The Beginner's Guide to Buying and Selling a Home

Chapter 1: How to Sell Your House

So you're ready to move. For whatever reason, you've got exciting places to be and exciting adventures ahead of you. Where do you start? How do you sell a house, so you can move? We're here to help you get started with selling your home, especially selling your home yourself.

Chapter 2: Home Inspections

Whether your home was the perfect spot to watch your dreams grow, or just a place to keep the rain off your head, the decision to sell your property is always a major one. But before you can drop your house on the market and start entertaining serious offers, there are a few things you'll need to do. And one possible step along the path to selling your home is getting a home inspection.

Chapter 3: Home Appraisals

You now have a good understanding of how the home selling process works and how to get started all on your own. But there are a few more important steps to completely finishing your sale. One important step in the house selling process is the home appraisal. However you're planning to sell your home, you will need to get an official home appraisal from a third party to completely finalize a sale.

Chapter 4: Mortgage Pre-Approval

A mortgage pre-approval is becoming more and more essential for most home-buying journeys, particularly in a competitive housing market. To set reasonable expectations for yourself, make strong offers on homes, and actually find a home you can love and afford, a mortgage pre-approval is the best way to get started.

Chapter 5: Real Estate Agent

Even if you've never purchased or sold a property before, chances are you at least passingly familiar with the idea of real estate agents. That's because, in many ways, real estate agents are the most visible face of the homebuying process. From helping buyers locate a property that meets their expectations, to marketing a property for a seller, to facilitating communication between multiple parties throughout the course of the sale, the right real estate agent is your partner from start to finish.

Chapter 6: Real Estate Purchase Agreement

Selling a home isn’t like placing an ad in the newspaper to try to get someone to buy your old exercise equipment. In addition to the large amounts of cash and credit usually involved in a real estate purchase, the process is one that is absolutely fraught with legal considerations. Buyers and sellers put a lot on the line when they enter into a real estate transaction. To ensure that the proper legal safeguards are in place and that the transfer of ownership can proceed unhindered, both parties rely on a number of important contracts.