Freddie Mac checklist

Remember who does what: a lender makes your loan, and Freddie Mac may buy it afterward.

Read your own credit reports and fix any mistakes you find.

Add up your monthly debts, so you know what a lender will see.

Ask a lender for a pre-approval, and ask for the Loan Estimate in writing.

Ask whether the loan would be a conforming loan, and what the conforming limit is in the county where you are shopping.

Ask whether a program such as Home Possible could apply, and what it would change.

Ask whether you would pay private mortgage insurance, what it would cost each month and when it could end.

Choose a home and make an offer. Ask your agent how the loan type changes the offer.

Book the inspection. The appraisal is ordered by the lender; the inspection is yours.

Compare the Loan Estimate to the Closing Disclosure a few days before closing.

After closing, find out who your servicer is and who owns the loan. The who-owns-my-mortgage page shows how.

Find a home