Free Buyer & Seller Guides

Browse our free guides for buyers, sellers, and homeowners considering selling on their own. Open any guide below, with no signup required.

Buyer Guides

Home Buyer’s Guide

Get a step-by-step overview of buying a home, from preparing your finances and touring properties to making an offer, inspections, and closing. Includes common real estate terms, moving tips, and an introduction to our team.

The Insider’s Home Buying Guide

Explore our team’s 10-step home buying approach, strategies for navigating a competitive market, and common buying challenges. Includes information about buyer agreements, agent compensation, and frequently asked questions.

Home Buying Do's & Don'ts

Navigate your home search with practical tips on financing, ownership costs, property condition, negotiations, and closing preparation. Learn common mistakes to avoid and questions to consider before committing to a purchase.

Buyer Agency Guide

Learn how buyer representation works, what designated agency means, and what to expect when working with our team. This guide also explains buyer agreements, agent compensation, and the home buying process.

Renting vs. Buying

Considering the move from renting to owning? Explore cost comparisons, financial and lifestyle readiness questions, down payment options, and practical steps to prepare for homeownership.

The Real Cost Of Buying A Home

Plan for expenses beyond your down payment, including inspections, lender and closing fees, insurance, moving, and repairs. This guide organizes potential costs by when they arise so you can prepare your home buying budget.

5 Secrets To Strengthen Your Offer

Explore ways to make a competitive offer beyond the purchase price, including mortgage pre-approval, earnest money, and offer terms. Learn what to discuss with your agent so your offer reflects your budget and comfort with risk.

How To Buy A Vacation Home That Pays For Itself

Explore how rental income could help offset the costs of a vacation home in Northern New Hampshire or Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom. Covers location, rental demand, pricing, financing, property management, and marketing.

Choosing The Right Lender

Compare mortgage lender options and learn what questions to ask about loan programs, rates, fees, and service. Includes a lender interview checklist, warning signs to watch for, and lender contacts to help you get started.

How Lower Interest Rates Affect Homebuyers

Understand how lower mortgage rates can affect monthly payments, buying power, and competition. Explore potential benefits, tradeoffs, and costs to consider when deciding whether you’re ready to buy.

7 Reasons to Buy This Holiday Season

Explore seven potential advantages of buying during the holiday season, including less competition, motivated sellers, and opportunities to negotiate price and terms.

Buying A Home During The Holidays

Plan your holiday home purchase with tips on mortgage preparation, scheduling showings, negotiating an offer, and coordinating closing around holiday schedules. Includes checklists to help you stay organized.

Moving Made Simple

Stay organized with an eight-week moving checklist covering packing, hiring movers, transferring utilities, updating your address, and preparing for moving day. Includes tips for labeling boxes and keeping track of your belongings.

Seller Guides

Home Seller's Guide

Get a step-by-step overview of selling your home, from pricing and preparation to marketing, showings, offers, and closing. Includes preparation and showing checklists, common real estate terms, and an introduction to our team.

The Insider's Home Selling Guide

Explore our team’s 10-step approach to selling, including pricing, preparation, marketing, negotiations, and closing support. Includes common selling challenges, buyer agent compensation options, and frequently asked questions.

7 Tips For A Faster Sale

Help your home make a strong first impression with seven practical preparation tips. Covers decluttering, paint, curb appeal, room layouts, flooring, deep cleaning, and minor repairs before listing.

Listing Commissions: What Are You Paying For?

Understand different commission models and how to compare the services included in an agent’s fee. Explore marketing, negotiation, communication, and questions to ask when choosing a listing agent.

Should I Offer Buyer's Agent Commission?

Explore considerations when deciding whether to offer compensation toward a buyer’s agent’s fee. Covers potential buyer affordability barriers, selling expenses, and questions to discuss with your listing agent based on your property and goals.

10 DIY Home Staging Ideas

Prepare your home for photos and showings with ten practical staging ideas you can tackle yourself. Covers decluttering, cleaning, lighting, paint, furniture placement, fresh linens, and minor repairs to help buyers picture themselves at home.

7 Signs Its Time To Downsize

Could a smaller home better fit your next chapter? Explore seven reasons to consider downsizing, including unused space, maintenance demands, finances, lifestyle changes, and accessibility needs.

Divorce And Your Home: 7 Crucial Considerations

Explore important housing decisions during a divorce, including whether to sell, living arrangements, preparing the property, and coordinating negotiations. Includes questions to discuss with your real estate agent, attorney, lender, and tax advisor.

6 Smart Ways to Build Home Equity

Learn how home equity works and explore six ways to build it, including your down payment, mortgage repayment strategies, and home improvements. This guide also introduces options for accessing equity.

Moving Made Simple

Stay organized with an eight-week moving checklist covering packing, hiring movers, transferring utilities, updating your address, and preparing for moving day. Includes tips for labeling boxes and keeping track of your belongings.

For Sale By Owner

Is Selling For Sale By Owner Right For You?

Assess whether selling your home yourself fits your time, experience, and comfort level. Explore questions about pricing, marketing, disclosures, showings, negotiations, and handling challenges before closing.

For Sale By Owner Seller Kit

Considering selling your home yourself? Explore the responsibilities involved, from pricing and preparing your property to marketing, showings, disclosures, and negotiations. Includes considerations to help you decide when professional support may be useful.