Photo by Roman Samborskyi via Shutterstock Buying your first home is exciting! And scary! But you don’t have to fear the process if you take the time to become fully prepared for homeownership. Below are the seven primary keys to preparing yourself and smoothing the process. How to Know You’re Ready Determine how much you can afford. The...

Image by Mediamodifier from Pixabay As you enter the home buying process, some people may recommend that you seek mortgage pre-approval. This is typically one of the first steps in the process, and you may view it as something you have little choice over. Yet mortgage pre-approval is not a requirement to start shopping for a house, and...