Home Buying Basics

We love our members.
We want to help you succeed on your journey of home ownership.  Understanding some basics about the home buying process can give you the peace of mind you deserve. The resources here are provided for convenience, however if you have additional questions, please feel free to reach out to us.  We will be happy to assist you.
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520-459-1860
The Home Buying Process

Step-by-step guide to buying your dream home.

 

Checklist

What do I need to fill out my application?

 

 

Mortgage Calculator

Use our mortgage calculation tool to get an estimate of what your monthly payments might look like.

 

Your Home Loan Toolkit - A Step by Step Guide from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
What You Should Know About Home Equity Lines of Credit

We are extremely happy with our experience at ASCU

We pre-qualified for an auto loan through ASCU before shopping for cars. Then when we found a car, the dealership offered us financing and it was so nice to have something to compare it to. ASCU gave us a better rate! -Happy Members since 2012-

My husband is always doing projects.

The last project was a major one. He put a deck in and an addition with the help of a small contractor. We decided to look at a Home Equity Line of Credit before we began. It worked! The projects are done and no credit cards were used! - Happy Members since 2003-

How Can a Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC) Help You?

September 5, 2023

With more people working from home, families are struggling to find ways of upgrading their home offices or converting a garage or an unfinished basement into a useable space to get their work done. It's hard to work if you can't get away from the family, but if you can…read more.

 
Buying A Home In Today’s Economy

April 10, 2020

The only thing certain about today’s economy is that it is uncertain. No one can guarantee what the next few years will bring.  Fortunately, you don’t have to give up on the home of your dreams because of a fluctuating economy. Here are four steps you can take to make…read more.

 
How Can You Get The Most Out Of Your Investment In Your Home?

I want to increase the value of my home this summer. What can I do? Regular home maintenance is essential to protecting your largest investment. Before you worry about luxury amenities like a swimming pool or marble countertops, go through the house and do some preventative maintenance. You can start…read more.

 
Choosing An Equity Loan In A Rising Rates Environment

Q: I'd like to take out a loan against my home's equity, but I've heard that interest rates are expected to climb soon. What are the differences between a home equity line of credit (HELOC) and a typical home equity loan? How does an environment of rising interest rates impact…read more.

 
4 Home Improvement Projects With High Long-Term Return

When you’re making improvements to your home, you’re not just making your life better in the short term.  You’re also making an investment in your future. Ideally, the increase in the value of your home will exceed the cost of the improvement.  However, it seldom works out like that.  The…read more.

 
Home Loans

December 24, 2019

What is a home loan? A home loan, or a mortgage, enables you to purchase a home without having to foot all the cash out of your pocket when purchasing. You will, however, need to make a down payment, which is typically between 5-20% of the home’s appraised value (some…read more.

 
Mistakes First Time Home Buyers Make

November 14, 2019

Q: My husband and I have been renting an apartment since we got married. We recently decided to buy our first home. Some friends of ours had lots of trouble with the process, and wound up buying a house they can’t really afford. We don’t want to go through what they…read more.

 
Flipping Houses

October 1, 2019

In the 2019 real estate market, home-flipping has become more popular than ever. Flipping houses is a basic real estate investment concept that involves purchasing a rundown or undervalued home at the lowest possible price, spending the necessary time and money fixing it up and then selling it for a…read more.

 
Energy Efficient Appliances

September 26, 2019

Our dependence on energy increases daily.  With energy-dependent technology driving our lives, ecologists continue to search for ways to save our environment.  Focusing on energy-efficient appliances is one way to do that. Your monthly electric bill may not itemize the specific usage of each appliance in your home, but you…read more.

 
Can I Buy a House if I Have a Student Loan?

September 10, 2019

Is it possible for me to buy a house while I’m still paying off a student loan? Yes, you can buy a house and have a student loan you are still paying off.   If student loan debt that is managed responsibly should not hold you back from purchasing a house. …read more.