All guides: first-time buying, conventional loans, hard money, mortgage problems
50 guides, written to answer the questions people actually type — with the rules cited, the numbers worked, and a FAQ at the end of each. Grouped by pillar.
First-time buyer
- How much house can I afford? The math lenders actually use
- FHA vs conventional for a first-time buyer: which loan wins, and when
- 3% down conventional loans: HomeReady, Home Possible and Conventional 97
- Pre-approval vs pre-qualification: what sellers actually respect
- Closing costs explained: what is negotiable, what is not
- PMI for first-time buyers: what it costs and how to get rid of it
- Gift funds for a down payment: the rules, the letter, the paper trail
- Debt-to-income ratio limits by loan type — and how to lower yours
- Credit score needed to buy a house: minimums by loan type, and what it costs to be average
- Twelve first-time home buyer mistakes — and the cheap fix for each
- Earnest money explained: how much, who holds it, and how you lose it
- Appraisal gap: what happens when the home appraises below your offer
- Down payment assistance programs: how they work and how to find yours
Conventional loan
- Conventional loan requirements: credit, down payment, DTI, reserves, property
- Conventional vs FHA vs VA vs USDA: the four loan types compared
- Conforming loan limits: how the FHFA number works and what happens above it
- 30-year vs 15-year mortgage: the real trade-off, with the numbers
- ARM vs fixed-rate mortgage: when an adjustable rate makes sense
- Jumbo loans: requirements, rates and how they differ from conforming
- PMI removal: the 80% request, the 78% automatic cancellation, and the appraisal route
- Mortgage points and rate buydowns: when paying for a lower rate pays off
- Cash-out refinance: limits, costs and when it is the wrong tool
- Rate-and-term refinance: when it pays, how to compute the break-even
- DSCR loans vs conventional for investment property: qualify on rent or on income
- Seller concessions limits: how much a seller can pay toward your closing costs
- Conventional loans for condos and second homes: the extra rules
- Refinancing with bad credit: what is realistic below 620, 660 and 700
Hard money
- What is a hard money loan? Asset-based lending explained
- Hard money vs conventional loan: speed, cost, and which deal needs which
- Hard money rates, points and LTV: typical ranges and what moves them
- Fix-and-flip financing: structuring the loan around the project
- Bridge loans: buying before you sell, and other short gaps
- BRRRR: refinancing a hard money rehab into a conventional or DSCR loan
- Hard money for beginners: your first loan, step by step
- How hard money lenders evaluate ARV — and how to estimate it yourself
- Hard money exit strategies: sell, refinance, or hold — and the plan B
- Hard money default: what happens, how fast, and how to avoid it
- Private money vs hard money: individuals, funds and what each expects
- Hard money for land and commercial property: lower leverage, longer exits
- How to find and vet hard money lenders: sources, questions, red flags
Mortgage problems
- Can’t pay your mortgage this month? What to do in the next 72 hours
- Missed a mortgage payment? What happens at 30, 60, 90 and 120 days
- Forbearance vs loan modification (vs repayment plan vs deferral): which tool fits
- How foreclosure works, step by step: judicial and non-judicial
- Short sale vs deed in lieu of foreclosure: leaving the home on your terms
- How to write a mortgage hardship letter (with a one-page template)
- HUD-approved housing counselors: free help that servicers take seriously
- Foreclosure rescue scams: the six patterns and the federal rule that bans upfront fees
- Reinstatement and redemption: the two ways to stop a foreclosure with money
- Deficiency judgment after foreclosure: when you can still owe money