InCharge Guide to Homeownership

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There’s No Place Like Home

home dreams

A home is a place to hang your hat, mark height on the wall, decorate, plant a garden, bake birthday cakes, mow the lawn, grow old, and build security. A home is part of the family. It is often said that a owning a home is “the American Dream.”

Yet a home can also be a financial burden, a source of stress, and a place that saps our resources and hope.

At InCharge Debt Solutions, we believe that owning an affordable home is one of the cornerstones of financial stability. This is why we are pleased to guide you through the process. We encourage you to take your time, learn as much as possible, ask questions, budget, and plan.

In many ways, the home buying process is like a puzzle. As you start to put the pieces together (realtors, inspections, mortgage & insurance shopping), the bigger picture reveals itself. The more knowledge you gather, the more you empower yourself to turn that picture into a sustainable reality: one that can literally shelter you throughout the years.

InCharge Guide to Homeownership

  1. Chapter 1: Advantages and Disadvantages of Homeownership
  2. Chapter 2: Reviewing Your Credit Report
  3. Chapter 3: Make a Budget and Start Savings
  4. Chapter 4: How Much Can You Afford?
  5. Chapter 5: What Help Is Available to a New Homebuyer?
  6. Chapter 6: Home Selection: How Do You Select a Home?
  7. Chapter 7: Who’s Involved in the Buying and Selling of Homes?
  8. Chapter 8: Home Loan Closing: How to Prepare
  9. Chapter 9: Loan Closings
  10. Chapter 10: Responsibilities of a New Homeowner
  11. Chapter 11: What Happens If I Pay My Mortgage Late?
  12. Home Buying and Homeownership – Glossary of Terms
  13. Home Buying and Homeownership – Resource Links

Download & Print PDFs (Spanish)

  1. Trazando un curso para ser propietario de una vivienda
  2. Capítulo 1: ¿Ser propietario de su vivienda es para usted?
  3. Capítulo 2: Analice su informe crediticio
  4. Capítulo 3: Establezca un plan de gastos y guarde reservas
  5. Capítulo 4: ¿Qué tipo de casa puedo pagar?
  6. Capítulo 5: ¿Qué clase de ayuda está disponible para un nuevo comprador de casa?
  7. Capítulo 6: Selección de la casa
  8. Capítulo 7: ¿Quiénes participan en la compra y venta de una casa?
  9. Capítulo 8: ¿Qué trucos esconde un funcionario de préstamos?
  10. Capítulo 9: Cierre del préstamo
  11. Capítulo 10: Responsabilidades de un nuevo propietario de vivienda
  12. Capítulo 11: ¡Ayuda! A quién llamar si se retrasará en un pago
  13. Glosario de términos y vínculos

Download & Print PDFs

  1. Chapter 1: Advantages and Disadvantages of Homeownership
  2. Chapter 2: Reviewing Your Credit Report
  3. Chapter 3: Establish a Spending Plan and Set Aside Reserves
  4. Chapter 4: How Much Can You Afford?
  5. Chapter 5: What Help Is Available to a New Homebuyer?
  6. Chapter 6: Home Selection: How Do You Select a Home?
  7. Chapter 7: Who’s Involved in the Buying and Selling of Homes?
  8. Chapter 8: What’s in a Loan Officer’s Bag of Tricks?
  9. Chapter 9: Loan Closings
  10. Chapter 10: Responsibilities of a New Homeowner
  11. Chapter 11: Who Do I Contact If My Payment Will Be Late?

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About The Author

George Morris

In his 40-plus-year newspaper career, George Morris has written about just about everything -- Super Bowls, evangelists, World War II veterans and ordinary people with extraordinary tales. His work has received multiple honors from the Society of Professional Journalists, the Louisiana-Mississippi Associated Press and the Louisiana Press Association. He avoids debt when he can and pays it off quickly when he can't, and he's only too happy to suggest how you might do the same.