• 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.

Tips for Buying in a Tight Market 

Increase your chances of getting your dream house in a competitive housing market, and lower your chances of losing out to another buyer.

 1. Get prequalified for a mortgage. You’ll be able to make a firm commitment to buy and your offer will be more desirable to the seller.

2. Stay in close contact with your real estate agent to find out about the newest listings. Be ready to see a house as soon as it goes on the market — if it’s a great home, it will go fast.

3. Scout out new listings yourself. Look at Web sites such as REALTOR.com, browse your local newspaper’s real estate section, and drive through the neighborhood to spot For Sale signs. If you see a home you like, write down the address and the name of the listing agent. Your real estate agent will schedule a showing. 

4. Be ready to make a decision. Spend a lot of time in advance deciding what you must have in a home so you won’t be unsure when you have the chance to make an offer.

 5. Bid competitively. You may not want to start out offering the absolute highest price you can afford, but don’t go too low to get a deal. In a tight market, you’ll lose out. 

6. Keep contingencies to a minimum. Restrictions such as needing to sell your home before you move or wanting to delay the closing until a certain date can make your offer unappealing. In a tight market, you’ll probably be able to sell your house rapidly. Or talk to your lender about getting a bridge loan to cover both mortgages for a short period. 

7. Don’t get caught in a buying frenzy. Just because there’s competition doesn’t mean you should just buy it. And even though you want to make your offer attractive, don’t neglect inspections that help ensure that your house is sound.