Buy a home

Everyone needs a place to call home.

Homeownership can offer stability and security, giving you a sense of belonging and a place that is all yours.

Owning a home can also be a valuable long-term investment by building equity and offering potential financial benefits over time.

Here's how to make the dream of buying a house a reality.

The journey to buying your first home begins with:

Starting in these key areas may help you qualify for a mortgage with a lower interest rate and monthly payment.

To learn more about saving, spending, and debt reduction goals, visit our Mortgage Learning Center for a helpful interactive guide.

You may also want to use Credit Close-Up® to regularly track your FICO® Credit Score and get personalized tips to help you maintain or improve your score.

Our Mortgage Affordability Calculator can help you determine how much house you can afford.

By entering some basic details, we’ll give you an estimated home price and monthly mortgage payment based on your income, monthly debt, and down payment.

You’ll also see answers to common questions about home financing.

We can also help you search for homes and estimate your current home’s value with our Real Estate Search and Intelligence Tool.

The right time to buy a house is a personal decision that requires careful consideration.

You’ll want to carefully evaluate your financial situation including ensuring that you have a stable income, manageable debt, and a good credit score.

Also, review market conditions like the current interest rates and home values in your area.

Buying a house requires a significant financial commitment, so ensure you can comfortably afford the mortgage payments, property taxes, insurance, and maintenance costs.

It may also make sense to compare the costs of renting versus buying. If your potential mortgage payments are in the same range as your rental payments in your desired location, buying could be a smart move.

But remember, there really is no "perfect" time to buy a house. It ultimately depends on your unique circumstances, finances, and long-term goals.

Mortgage prequalification can give you an estimate of how much you may be able to borrow so that you can shop for homes within your budget. It can also serve as a convenient first step towards getting preapproved for a mortgage.

Mortgage prequalification and preapproval can help demonstrate to sellers that you’re a serious buyer.

Once you find the perfect home, we’ll guide you through every step of the mortgage process.