|
|
Information for Home Buyers
|
|
| |
|
Please contact me if you have any questions about or want more information on buying a home in Champaign, Urbana, elsewhere in Champaign County, or in adjacent areas of surrounding counties.
WEB SITES
CNN Money - Top things to know when buying a house
Fannie Mae - Buying a Fannie Mae-owned house
HomeownerNet - Provides access to a variety of information about home remodeling, construction, maintenance, design, furnishings, lawn and garden care, safety concerns, real estate, mortgages, do-it yourself projects, home shows and much more.
How to Buy a House - A page at About.com that has articles and other resources on buying a house
HUD - Information from Housing and Urban Development (HUD) on buying a house
MSN House & Home - Top tips, Q & A topics, guides, and checkists on buying a house
Real Estate ABC - A myriad of information, including professional advice, on buying a house
REPORTS
The following reports will help you be better informed about the homebuying process and thus better able to make a wise buying decision. We've grouped them by subject area: homebuying, financing, insurance, and condos.
If you would like reports on certain topics added to this page, please complete the contact information boxes and specify those desired topics in the Comments box. |
|
Select the check box beside each report you want,
complete the contact information boxes,
and then click on the Send Reports button.
 Microsoft Word Document  PDF File
|
|
|
|
Homebuying - The Process
The process opf buying a home has eight phases, from obtaining loan preapproval to closing. This document provides short descriptions of the process and its phases.
|
|
|
|
Homebuying - 10 Steps to Prepare for Home Ownership
An article that presents 10 actions you should do to prepare yourself prior to starting your search for a house to purchase.
|
|
|
|
Homebuying - Buying Your First Home?
Many renters are starting to think about purchasing a home of their own. This article highlights several factors that should be considered when purchasing a home.
|
|
|
|
Homebuying - 10 Tips for First-Time Homebuyers
If you are a first-time homebuyer, this article is for you: 10 things to keep in mind during your search for for a home to purchase.
|
|
|
|
Homebuying - 10 Things to Take the Trauma Out
An article presenting 10 ways in which you can minimize or eliminate the trauma that can occur during the home-buying process.
|
|
|
|
Homebuying - Avoiding the Most Common Buyer Errors
Some buyers, however, caught up in the excitement of buying a new home tend to overlook some items. When you have a systematic plan before you shop, you’ll be sure to avoid these costly errors. Here are some tips on making the most of your home purchase.
|
|
|
|
Homebuying - How to Not Pay Too Much for Your Home
This article helps you become a savvy buyer, by pointing out some of the pitfalls inherent in the home-buying process.
|
|
|
|
Homebuying - A Smooth Home Purchase in Six Steps
Buying a home can be an emotional, time-consuming, and complex process. There are a few things that you can do to help make the process go as smooth as possible
|
|
|
|
Homebuying - Interpreting a MLS "Oneliner" List
To notify you of available properties, your agent may send you a MLS "oneliner" list (a table in which each row is a separate property). The column headings in such a list can seem a bit cryptic. This document describes the columns in a oneliner list.
|
|
|
|
Financing - The Need for Loan Preapproval
Being preapproved for a mortgage loan is an essential first step in the homebuying process. This report explains why.
|
|
|
|
Financing - 10 Things a Lender Needs From You
A general list of the financial and other information that lenders may require when you apply for a mortgage loan. Check with your lender to ascertain what you will have to provide to them.
|
|
|
|
Financing - 10 Questions to Ask Your Lender
Factors associated with a mortgage loan; such as the interest rate, APR, processing fees, and so on; can vary among lenders. You also should be aware of what each lender requires in obtaining a loan. This document provides 10 questions that will help you obtain the information you need to ompare lenders.
|
|
|
|
Financing - 6 Creative Ways to Afford a House
An article that presents several ways of financing your home purchase when you cannot obtain a large enough mortgage loan.
|
|
|
|
Financing - Choices that will Affect Your Loan
An article on how the choices you make with regard to financing your house purchase will affect the mortgage loan you can obtain.
|
|
|
|
Financing - Monthly Payment Calculation Form
A form you can use to calculate an estimated house payment (sum of loan principal and interest plus monthly taxes and insurance escrow)
|
|
|
|
Insurance - 5 Things to Understand about Homeowners Insurance
An article on five things you should understand about your homeowner insurance policy. See also "10 Ways to Lower Your Homeowners Insurance Costs."
|
|
|
|
Insurance - 10 Ways to Lower Your Homeowner Insurance Costs
An article that presents 10 ways in which you lower the cost of your current homeowners policy or a policy you have to purchase for the house you are buying.
|
|
|
|
Insurance - 5 Things to Understand about Title Insurance
At closing you will receive a title insurance policy, one which is paid for by both the seller and you, the buyer. This article from Realtor.org presents five things you should understand about that policy.
|
|
|
|
Condos - Pros and Cons
Thinking about buying a condominium unit (condo)? This article presents pros and cons of such a purchase. See also the related article "10 Question to Ask a Condo Board."
|
|
|
|
Condos - 10 Questions to Ask a Condo Board
An article that presents 10 questions you should ask of a condo association board prior to making an offer on a condo unit. See also "Pros and Cons of Condos."
|
You have not selected any of the above reports.
|
|