• Common First-Time Home Buyer Mistakes
• Lender Checklist: What You Need for a Mortgage
• Specialty Mortgages: Risks and Rewards
• 5 Factors That Decide Your Credit Score
• 5 Property Tax Questions You Need to Ask
• 6 Creative Ways to Afford a Home
• 8 Tips to Guide for Your Home Search
• 10 Questions to Ask Your Lender
• Budget Basics Worksheet
• How Big of a Mortgage Can I Afford?
• Loan Types to Consider
• Get Your Finances in Order: To-Do List
• Common Closing Costs for Buyers
• How High Tech Home is Your Home?
• Pros and Cons of Going Condo
• Questions to Ask When Choosing a REALTOR®
• Take the Stress Out of Home Buying
• Thinking of Making an Offer on a Short Sale? What You Need to Know
• Tax Benefits of Homeownership
• Tips for Lowering Homeowner’s Insurance Costs
• What You Can Do to Improve Your Credit
• Your Property Wish List
• 5 Things to know About Homeowner's Insurance

• 5 Things to Know About Title Insurance
• 7 Reasons to Own Your Home
• 10 Questions to Ask Home Inspectors
• 10 Questions to Ask the Condo Board
• 17 Tips for Packing Like a Pro
• Closing Documents You Should Keep
• Tips for Buying in a Tight Market
• Tips for Finding the Perfect Neighborhood
• What a Home Inspection Should Cover
• What Not to Overlook on a Final Walk-through
• What’s a Home Warranty?
• Why You Should Work With a REALTOR®

• Simply Stated Closing Summary: A quick reference guide used during the closing process to help the homebuyer better understand the key terms of their settlement documents. (Available in English, Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Russian, Japanese, & Tagalog)

• Prepare and Avoid: 70-Something Ways You Could Lose Your Home:  (Available in English, American, Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Russian, Hindi, & Punjabi)  Title insurance is one of the most valuable forms of security that a home buyer/seller can have, yet its benefits are rarely explained.  This brochure provides the information.

• 41 Steps To Buying Your Home (Available in English, Spanish, Chinese, & Vietnamese) This color-coordinated checklist outlines the functions of the real estate professional, the lender, and the title company team.

• En Camino Al Sueno Americano -The Home Buying Process DVD This seven minute step-by-step description of the home buying process will assist in explaining the real estate process to first-time homebuyers, in Spanish.

Closing Documents You Should Keep

On closing day, expect to sign a lot of documents and walk away with a big stack of papers. Here’s a list of the most important documents you should file away for future reference. 

• HUD-1 settlement statement. Itemizes all the costs — commissions, loan fees, points, and hazard insurance —associated with the closing. You’ll need it for income tax purposes if you paid points.
• Truth in Lending statement. Summarizes the terms of your mortgage loan, including the annual percentage rate and recision period.
• Mortgage and note. Spell out the legal terms of your mortgage obligation and the agreed-upon repayment terms.
• Deed. Transfers ownership to you.
• Affidavits. Binding statements by either party. For example, the sellers will often sign an affidavit stating that they haven’t incurred any liens.
• Riders. Amendments to the sales contract that affect your rights. Example: The sellers won’t move out until two weeks after closing but will pay rent to the buyers during that period.
• Insurance policies. Provide a record and proof of your coverage.

Sources: Credit Union National Association; Mortgage Bankers Association; Home-Buyer’s Guide (Real Estate Center at Texas A&M, 2000)