Moving to a new state: license, car, taxes and more
A checklist for moving states: driver’s license, car registration and insurance, part-year taxes, address updates, health insurance and records.
Signing your first apartment lease: what to check
What to read in a lease: money, dates, breaking it, repairs and rules, unfair clauses, move-in photos, and rental scams.
Getting your security deposit back
How to protect your deposit at move-in and move-out, what landlords can deduct, state deadlines, and what to do if they keep it.
Do you need renters insurance?
What renters insurance covers and doesn’t, replacement cost vs actual cash value, typical costs, and making a home inventory.
Getting pre-approved for a mortgage
Pre-qualification vs pre-approval, documents to gather, low down payment options, comparing lenders, staying steady until closing, and free help.
What a home inspection checks, and what it doesn’t
What a standard inspection covers, common extra tests, choosing an inspector, attending, reading the report by priority, and your deadline.
Can you back out after the home inspection?
The inspection contingency, your options, canceling in writing before the deadline, earnest money risks, and getting help.