Owning a Home

Owning your own home is the American Dream…but you need to be prepared for its challenges. These tips, tricks, and other information can help make your experience as a homeowner a little easier.

Maintaining and Improving Your Home

	HUD programs - HUD has a number of programs that may help you with home improvements
	Rural housing repair and rehabilitation grants and loans
	Home improvements for senior citizens
	Avoid deceptive home improvement contractors
	Tips for hiring a contractor
	Home maintenance and repair - great index of "how to's" from repairing leaky faucets to getting ketchup out of carpet
	Specially adapted housing program at the Veterans Administration
	Information for people with disabilities

Energy and Your Home Environment

	Make your home energy efficient with the Energy Star program
	Home energy saver - find the best ways to save energy in your home
	Consumer Energy Information from the Department of Energy
	Protect your family from lead poisoning
	Protect your home from lead hazards
	Indoor air quality
	Radon

Paying Your Mortgage

	Escrow accounts  - in most cases, part of your monthly mortgage payment goes into an escrow account. Know what to expect
	Mortgage insurance premiums
	Your rights and the responsibilities of the mortgage servicer
	Reservists, Guardsmen, and Other Military Personnel have special protections
	Having trouble with your FHA lender? - HUD's National Servicing Center may be able to help you
	If you are facing the loss of your home…
	Avoiding foreclosure on an FHA loan
	If you have trouble paying your VA loan

Refinancing

	Should I refinance? - this simple calculator can help you see if refinancing is right for you
	FHA streamline refinance
	Interest rate reduction refinancing loans for veterans
	Predatory Lending - don't be a victim of unscrupulous lending practices
	When not to refinance

Reverse Mortgages

Manufactured Homes

Have a problem with your manufactured home?

Disaster relief

	HUD disaster relief assistance
	Disasterhelp.gov

Selling Your Home

Selling your home can be exciting, but it also takes work. You’ll need to fix all those little problems you’ve let go for so many years. You need to decide if you’re going to try to sell your own home or use a professional real estate broker. And you’ll need to be patient! Selling your home can take some time, depending on your local real estate market.

Learn about the process and the pitfalls of selling your home, before you begin. Here are just some of the resources available.

	Getting your house ready to sell
	Selling your home
	Settlement costs

Related Links

	Government publications on homeownership
	At home and in the garden…  tips from the federal environmental agency
	Historic preservation