did you know that buying a home with bad credit can actually improve your credit? It's true. By holding down a mortgage and making payments on time, you can gradually increase your credit score. Keep improving it over time and you'll eventually be able to refinance at a lower rate!

So remember to think of the bigger picture. In the short term, you'll want to focus on doing whatever it takes to obtain the loan. In the long term, you'll want to focus on improving your credit so you can leave the "bad credit" label far behind!

Learn more
Articles on buying a home with bad credit

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Buying a Home with Bad Credit - There is Hope!

Many people think buying a home with bad credit is next to impossible. But this simply isn't the case.

Buying a home with bad credit has gotten much easier over the years. This is partly due to increased competition in the mortgage industry and the availability of new mortgage products.

Of course, we're talking in generalities here. Mortgage approval still happens on a case-by-case basis, person-by-person basis. But in general, the chances of buying a home with bad credit have improved considerably.

Learn more about it.
If you have bad credit and would like to learn more about the types of mortgage loans you might quality for, visit the "Bad Credit Loan" section of HomeBuyingInstitute.com.

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Go there now
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Buying a Home With Bad Credit - Tips for Better Credit

Buying a home with bad credit can actually improve your credit.

Didn't know that? It's true. Simply by holding down a mortgage loan (and making regular payments), you will gradually improve your credit score.

At the same time, it's important to change the bad habits that led to bad credit in the first place. And the key to doing this is knowing what credit mistakes to avoid in the first place.

Buying a home with bad credit can help you get your credit back on track. But in order to keep it on track, you should read this article about 14 Common Credit Mistakes so you can avoid such mistakes in the future.

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Home Buying Process -- Home Inspections Explained

At some point during the home buying process, you'll have to decide whether or not you want a home inspection.

I can make this decision very easy for you. Get a home inspection!

Buying a home will likely be the biggest investment you ever make, so it pays to know exactly what you're investing in. So the home buying process is only complete when it includes a home inspection from a professional, licensed inspector.

Want to learn more about inspections? Author Raynor James has a helpful article for you:

A Guide to Home Inspections

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