Three lines, twelve stops. Most buyers ride them in order, but you can start at whichever stop you have reached. Stops you open on this browser fill in on the map.
You have opened stops on this browser
Line 1Plan & BudgetThe whole path, a monthly budget you can live with, choosing a loan type and the costs that come due at closing.
Stop 01 · 5 minThe whole pathThe full path from budget to keys in eight steps, with what you do at each one, which documents show up and where first-time buyers most often get caught out.Stop 02 · 4 minYour real budgetHow lenders look at your income and debts, what goes into a real monthly housing payment, and how to set a price ceiling you can live with rather than the highest number a lender will approve.Stop 03 · 5 minChoosing a loanThe three choices inside every mortgage, how conventional, FHA, VA and USDA loans differ, what a 15- or 30-year term and a fixed or adjustable rate change, and the loan features worth questioning.Stop 04 · 4 minClosing costsEvery group of charges you pay to get the loan and finish the purchase, which ones you can shop for, where they appear on your Loan Estimate, and how to keep them from surprising you.
Change here for the Find & Offer line
Line 2Find & OfferPreapproval, house hunting, insurance and flood checks on a home you like, and writing an offer that protects you.
Stop 05 · 4 minPreapprovalWhat a preapproval letter is and is not, what lenders will ask for, why getting one early helps, and how to compare lenders before you commit.Stop 06 · 4 minHouse huntingWhat to decide before your first tour, what to look at in every room, what to ask about the neighborhood and the costs, and how to compare homes without being swayed by staging.Stop 07 · 4 minInsurance and flood riskWhy your lender asks for homeowner’s insurance, what a standard policy leaves out, how flood insurance and its waiting period work, and how escrow turns yearly bills into a monthly payment.Stop 08 · 4 minMaking an offerThe parts of a purchase offer, how to think about price, what earnest money does, which contingencies protect a first-time buyer and what happens after the seller responds.
Change here for the Inspect & Close line
Line 3Inspect & CloseThe home inspection, the appraisal, closing day and the first months in your new home.
Stop 09 · 4 minHome inspectionWhy the inspection is your protection, how to choose an inspector who works for you, what to do on the day, and how to use the report to negotiate, ask for repairs or walk away.Stop 10 · 4 minThe appraisalWhy your lender orders an appraisal, how appraisers arrive at a value, your right to a free copy, and your options when the appraised value is below the price you agreed to pay.Stop 11 · 4 minClosing dayThe three days before closing, the final walk-through, who runs the closing, what you sign, how the money moves and what to keep afterward.Stop 12 · 4 minMoving inWhat to do on day one, the first week and the first months as a new owner: locks, shut-offs, paperwork, your first mortgage statement, a maintenance routine and the savings habit that keeps surprises small.
End of the line: your keys