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• Purchase

  Purchase a Home

  Buying, pre-approval, and program comparisons.

• Refinance

  Refinance

  Lower your rate or tap equity.

• Construction

  Building Your Home

  Construction financing and one-time-close loans.

• Communities

  Communities

  Explore Lancaster County neighborhoods.

• Builders

  Builders

  Production and custom builder directory.

• Learning

  Learning Center

  Homebuyer guides and mortgage explainers.

• Local

  Life in Lancaster

  Local guides — coffee, parks, festivals, and more.

• Downloads

  Downloads

  Printable checklists and worksheets.

• Down Payment

  A Practical Guide to Down Payment Assistance

  A plain-English guide to down payment assistance in Pennsylvania — how grants, repayable second liens, and state programs work, who qualifies, and when they help versus when a conventional loan is the smarter path.

• Closing Costs

  Understanding Closing Costs

  A plain-English breakdown of the fees on your Loan Estimate — what each one pays for, which ones are negotiable, and where sellers, builders, or lenders can help.

• Credit

  What Credit Score Do You Really Need?

  The real credit score minimums for conventional, FHA, VA, and USDA loans — how mortgage credit scoring differs from consumer apps, and what actually moves your score before closing.

• Getting Ready

  Pre-Approval vs. Pre-Qualification

  The difference between a pre-qualification and a full pre-approval — what each one is, why sellers take one much more seriously, and how to be genuinely ready when you find the right home.

• First-Time Buyer

  The First-Time Homebuyer's Timeline

  A month-by-month timeline for first-time homebuyers — from the first pre-approval conversation through closing day and the first month in the home.

• Download

  First-Time Homebuyer Checklist

  A one-page checklist covering documents, credit prep, and questions to ask before applying.

• Download

  Closing Cost Worksheet

  Estimate your total cash-to-close: lender fees, third-party costs, prepaids, and escrow.