Our Complete Home-Buying Experience: From Offers To Mortgages

Here are all of my posts on what we went through when buying your house. Those with no links are outlines for possible future posts. I know it’s a lot of information, but I hope it can help some others navigate these scary waters.

If you have any requests, please include them in this question post.

Should I Buy A House?
Buying a house isn’t necessarily the best choice for everyone. There are lots of different pros and cons.

• Interactive Buy vs. Rent Calculator
• Another Buy Vs. Rent Calculator
• Intangible Advantages And Disadvantages Of Owning A Home
• Are Homes Actually A Horrible Investment?

Finding a Real Estate Agent

• Finding A Buyer’s Agent, Part 1: The Search Begins With Ourselves
• Finding A Buyer’s Agent, Part 2: Screening, Trial and Error, Signing a Contract, Offer Acceptance
• Home Buyer’s Agent Commission Rebates
• Guidance Received During The Escrow and Closing Process
• Looking Back: Things I Would Have Done Differently

Finding and Choosing A Home
If you do want to buy a house, what do you look for in a home?

• Our Criteria For A House (How Did We Do?)
• Housing Search Trade-Off: Price vs. Commute Time
• Condo Living: How Do I Find A Good Homeowners Association?
• Gathering Local Statistics About A Housing Market
• How Many Square Feet Should Our Home Have?
• Open Houses From A Buyer’s Perspective

Mortgage Basics: Choosing Loan Types
You found a home, so how are you going to pay for it?

• How Much House You Can Afford?
• Effect Of Credit Score On Mortgage Rates and Monthly Payments
• Choosing a Fixed-Rate Mortgage Term Length: 15, 30, or 40 Years?
• Loan Payment vs. Term Length
• Avoiding Jumbo Loans By Combining a Conforming Loan and Second Loan

Mortgage Practicalities: Choosing A Specific Lender & Interest Rate/Points

• Homeowners: Who Did You Get Your Mortgage Through?
• Getting Pre-Qualified For A Mortgage
• How Many Points Should I Pay On My Mortgage?
• Consider Upfront Brokers and Upfront Direct Lenders
• How I Plan To Shop For My Next Mortgage Loan, Part 1
• How I Plan To Shop For My Next Mortgage Loan, Part 2

Making An Offer, Inspections, Escrow, and Closing

• Making and reading the offer contract
• Ordering Inspections, Asking For Concessioins
• Snags and Delays
• Signing Day

Housing-Related Humor
Buying a house is a serious and stressful endeavor. Watching these videos is not. 😀

• Bikini Girls + Waterfalls + 90s Real Estate Guru = Tom Vu
• Renting Can Be Rough: The Landlord with Will Ferrell
• Find the Right Property For You…