Real Estate Editorial Team

Real Estate Editorial Team is the collective byline for our editorial team and contributor network. Articles published under this byline or an editorial pen name are researched, written, and reviewed according to our editorial standards for clarity, consistency, and independence before publication.

Buying a Home: A First-Timer's Orientation to the Entire Process

Buying a Home: A First-Timer's Orientation to the Entire Process

Common Myths About Down Payments That Slow Buyers Down

Common Myths About Down Payments That Slow Buyers Down

Contingencies in a Home Purchase Contract: What Each One Protects

Contingencies in a Home Purchase Contract: What Each One Protects

Evaluating a Neighborhood Before You Buy: What to Look For Beyond Curb Appeal

Evaluating a Neighborhood Before You Buy: What to Look For Beyond Curb Appeal

Fixed-Rate vs. Adjustable-Rate Mortgages: How to Think About the Trade-Off

Fixed-Rate vs. Adjustable-Rate Mortgages: How to Think About the Trade-Off

Key Documents You'll Encounter During a Home Purchase

Key Documents You'll Encounter During a Home Purchase

Making an Offer on a House: What the Process Looks Like

Making an Offer on a House: What the Process Looks Like

Pre-Qualification vs. Pre-Approval: Understanding the Difference Before You Shop

Pre-Qualification vs. Pre-Approval: Understanding the Difference Before You Shop

Questions to Ask a Real Estate Agent Before You Start Working Together

Questions to Ask a Real Estate Agent Before You Start Working Together

Renting vs. Buying a Home: Factors Worth Weighing Before You Decide

Renting vs. Buying a Home: Factors Worth Weighing Before You Decide

The Home Inspection: What It Covers, What It Doesn't, and Why It Matters

The Home Inspection: What It Covers, What It Doesn't, and Why It Matters

The Home-Buying Process, From Offer to Closing

The Home-Buying Process, From Offer to Closing

Things First-Time Buyers Wish They'd Known Before Closing

Things First-Time Buyers Wish They'd Known Before Closing

What Closing Costs Include—and Who Typically Pays What

What Closing Costs Include—and Who Typically Pays What

What Escrow Actually Means—and Why It Matters to Buyers

What Escrow Actually Means—and Why It Matters to Buyers

Common Myths About Tenant Rights That Can Cost Renters Money

Common Myths About Tenant Rights That Can Cost Renters Money

Lease Renewal Negotiations: What Tenants Often Leave on the Table

Lease Renewal Negotiations: What Tenants Often Leave on the Table

Month-to-Month Tenancy vs. Fixed-Term Lease

Month-to-Month Tenancy vs. Fixed-Term Lease

Move-In Day Documentation: A Checklist to Protect Your Deposit

Move-In Day Documentation: A Checklist to Protect Your Deposit

Navigating the Full Rental Process: From Search to Move-Out

Navigating the Full Rental Process: From Search to Move-Out

Reading a Rental Listing Without Getting Misled

Reading a Rental Listing Without Getting Misled

Renter Protections That Exist in Most U.S. States — and Ones That Vary Widely

Renter Protections That Exist in Most U.S. States — and Ones That Vary Widely

Renters Insurance: What It Covers, What It Doesn't, and Why It Matters

Renters Insurance: What It Covers, What It Doesn't, and Why It Matters

Renting vs. Buying a Home: A Honest Look at Both Paths

Renting vs. Buying a Home: A Honest Look at Both Paths

Security Deposits: What Landlords Can Legally Deduct and What They Cannot

Security Deposits: What Landlords Can Legally Deduct and What They Cannot

Subletting, Assignment, and Lease Transfers: How Each One Works

Subletting, Assignment, and Lease Transfers: How Each One Works

The Hidden Costs of Renting That Don't Show Up in the Monthly Rent

The Hidden Costs of Renting That Don't Show Up in the Monthly Rent

What Happens When a Landlord Fails to Make Repairs

What Happens When a Landlord Fails to Make Repairs

What a Lease Agreement Actually Says — and What It Means for You

What a Lease Agreement Actually Says — and What It Means for You

Your First Rental: Everything You Need to Know Before Signing a Lease

Your First Rental: Everything You Need to Know Before Signing a Lease

Economic Signals That Tend to Precede Housing Market Shifts

Economic Signals That Tend to Precede Housing Market Shifts

Housing Market Terminology Every Buyer and Seller Should Know

Housing Market Terminology Every Buyer and Seller Should Know

How Mortgage Interest Rates Shape the Entire Housing Market

How Mortgage Interest Rates Shape the Entire Housing Market

How New Home Construction Shapes the Broader Housing Market

How New Home Construction Shapes the Broader Housing Market

Interpreting Housing Market Reports Without Being Misled

Interpreting Housing Market Reports Without Being Misled

Local vs. National Housing Market Trends: Which One Should You Follow?

Local vs. National Housing Market Trends: Which One Should You Follow?

Questions to Ask Before Drawing Conclusions From Housing Market Data

Questions to Ask Before Drawing Conclusions From Housing Market Data

Reading a Housing Market: A First-Timer's Roadmap

Reading a Housing Market: A First-Timer's Roadmap

Renting vs. Owning During a Hot Housing Market

Renting vs. Owning During a Hot Housing Market

Seller's Market vs. Buyer's Market: What the Difference Means for You

Seller's Market vs. Buyer's Market: What the Difference Means for You

The Full Picture on Housing Affordability in America

The Full Picture on Housing Affordability in America

Things People Get Wrong About the Housing Market

Things People Get Wrong About the Housing Market

What Actually Drives Home Prices Up or Down

What Actually Drives Home Prices Up or Down

Why Comparing Today's Market to the 2008 Crash Usually Misses the Point

Why Comparing Today's Market to the 2008 Crash Usually Misses the Point

Why Low Housing Inventory Pushes Prices Higher—Even When Demand Slows

Why Low Housing Inventory Pushes Prices Higher—Even When Demand Slows