If you shout, “Downpayment money!” from the rooftops, you’re bound to get people’s attention. Especially homebuyers. Since a home is the biggest purchase most people will make in their lifetime, downpayment money is something that gets the welcome mat rolled out rather quickly.

But downpayment money, which our Home Is Possible (HIP) program offers to qualifying low and middle income Nevada homebuyers, does beg a lot of questions. Don’t worry, we have lots of answers.

Yep, spring has finally sprung. That means it’s time to clear out the clutter and bring on the elbow grease to clean your house—your financial house, that is. If you haven’t done it in awhile, be prepared for some heavy scrubbing, but keep in mind it’ll be much more like feather dusting when next spring rolls around.

Here are a few tips to get the financial spring cleaning started.

You’ve mastered the art of the “swipe right,” you know how to avoid “ghosting” and you’re no stranger to the “skype date.” But do you know how to find the right loan officer or real estate agent to fit your home-buying needs?

Never fear, the same skills you use to date in this day and age can be applied to hiring a loan officer or real estate agent.

1. Play the field

Home is Possible for Heroes, like Matthew Leue

Matthew Leue is a veteran, and now, a new homeowner thanks to the Home is Possible for Heroes program offered by the Nevada Housing Division. Watch his story.

Since launching in 2014, Home is Possible (HIP for those in the know) has transformed the landscape of homeownership in Nevada. HIP has helped thousands of average, hard working Nevada families purchase a home of their own while making a tremendous economic impact on the state as a whole. Find out why so many Nevadans are getting HIP.

Welcome to the second edition of our series mash up of National Garden and Financial Literacy Month. Haven’t seen the first edition? Read Aquaponic and FinTech: Growing Financial Literacy for First-Time Homebuyers. Today we’re talking about composting and tax credits.

If you’re thinking of buying a house, you already know that having good credit is, well, a good thing. But what is a good credit score? And what goes into determining it exactly? Here, we’ll delve into the mysterious but oh-so-important number.

With the rising cost of rental properties in Nevada and low, homebuyer-friendly mortgage rates, the answer to the age-old question, ‘to rent or to buy?’ may be decidedly more clear than in years past. But is homeownership right for you? Your pocketbook? Your lifestyle? Your future? Let’s tackle the question(s) at hand.

We Are Pro-Homebuying, Mostly

We’re not going to mince words. The Recession was like a swift kick to the stomach. Maybe lower. At one time, Nevada earned its title as the Foreclosure Capital of America with 1 in 16 homes filing for foreclosure, compared to the national average of 1 in 69 according to CNN Money. Thankfully, Nevada is on its way to recovery. We even ditched our unsolicited title.