Whether you’re idly looking at home prices on Zillow, or are already a homeowner thinking about a second mortgage, we’ll break down what you need to know when. Have a question we didn’t answer? Shoot us an email at finance@nerdwallet.com.
Ready to apply? Compare mortgage rates
Should I buy or rent?
First things first: Do you really want to own a house? If you’re on the white picket fence between renting and buying, ask yourself:
Home-buying basics
Now that you’re ready to buy a home (or at least thinking about it), you’ll need to think money. The main portions of the cost of homeownership are the amount due at closing and the ongoing monthly payments.
- How much will it cost to close my mortgage?
- How do I calculate my monthly mortgage payment?
- Why should I talk to a lender before beginning the house hunt?
- Should I lock my interest rate? (Quick answer: no.)
- Should I get a fixed or adjustable-rate mortgage?
Mortgage ABC’s
Everything you need to know about the alphabet soup of home loans, from FHA to VA.
- FHA loans
- Good faith estimate (GFE)
- Jumbo loans
- Mortgage interest deduction
- Points
- Private mortgage insurance
- Rent-to-own arrangements
- Short sales
- USDA loans
- VA loans
Already a homeowner?
We’ll tackle second mortgages, reverse mortgages and more.
{ 0 comments… add one now }