If you've served in the U.S. military, a VA loan might be an excellent way to finance your first home. If you're interested in using this benefit, it's important to know the steps involved. Here is a basic guide to buying your first home with a VA loan: Get Your Certificate of Eligibility A certificate of eligibility from...

If you’ve ever shopped for a loan or mortgage, you know how much of a difference your credit score can make. Higher scores can help qualify you for better terms, lower interest rates and special funding only offered to low-risk borrowers. However, nobody’s credit is perfect, and bad credit can take a long time to improve. If you’re...

It's already complicated buying a home. Buying your first home can be even more so. There are plenty of guides available for first-time homebuyers to offer advice throughout the journey, but before you get started, there are some key things you can do to prepare. Here's a list of the best things to do before you start actively...

When buying a home, you can either build a new residence from scratch or buy an existing home already built. This can be a tough decision to make. Here are a few pros and cons of each to help you move forward with your decision. Buying an Existing Home There are several advantages to buying a home that’s...

Photo by Clker-Free-Vector-Images via Pixabay When you purchase real estate, you must put down a good faith deposit. Several factors determine how much you will need to put down, but it could be as little as $100. In order to have a valid contract, the contract must have “consideration,” or something of value exchanged for the contract. The...