Real Estate Editorial Team

Real Estate Editorial Team is the collective byline for our editorial team and contributor network. Articles published under this byline or an editorial pen name are researched, written, and reviewed according to our editorial standards for clarity, consistency, and independence before publication.

Before You Start House-Hunting, Do These Things First

Before You Start House-Hunting, Do These Things First

Closing Costs Unpacked: What You'll Owe at the Finish Line

Closing Costs Unpacked: What You'll Owe at the Finish Line

Down Payments: What the Percentages Really Mean

Down Payments: What the Percentages Really Mean

Fixed-Rate vs. Adjustable-Rate Mortgages

Fixed-Rate vs. Adjustable-Rate Mortgages

Homebuying Myths That Trip Up First-Time Buyers

Homebuying Myths That Trip Up First-Time Buyers

How Your Credit Score Shapes Your Mortgage Options

How Your Credit Score Shapes Your Mortgage Options

Key Terms in Every Real Estate Contract

Key Terms in Every Real Estate Contract

Making an Offer on a House: What Goes Into It

Making an Offer on a House: What Goes Into It

Pre-Qualification and Pre-Approval Are Not the Same Thing

Pre-Qualification and Pre-Approval Are Not the Same Thing

Reading a Loan Estimate Without Getting Lost

Reading a Loan Estimate Without Getting Lost

Renting vs. Buying a Home

Renting vs. Buying a Home

The Homebuying Process, Start to Finish

The Homebuying Process, Start to Finish

What Happens During a Home Inspection

What Happens During a Home Inspection

What a Mortgage Actually Is — and How It Works

What a Mortgage Actually Is — and How It Works

Why Buyers Lose Out in Competitive Markets

Why Buyers Lose Out in Competitive Markets

Working with a Real Estate Agent as a Buyer

Working with a Real Estate Agent as a Buyer

Every Clause in a Standard Lease Agreement, Explained in Plain English

Every Clause in a Standard Lease Agreement, Explained in Plain English

Furnished vs. Unfurnished Rentals: Trade-Offs Beyond the Price Tag

Furnished vs. Unfurnished Rentals: Trade-Offs Beyond the Price Tag

Living With Roommates: The Lease and Money Arrangements That Prevent Problems

Living With Roommates: The Lease and Money Arrangements That Prevent Problems

Month-to-Month vs. Fixed-Term Lease: Which One Actually Fits Your Situation

Month-to-Month vs. Fixed-Term Lease: Which One Actually Fits Your Situation

Move-In Day Checklist: Documenting Your Rental Before You Unpack

Move-In Day Checklist: Documenting Your Rental Before You Unpack

Negotiating Rent: What's Actually on the Table and How to Approach It

Negotiating Rent: What's Actually on the Table and How to Approach It

Reading a Rental Listing Without Getting Misled

Reading a Rental Listing Without Getting Misled

Renter's Insurance: What It Covers, What It Doesn't, and Why It Matters

Renter's Insurance: What It Covers, What It Doesn't, and Why It Matters

Renter's Rights That Most Tenants Don't Know They Have

Renter's Rights That Most Tenants Don't Know They Have

Renting Your First Apartment: What Nobody Tells You Before You Sign

Renting Your First Apartment: What Nobody Tells You Before You Sign

Renting vs. Buying: How to Think Through the Decision for Your Own Life

Renting vs. Buying: How to Think Through the Decision for Your Own Life

The Full Lifecycle of a Rental: From Application to Move-Out

The Full Lifecycle of a Rental: From Application to Move-Out

The Mythology Around Renting: Separating Common Misconceptions from Reality

The Mythology Around Renting: Separating Common Misconceptions from Reality

What a Security Deposit Can and Cannot Legally Cover

What a Security Deposit Can and Cannot Legally Cover

Why Your Rental Application Keeps Getting Rejected

Why Your Rental Application Keeps Getting Rejected

Assumptions That Lead People to Misread the Housing Market

Assumptions That Lead People to Misread the Housing Market

Housing Market Indicators Every Reader Should Know

Housing Market Indicators Every Reader Should Know

How to Read a Local Housing Market Report Without Getting Lost

How to Read a Local Housing Market Report Without Getting Lost

Reading a Market When the Data Seems to Contradict Itself

Reading a Market When the Data Seems to Contradict Itself

Renting vs. Buying During a Shifting Market

Renting vs. Buying During a Shifting Market

Seasonal Patterns in Real Estate: What Typically Happens Each Quarter

Seasonal Patterns in Real Estate: What Typically Happens Each Quarter

Seller's Market vs. Buyer's Market: What Each One Means for You

Seller's Market vs. Buyer's Market: What Each One Means for You

Signals That a Local Housing Market Is Cooling Off

Signals That a Local Housing Market Is Cooling Off

The Housing Market, Plain and Simple

The Housing Market, Plain and Simple

The Housing Market: A Complete Guide to How It Works

The Housing Market: A Complete Guide to How It Works

Things People Get Wrong About Housing Market Crashes

Things People Get Wrong About Housing Market Crashes

Urban vs. Suburban Housing Markets: How They Behave Differently

Urban vs. Suburban Housing Markets: How They Behave Differently

What 'Housing Inventory' Means and Why It Moves Prices

What 'Housing Inventory' Means and Why It Moves Prices

What Rising Interest Rates Actually Do to the Housing Market

What Rising Interest Rates Actually Do to the Housing Market

Why Home Prices Rise and Fall

Why Home Prices Rise and Fall