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Homeownership Program (5)

Three thought bubbles with a bag of groceries, a red car, and kids watching a movie.

When can a home be considered affordable?

Across the housing industry, and within our own homeownership program, the rule of 30% has long been the standard in determining whether or not a...

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A blue pie chart showing Payment History (35%), Amounts Owed (30%), Length of Credit History (15%), New Credit (10%), and Types of Credit (10%).

6 Tips to Improve Your Credit Score Before Your First Home Mortgage

Whether you’re actively searching or simply thinking about starting to look for a home, you can put this time to good use by trying to improve your...

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What to Expect from the Twin Cities Housing Market in 2021

2020 was challenging, to say the least, and the Twin Cities housing market changed rapidly to keep up. While the world navigates an ever-evolving...

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9 Home Inspection Issues That Can Be Deal-Breakers

Before buying a house, every person needs to have a home inspection. The professional who looks over the house will likely find minor concerns with...

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Mortgage Lender smiling at two homeowners in blue, they're all sitting at a desk with paperwork on it. The man on the left is on his phone.

Five Things to Consider When Choosing a Mortgage Lender

Whether you’re buying your first home or your third, chances are you’ll find yourself looking for a mortgage lender. Since the average U.S. homebuyer...

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Red, green, orange, and blue chairs in a classroom at six tables, the chairs are mostly filled. At the front of the room is a woman gesturing as she teaches, wearing a white shirt, yellow jacket, black pants, and a bracelet. Behind her is a powerpoint presentation with the title

What is a Homeownership Advisor and How Can They Help You Buy Your First Home?

The biggest consideration when making any large purchase decision is how you’re going to budget for it. And for most people, buying a home is the...

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We've Hit a Milestone: 1,500 Homes!

Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity is thrilled to announce that we have hit a huge milestone! At the end of August, we had a closing for the 1,500th...

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With a clear sky in the snow, a two-story Habitat house with peach siding at the top near the roof, and brown siding on the bottom half of the house. A short set of stairs leads up to the covered porch and front door. The house has a pitched roof and white trim.

What Experts Expect From the Minnesota Housing Market for the rest of 2020

If you are planning to buy your first home in 2020, there is a lot to learn about the market! With a pandemic, recession, and social distancing...

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Five images of different jobs, performed by people of different genders and races. On the left are images of a waitress and a doctor, in the center is a man driving a cart at an airport, on the right are images of a nurse and an aircraft marshaller.

Understanding Income, Debt, Credit Score, and Debt-to-Income

Understanding key financial terms is essential for first-time homebuyers (and anyone else getting ready to borrow money from a lender). Knowing what...

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An image of Homeowner Development Manager Pa Lor gesturing in a flowered shirt and neutral sweater to the right, and to the left, a bright blue background with white text stating

How to Understand (and Afford) the Down Payment on Your First Home [VIDEO]

When you get close to buying a home, one of the biggest steps is making the down payment. You might have a lot of questions about that step,...

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