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STEP 5 -- Close the Case

You've chosen your neighborhood. Now for the hard part: finding a house you love. Luckily, you've narrowed it down to a few streets. Now, make sure to:

• Find out how much house you can afford. The amount of money a lender offers you is often more than you can truly afford to pay. Use FrontDoor's handy mortgage calculator to add all your current debts and see how much you can afford. You don't want to be stuck eating ramen noodles for the next 15 to 30 years.
• Compare your loan options. Ask yourself these basic questions to find out what mortgage is right for you. Decide between fixed and adjustable rate mortgages with FrontDoor's comparison tool. Then, try another tool to see which loan term is best for you.
• Draw up your vision of home. It worked for your neighborhood -- now think about what you want in a home. Write your own vision of home and stick to it while you're house hunting. Don't know a Craftsman home from a contemporary one? Learn about 18 different home styles and find the right one for you.
• Find the perfect house! Search for homes by neighborhood across the country from more than 1.5 million for sale listings on FrontDoor.com.

<< Step 4: Find the Clues I Step 1: Profile Your Perfect Neighborhood >>

<< Don't buy the priciest house on the block I Look at several homes before you buy >>

GO TO: Buying Dos and Don'ts

Read the Top 10 Red Flags for Homebuyers:

1. Neighborhood Warning Signs
2. Mediocre Maintenance
3. Foundation Failures
4. Bad Smells
5. Faulty or Old Wiring
6. Fresh Paint...on One Wall
7. Locked Doors and Blockades
8. Foggy or Non-Functioning Windows
9. Structural Walls or Floors Have Been Removed
10. Bugs!
11. BOTTOM LINE: Always get a professional home inspection before buying a house!

More on FrontDoor:

• FrontDoor's Top 10 Tips and Advice on Everything Real Estate
• First-Time Homebuyer's Guide
• Experienced Homebuyer's Guide
• Moving Guide
• Home Finance Guide
• 12 Kinds of Neighborhoods
• 5 Types of Neighbors and How to Handle Them