Home Course
Your home course, free.
Free homebuyer education for learners nationwide—the sequence, the math, and the vocabulary—with Washington-specific examples clearly marked.
18 holes, free
The full course, no signup, no cost.
Math before emotion
Payments and costs before list price.
Nationwide learning
National fundamentals. Local rules clearly marked.
Go deeper on financing
The Home Loan Library
Compare mortgage types, rates, APR, points, down-payment assistance, insurance, closing disclosures, refinancing, equity loans, and special real estate financing with official sources on every guide.
I.Your path
Start where you are.
Answer three broad questions. We will arrange a useful first path through the free course—without asking for income, a credit score, or contact information.
01—18
A course that meets you mid-round.
Your result will be a short, ordered set of existing lessons—not a readiness score, sales qualification, or financial recommendation.
II.Nationwide help
Learn anywhere. Check locally.
The Home Course is free nationwide. Real-estate rules, assistance programs, and professional licenses vary by state, so use these official sources before making a local decision.
Education nationwide. Local services in Washington.
18 Holes to Home currently provides real-estate planning, home-search, lending, and strategy-round services only in its disclosed Washington service area. You may always choose your own agent, lender, counselor, or other professional.
Select a location to open its official HUD housing-resource page.
Primary-source directory
Links reviewed July 20, 2026
III.Your progress
The Scorecard.
Your Scorecard
0 of 18 holes played
Every round starts on the range. Play your first hole below, or run a calculator to bank warm-up strokes.
Front nine — Get Ready
0 / 9
Back nine — Execute
0 / 9
IV.Front nine — Get ready
Nine holes before you search.
Budget, credit, savings, and financing — the groundwork that makes the rest of the round easier.
01
8 minMoney & Budget
A comfortable home budget starts with your monthly cash flow, not the number a lender says you qualify for. This hole walks through income, existing debt, and a realistic monthly payment range before you look at a single listing. You will leave knowing the difference between what you can borrow and what you can actually afford.
Play this hole02
7 minCredit
Your credit score sets your interest rate, and rate is the single biggest lever on your monthly payment. This hole explains what lenders actually look at, how score bands map to rate tiers, and the fastest honest ways to improve your position before you apply. No credit-repair gimmicks, just what moves the number.
Play this hole03
8 minSavings & Down Payment
You do not need 20% down to buy a home responsibly. This hole covers how down payment size changes your monthly payment, mortgage insurance, and offer strength, plus how much cash reserve to keep on hand after closing. You will end with a savings target, not just a percentage.
Play this hole04
9 minDown-Payment-Assistance Programs
Down-payment assistance exists nationwide through state agencies, local programs, and nonprofits. This hole explains common structures, how to find official local options, and then clearly labels Washington examples such as Home Advantage and House Key Opportunity.
Play this hole05
8 minLoan Types
Conventional, FHA, VA, and jumbo loans each fit a different buyer situation. This hole breaks down minimum down payments, mortgage insurance rules, and who each loan type actually favors, so you can walk into a lender conversation already knowing which door to ask about first.
Play this hole06
6 minPre-Approval
Pre-approval is a lender's conditional commitment based on verified income, assets, and credit — stronger than pre-qualification, which is just a self-reported estimate. This hole covers the documents you need, how long approval lasts, and why sellers treat a pre-approval letter as a real signal.
Play this hole07
7 minBuying Power
Buying power is your budget, credit, and down payment combined into one real number: what you can offer on a home today. This hole ties the first six holes together into a single working figure you can bring into a search, so every home you tour is already in range.
Play this hole08
7 minAgents & Representation
A buyer's agent is legally required to work in your interest, not the seller's, and in most cases costs you nothing directly. This hole explains representation agreements, how agent compensation actually works after recent industry changes, and what to ask before you sign with anyone.
Play this hole09
6 minMarket Fundamentals
Inventory, days on market, and price trends tell you whether you are walking into a buyer's market or a competitive one. This hole covers how to read basic market data for your area so your offer strategy matches reality instead of guesswork.
Play this holeV.Back nine — Execute
Nine holes from search to keys.
Touring, offers, negotiation, and closing — the sequence that turns readiness into a signed deal.
10
7 minSearch Strategy
A good search starts with a short list of non-negotiables, not an endless scroll of listings. This hole covers how to set up alerts that actually match your criteria, when to widen your search radius, and how to avoid touring homes that were never really in range.
Play this hole11
8 minTouring & Evaluating
A showing is your chance to catch problems before they become negotiating leverage or expensive surprises. This hole gives you a walk-through checklist covering structure, systems, and neighborhood context, so you leave every tour with real notes instead of just a feeling.
Play this hole12
8 minOffers
A competitive offer is built from price, contingencies, earnest money, and timing — not just the highest number. This hole explains each lever you control when you write an offer and how they combine to signal seriousness to a seller without overpaying.
Play this hole13
7 minNegotiation
Negotiation does not stop when your offer is accepted — inspection results, appraisal gaps, and repair requests all reopen the conversation. This hole covers how to negotiate from a position backed by facts, and when it makes sense to hold firm versus give ground.
Play this hole14
8 minInspection
A home inspection is your last real chance to understand what you are buying before you own it. This hole covers what a standard inspection checks, what a specialist inspection adds, and the real tradeoffs of waiving the inspection contingency in a competitive market.
Play this hole15
8 minAppraisal & Financing Contingencies
An appraisal confirms your lender is not loaning more than the home is worth, and a low appraisal can stall a deal fast. This hole explains how appraisals work, what your options are when one comes in low, and how financing contingencies protect your earnest money.
Play this hole16
6 minClosing Costs
Closing costs typically run 2-5% of the purchase price and catch first-time buyers off guard if they are not budgeted for early. This hole breaks down what you are actually paying for at closing and how seller credits can offset part of the bill.
Play this hole17
6 minClosing Week
Closing week has a predictable sequence: final walkthrough, document signing, funding, and key handoff. This hole walks through what to expect day by day so nothing during your closing week feels like a surprise, including what to bring and what to confirm in advance.
Play this hole18
7 minOwnership
Owning a home changes your taxes, your maintenance calendar, and how your equity builds over time. This closing hole covers the first-year basics: what to budget for upkeep, how equity actually accumulates, and what records to keep for tax season.
Play this holeTee Time
Where do you actually stand?
Six questions, a couple of minutes. Get a clear, non-judgmental readiness read — On the Green, On the Fairway, or In the Rough — with a concrete next move either way.
VI.Caddie notes
Reference, any hole, any time.
Glossary
Appraisal
A licensed appraiser's estimate of market value used by the lender to confirm the loan amount makes sense.
Contingency
A condition that must be met for the deal to proceed, such as inspection, financing, or appraisal.
Debt-to-income (DTI)
Monthly debt payments divided by gross monthly income. Lenders use this to evaluate affordability.
Earnest money
A good-faith deposit submitted with an offer and typically held in escrow until closing.
Escrow
A neutral third party that holds funds and documents until the conditions of the transaction are met.
Pre-approval
A lender's conditional commitment based on your income, assets, and credit profile. Stronger than pre-qualification.
Seller credit
Money negotiated from the seller that can help offset closing costs or other allowed transaction expenses.
Title
Legal ownership of the property. Title insurance protects against defects in the chain of ownership.
Checklists
Pre-approval checklist
Offer prep checklist
Closing week checklist