Learn How to Buy a Home
Understanding the Path to Homeownership
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Research
Find out what home-buying expenses you can expect, research your loan options and check your credit.
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Prepare
Get everything in order before you apply. Calculate how much you can afford, find a real estate agent and learn about a preapproval.
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Learn How to Apply
Find out how to submit your purchase agreement, monitor your loan status and prepare for closing.
How to Get Started
Learn how to make room in your budget for a mortgage payment and what other costs to expect.
Know where you stand so you can get a great loan rate and terms.
Are you looking for a fixed-rate loan, or does an adjustable rate make more sense? Check out all your options.
More Info to Get You Moving
- Head to our homeownership hub for articles and podcasts about buying and owning a home.
- Get the basics on private mortgage insurance (PMI) and find out what your options are.
- Learn how buying mortgage points could help you lower your monthly payment and save over the long term.
Learn Even More With Our Newest Resources
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Home Buying
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Home Buying
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Gather key documents
When you apply for a mortgage, you'll need to provide information about your financial history.
Find a real estate agent
Use RealtyPlus® to choose a top-performing agent in your area, and you could earn cash back, too.Footnote [1]
Crunch the numbers
Use our calculators to see how much home you could afford, determine your down payment options and estimate your closing costs.
Learn about a preapproval
Before you start house hunting, it's a good idea to get a loan preapproval so you'll know how much you can borrow.
Why Choose Navy Federal?
We have everything you need to de-stress your next address. Learn about your loan options, the benefits of a Verified Preapproval letter and different ways you could save money.
Learn more in our Home Buying Center about our Home Buying Center
To take out a mortgage with us, you'll need to be a Navy Federal member. We'd love to have you join our family!
Manage your application
Find out how to keep your mortgage application moving with HomeSquad, your personalized loan hub.
Prepare for closing
Learn what to expect during closing, the last step in your home-buying journey.
Determine your budget
Find out how much you could afford with an affordability estimate. It's fast, and it won't affect your credit score.Footnote [2]
Disclosures
This program is only available for individual home purchases and sales in the contiguous U.S., Alaska, and Hawaii, excluding Iowa and employer-sponsored relocations. Financing through Navy Federal is not required to receive program benefits. The cash back is only available with the purchase or sale of your home through the use of a program-referred and -approved real estate agent, and is offered in most states, with the exception of Iowa, Alaska, and Oklahoma, and is not available in certain transactions with restricted agent commissions (including many new constructions, For Sale by Owner, or For Sale by iBuyer transactions, or where a minimum transaction side commission is not paid). Your agent can confirm which transactions are eligible. Cash-back amount depends on property value. Obtaining the full $9,000 requires a $3 million or greater transaction. Calculate your amount at navyfederalrealtyplus.com. One cash-back offer per property with no limit on the number of times you may use the program. In some states, a gift card or commission credit at closing may replace cash back.
In Kansas and Tennessee, a Mastercard® MAX gift card is provided with preloaded points and ready for use at specified retail establishments after closing. A commission reduction may be available in Mississippi, New Jersey, and Oregon instead of cash back. All real estate commissions are negotiable, and real estate broker fees apply. This program is offered, in part, by Anywhere Leads Inc., which may receive a co-operative brokerage fee as a result of a referral to any affiliated real estate companies, including Better Homes and Gardens® Real Estate, Coldwell Banker®, Century 21®, ERA® Real Estate, and Corcoran. Please check with the RealtyPlus program coordinator for full details, as program restrictions, terms, and conditions apply and are subject to change at any time without notice. This is an advertisement and not a solicitation for agent representation if your property is currently listed with an agent. Anywhere Leads Inc., 175 Park Avenue, Madison, NJ 07940. Licensed broker in the state of Texas. Broker license #9009191.
The purchase affordability tool is not available for individuals who have an unsubmitted mortgage application in HomeSquad. Please call 1-888-842-6328 and a Member Service Representative will provide assistance.
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