Buying a house can leave you feeling overwhelmed and under-informed.  Not only are you spending every waking hour searching for your perfect home,  you also have to think about how you're going to pay for it.  And when choosing a mortgage, it's important to find one that works with your budget now, and also 15- to 30-years down the road as well. Because the world of home financing can be a confusing one, let's take a look at two of the most popular loans in the housing market: Conventional and FHA.

If you’re a person on the go and hate mowing grass and raking leaves, maintenance-free condo living might be for you. And if you’re buying a condo with an FHA or VA loan program because of their attractive low-down payment and flexible credit qualifications, you need to be aware that the condo you are considering must be in an approved development.

Is it time for you to get out of the rent race and buy a home of your own? There are plenty of advantages to homeownership. And while buying isn’t right for every person or for every life stage or circumstance, there are several perks of homeownership that tend to stay stable over time. These include building long-term equity, the comfort and pride that can be associated with owning your own home and, of course, lower overall monthly cost.

Life is busy. Kids, work, meals, appointments - the list goes on. And no matter where you live, you also have to spend time keeping your home safe and running smoothly. We've put together a Yearly Homeowner's Checklist, with tasks for each month, to help remind you of common home maintenance chores to make your life just a little bit easier. 

This is an article submitted by a guest author. Not all views expressed are those of AmeriFirst Home Mortgage or its employees. 

We live in an instant-gratification society. We want what we want, and we want it now. Some of this is simply human nature. Some of the fault for this lies at the feet of our mass media. We're trained to think a complicated murder investigation can be solved and prosecuted in an hour TV show. Such is the case when it comes to all things home related.   Thanks to networks like the DIY Network and HGTV, we have become accustomed to seeing home renovations wrapped up in a single episode, by homeowners just like you and me. However, that's not how real life works. In real life, remodeling projects take time and a lot of work. Sometimes, they even take the work of a professional!