Homeownership education

Start with what you need to know.

Explore five practical guide overviews for buying and selling, plus starting points for financing and life as a homeowner. Learn at your own pace.

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No pressure and no required next step—just useful information for when you need it.

Find a starting point

Choose your starting point.

Buying and selling guide overviews, with additional financing and homeowner guidance below.

Resource library

Five guide overviews. One useful library.

Open any guide overview to see the decisions and topics it can help you work through.

Buying

Prepare, compare, and understand the path to closing.

Four guides help with readiness, affordability, purchase costs, and the decision to buy or continue renting.

RoadmapThe First-Time Homebuyer RoadmapExplore guide topics

Use this roadmap to understand the sequence from early preparation through closing day.

  • Financial preparation and readiness
  • Exploring financing and preapproval
  • Home search, offers, and inspections
  • Appraisal, final review, and closing
WorksheetHow Much Home Can I Afford?Explore guide topics

Build a realistic housing framework around your full monthly budget rather than a single qualification number.

  • Monthly payment and down payment
  • Taxes, insurance, and HOA costs
  • Debt obligations and household priorities
  • Cash reserves and comfort level
Cost guideWhat Does It Really Cost to Buy a Home?Explore guide topics

Review the expenses that may arise before, during, and at closing so fewer costs come as a surprise.

  • Earnest money and inspections
  • Appraisal and down payment
  • Closing costs and prepaid expenses
  • Moving costs and eligible Rooted Perks benefits where available
Decision guideShould I Buy or Keep Renting?Explore guide topics

Compare the practical tradeoffs without assuming that buying is automatically the right answer.

  • Flexibility and time horizon
  • Financial readiness and ownership costs
  • Lifestyle needs and personal goals
  • Questions that help clarify your next step

Selling

Get ready for market with a practical plan.

The seller guide helps organize preparation, presentation, offers, and the road to closing.

Preparation guideThe Home Seller’s Prep GuideExplore guide topics

Create a plan for what to address, what may not be necessary, and how to prepare for the selling process.

  • Repairs, improvements, and decluttering
  • Staging and pricing preparation
  • Showings and evaluating offers
  • Closing and moving preparation

More stages of the journey

Useful questions do not stop at buying or selling.

Rooted Perks education is designed to grow with the broader homeownership journey.

Mortgage & financing

Understand the language before making a decision.

Helpful starting points include mortgage basics, preapproval, down payment, closing costs, common loan terminology, and questions to ask about financing options.

  • Separate qualification from personal comfort
  • Compare terms, costs, and requirements carefully
  • Use participating professionals when available and when you choose

Homeownership

Plan for the responsibilities that continue after closing.

Ongoing education may address maintenance, household budgeting, moving, equity concepts, and working with trusted service providers as approved resources become available.

  • Plan for routine and unexpected home expenses
  • Keep important home information organized
  • Review organization-specific resources and benefits

Educational information

A helpful starting point—not individualized advice.

Rooted Perks resources provide general educational information. They are not individualized financial, legal, tax, real estate, or lending advice and may not reflect every person’s circumstances. Consider speaking with appropriately qualified professionals about your situation.

Keep learning. Connect when you’re ready.

Review your organization-specific benefits or keep exploring practical homeownership guidance at your own pace.

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