Learning Center

Find first-time home buyer guides, helpful mortgage tips, and easy-to-follow articles on mortgages, real estate, and how to be a better first-time buyer.

Explore Topics:

What Is Clear-to-Close?
Just Starting
3 min read

What Is Clear-to-Close?

"Clear-to-close" is the final stage of mortgage underwriting, signifying that all prerequisites have been met and your mortgage lender has given the…

Read More →

 What Is Boarder Income?
Just Starting
3 min read

What Is Boarder Income?

Boarder income is a homeowner's earnings from people who rent and live in spare rooms or sections of a…

Read More →

 What Is A Basis Point?
Just Starting
2 min read

What Is A Basis Point?

A basis point is a unit of measure in finance. One basis point equals 0.01%, or one-hundredth of a…

Read More →

 What Are Mortgage-Backed Securities?
Just Starting
3 min read

What Are Mortgage-Backed Securities?

Mortgage-backed securities (MBS) are investment products based on groups of mortgage loans, which play a significant role in determining mortgage…

Read More →

 What Is A Lien?
Just Starting
4 min read

What Is A Lien?

A lien is a financial claim on a property initiated when a person owes money and removed when the debt is…

Read More →

 What Is a Deed?
Just Starting
4 min read

What Is a Deed?

A deed is a legal document that conveys ownership of real property from one party to another and contains a proper property…

Read More →

 Improve Your Credit Score for Mortgage Approval
Just Starting
5 min read

Improve Your Credit Score for Mortgage Approval

This article was published in partnership with StellarFi. StellarFi helps our community of home buyers easily build their credit score using the…

Read More →

 What Are Mortgage Guidelines?
Just Starting
3 min read

What Are Mortgage Guidelines?

Mortgage guidelines are the rules and standards used to underwrite, approve, and fund a mortgage loan. Mortgage guidelines vary by mortgage loan type…

Read More →

 What Is an Arms-Length Transaction?
Just Starting
3 min read

What Is an Arms-Length Transaction?

An arms-length transaction in real estate is a purchase in which the home buyer and seller are unrelated in their business and personal lives, which…

Read More →

 What Is Annual Percentage Rate (APR)?
Just Starting
3 min read

What Is Annual Percentage Rate (APR)?

Annual Percentage Rate (APR) is a calculation that represents the projected annual cost of borrowing for a mortgage to its full term, expressed as a…

Read More →

 What Is an Assumable Mortgage?
Just Starting
3 min read

What Is an Assumable Mortgage?

An assumable mortgage is a mortgage that lets home buyers take over, or “assume,” the seller’s existing mortgage. Assumable mortgages…

Read More →

 What Is Amortization?
Just Starting
2 min read

What Is Amortization?

Amortization is the process of paying off a debt, such as a mortgage, in regular installments over a specific period of time, where each payment is…

Read More →

 The November 2023 Federal Reserve Meeting & Mortgage Rates
Buying Soon
6 min read

The November 2023 Federal Reserve Meeting & Mortgage Rates

The Federal Reserve voted “no change” on the Fed Funds Rate at its November 2023 FOMC Meeting by unanimous vote. The pause held the…

Read More →

 Mortgage Abbreviations You Might Pronounce Incorrectly
Just Starting
12 min read

Mortgage Abbreviations You Might Pronounce Incorrectly

The complete list of mortgage abbreviations and real estate terms you're 99% sure you know how to pronounce.…

Read More →

 The Conventional 100 Mortgage For First-Time Home Buyers
Just Starting
8 min read

The Conventional 100 Mortgage For First-Time Home Buyers

The Conventional 100 mortgage is a no-money-down down payment assistance program for U.S. home buyers. It’s available to first-time home buyers…

Read More →

 The HELPER Act Mortgage: Explained
Just Starting
18 min read

The HELPER Act Mortgage: Explained

The HELPER Act is a 100% mortgage program, exempt from mortgage insurance, for teachers, firefighters, and law enforcement…

Read More →

 USDA Eligibility Map: Updated for 2024
Buying Soon
4 min read

USDA Eligibility Map: Updated for 2024

The USDA Eligibility Map is a free tool that shows which U.S. homes may qualify for a USDA…

Read More →

 The DASH Act: $15,000 Tax Credit For First-Time Home Buyers
Just Starting
8 min read

The DASH Act: $15,000 Tax Credit For First-Time Home Buyers

First-time home buyers may soon benefit from a $15,000 tax credit, courtesy of the 2023 DASH Act. Let's look at the bill and how to claim…

Read More →

Ready to get started?

Finding your dream starts here. Apply in minutes.

Get Pre-approved
Homebuyer.com logo
Equal Housing Lender Member FDIC

About

Learn

Research

Tools

© 2021-2023 All rights reserved. Growella Inc d/b/a Homebuyer. Homebuyer.com is powered by Novus Home Mortgage, a division of Ixonia Bank, NMLS 423065. www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org Homebuyer is located at 230 Findlay Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202. Novus Home Mortgage, a division of Ixonia Bank, is located at 20225 Water Tower Blvd. Suite 400, Brookfield, WI 53045. We have no affiliation with the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, the US Department of Veterans Affairs, the US Department of Agriculture, or any other government agency. US Government agencies have not reviewed this information and this site is not connected with any government agency. Equal Housing Lender. Applicant subject to credit and underwriting approval. Not all applicants will be approved for financing. The receipt of the application does not represent an approval for financing or interest rate guarantee. Restrictions may apply.
Get Pre-approved »