• 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 Finding the Perfect Neighborhood

Your neighborhood has a big impact on your lifestyle. Follow these steps to find the perfect community to call home.

 ·         Is it close to your favorite spots? Make a list of the activities — movies, health club, church, etc. — you engage in regularly and stores you visit frequently. See how far you would have to travel from each neighborhood you’re considering to engage in your most common activities.

·         Check out the school district. This is especially important if you have children, but it also can affect resale value. The Department of Education in your town can probably provide information on test scores, class size, percentage of students who attend college, and special enrichment programs. If you have school-age children, visit schools in the neighborhoods you’re considering. Also, check out www.schoolmatters.com.

·         Find out if the neighborhood is safe. Ask the police department for neighborhood crime statistics. Consider not only the number of crimes but also the type — such as burglaries or armed robberies — and the trend of increasing or decreasing crime. Also, is crime centered in only one part of the neighborhood, such as near a retail area?

·         Determine if the neighborhood is economically stable. Check with your local city economic development office to see if income and property values in the neighborhood are stable or rising. What is the percentage of homes to apartments? Apartments don’t necessarily diminish value, but do mean a more transient population. Do you see vacant businesses or homes that have been for sale for months?

·         See if you’ll make money. Ask a local REALTOR® or call the local REALTOR® association to get information about price appreciation in the neighborhood. Although past performance is no guarantee of future results, this information may give you a sense of how good of an investment your home will be. A REALTOR® or the government planning agency also may be able to tell you about planned developments or other changes in the neighborhood — like a new school or highway — that might affect value.

·         Make personal observations. Once you’ve narrowed your focus to two or three neighborhoods, go there and walk around. Are homes tidy and well maintained? Are streets quiet? How does it feel? Pick a warm day if you can and chat with people working or playing outside.