iStock; realtor.com Most home buyers have in their minds a list of “deal breakers”—specific real estate features that they absolutely won’t put up with in any property they purchase. But guess what? Your deal breakers might actually be deal makers in disguise. Waiting for that mythical perfect home to emerge can be a losing battle. Meanwhile, […]

Caiaimage/Paul Bradbury/Getty Images If you’re house hunting, you’re probably getting snowed with advice from well-meaning friends and family members on which neighborhoods are hot, how so-and-so is selling a place you have to see … and plenty more. That’s all fine if you have an insatiable appetite for info, but what if you’re a bit […]

Whitney Coy Right after we got married, my husband and I bought a starter house. At the time, we didn’t have much in savings (or in income), so it wasn’t our dream house. But it was our house, and that was enough. Coming from the tiny apartment where we started out, this three-bedroom, one-bath Cape […]

Bubbers13/iStock When the time came to finance our new house earlier this year, my husband and I had already decided: We were going to do everything we could to put a 20% down payment toward our mortgage—we were definitely not going to get saddled with PMI. Many home buyers are conditioned to hear “PMI,” or […]

Morsa Images/iStock; realtor.com Finding your dream home is an exciting adventure that, at times, can also feel all-consuming. On a good day, it’s fun to swipe through listings and whiz through every open house in your area, but after umpteen hours of it—and perhaps a lost bidding war or two—it can almost drive you mad. If […]

fstop123/iStock What are some questions to ask a home inspector after he’s finished the inspection? Because, let’s face it, just staring at that hefty report highlighting every flaw in your future dream home can send many buyers into a full-blown panic! Know the right questions to ask a home inspector afterward, though, and this can help […]

lillisphotography/iStock No one likes to overpay for a purchase, and this is particularly true when buying a home. After all, every square foot of space or block closer to a top school will cost you big-time! So if you’re a thrifty soul who must make every home-buying dollar count, check out these home features that often […]

fstop123/iStock What are some questions to ask a home inspector? If you’re buying a house, you know that your home inspector will check it out and make sure it’s in decent shape. So if you want to get to know your home beyond its pretty facade, you should pepper your inspector with questions—a whole lot of them, […]

fstop123/iStock Curious about how to buy a house in your 20s? If you’re dubious it can be done, we get it. Between entry-level salaries, college loans, and the desire to just be young and have fun, 20-somethings often think homeownership is beyond their reach. No so! It is entirely possible to buy a home in […]

Leonardo Patrizi/iStock Average home buyers look at 10 houses before they find The One. And unless you’ve lucked out with a photographic memory, remembering the details of all those homes can prove challenging. Wait, which one had that weird bathroom? What was the address of that awesome house near the lakeshore? If only you’d written it […]