HomeBuyerLoanGuide
Mortgage education for home buyers

Know what the loan costs before you sign.

Plain-English guides to rates, points and fees, credit, renovation loans and construction-to-permanent financing. Built for buyers who want the best price, and for buyers who still have work to do first.

Get the free checklist Read the points guide
Should I pay a point?Illustrative example
Loan amount$400,000
Option A: no points
Rate6.50%
Principal and interest$2,528 / mo
Option B: 1 point ($4,000 at closing)
Rate6.25%
Principal and interest$2,463 / mo
Saved each month with Babout $65
Break-evenabout 61 months
Keep the loan longer than the break-even and the point pays off. Sell or refinance sooner and it does not. Rates here are examples, not current offers. See how the math works.
HomeBuyerLoanGuide is an education site run by YourTechSave LLC. We do not make loans, take applications, quote rates or refer you to lenders.

Start where you are

Three tracks cover most buyers. Pick the one that fits today. You can move between them as your situation changes.

Strong credit and savings

Pay less to borrow

Learn how rate, points and lender fees trade off, and how to compare Loan Estimates line by line.

  • Points versus rate, with break-even math
  • Lender fees you can shop for and ones you cannot
  • Reading a Loan Estimate and a Closing Disclosure
See these guides
Credit needs work

Get mortgage-ready

Understand what lenders look at, what to fix first, and how long each step usually takes.

  • Establishing credit from scratch
  • Reading your credit reports and disputing errors yourself
  • Debt-to-income ratio, step by step
See these guides
Fixer-upper or new build

Renovate or build

See how one loan can cover the purchase and the work, and how draws and inspections change your timeline.

  • FHA 203(k), Fannie Mae HomeStyle, Freddie Mac CHOICERenovation
  • Construction-to-permanent loans
  • Budget and contractor checklists
See these guides

Available now

Two guides are live. More are on the way, and the full list is in the guide library.

Free guide

Should you pay points on a mortgage?

What a point is, how to work out the break-even, and the questions to ask each lender before you decide.

Read the guide
Free checklist

First-time buyer readiness checklist

Six steps to take before you apply: your numbers, your credit, your cash, your documents, your lender shortlist and the final stretch.

Open the checklist
Membership

Worksheets, plans and playbooks are coming

Articles and checklists stay free. Membership will add the working tools you use while you shop: a Loan Estimate comparison worksheet, a 90-day credit readiness plan and renovation and construction playbooks.

Join the waitlist
About

Written by someone who has worked the loan side

More than 10 years originating FHA, VA and conventional loans, renovation and construction loans, refinances and reverse mortgages.

Read the full bio