Instructor

House Karma Instructor

H.O.M.E. Home Ownership Made Easy from House Karma

Lifetime

All levels

53 lessons

54 quizzes

8 students

Overview
Curriculum
Instructor
Reviews

Your Guide to Buying Smart, Staying Protected, and Building a Better Financial Future

If you’re reading this, congratulations — you’re already ahead of the game.

Buying your first home is one of the biggest financial steps you’ll ever take. But let’s be honest — it can also be one of the most confusing, overwhelming, and unfortunately, one of the easiest ways to get taken advantage of if you don’t know the rules of the game. That’s why this course exists — to protect you, empower you, and prepare you to become a confident, successful homeowner, while simultaneously learning how to build your financial future.

At House Karma, we believe every first-time buyer deserves honest answers, real support, and a clear understanding of how this all works — not sales pitches, fine print, or getting “talked down to” by people who assume you don’t know any better.

Why This Course Matters

Every year, millions of people buy their first homes without really understanding what they’re getting into. Some are lucky — they land in a good situation with the right team. But far too many others end up:

Paying more than they should in interest, fees, or closing costs
Choosing the wrong loan type or getting denied last minute
Waiving their rights or skipping inspections without realizing the risk
Working with someone who doesn’t have their best interest at heart

Even worse, studies show that first-time buyers and minority buyers are often:

Overcharged
Under-informed
Rushed into decisions
Or intentionally steered into deals that benefit others — not them

We’re here to stop that.

What You’ll Learn (And What Makes This Course Different)

This course will walk you step-by-step through the entire homebuying process — from deciding if you’re really ready, all the way to what to do after you’ve moved in. But this isn’t just a checklist of “to-do’s”. You’re going to learn the why behind everything. And we’re going to show you:

What the industry insiders don’t always tell you
Where the hidden fees live
What real estate agents and loan officers sometimes “forget” to mention
How to avoid being pressured, overcharged, or flat-out lied to

You’ll also get tools – real tools — like:

Budgeting calculators
DPA (down payment assistance) estimators
Property checklists
Closing cost guides
And a whole lot more

Plus, scattered throughout the course, you’ll see special “Buyer Mistake Alerts” — pulled straight from our Top 75 First-Time Buyer Mistakes list. These pop-ups, sidebars, and real-world stories are designed to help you avoid the same painful (and expensive) errors other buyers have made before you.

You will also be able to speak with “Karmi” the first Large Language Model AI for real estate which also includes all of this course information and can be used as your personal tutor along the way. www.housekarma.us

Tip: Keep “Karmi” open in a separate window while completing this course to help answer any questions or better explain things to you.

Who This Course Is For

This course is for anyone who:

Is thinking about buying their first home (now or later)
Has been pre-approved but isn’t sure what to do next
Is working with a real estate agent but feels a little lost
Is applying for a mortgage and wants to make sure they’re getting a fair deal
Wants to take control of their financial future and not just “hope for the best”

You don’t need any background in real estate or finance. This course was written in plain English, with easy to understand explanations of the “jargon” jargon, and tons of real-life examples — so you can feel confident and prepared without being overwhelmed.

What You’ll Walk Away With

By the time you finish this course, you’ll:

Know exactly what you can afford — and how to stay within budget
Understand all the types of loans, what they cost, and which fits you
Spot red flags in listings, agents, contracts, and even inspections
Make strong, smart offers without getting emotionally manipulated
Understand your appraisal, your title paperwork, and your closing docs
Know what to do after you move in to keep your finances healthy
Be better prepared to avoid scams, overpriced services, and shady tactics
Better understand how to build your own financial future

Most importantly, you’ll be in control — not relying on someone else to make the biggest financial decision of your life.

Why This Course Is Free (and Why It’s Not Basic)

We created this course as part of our House Karma mission: to make homeownership more affordable, more transparent, and more achievable for everyone — especially those who haven’t had the best access to this kind of education before.

We’re giving this away for free because we believe informed buyers make better decisions — and better decisions lead to stronger communities.

There’s no hidden agenda here. No upselling. No “bait and switch.” Just honest information, clear tools, and practical steps that will help you:

Avoid common traps
Save money
And feel good about your homebuying journey

And if you finish the entire course and pass the quizzes, we’ll even arrange a $1,000 Down Payment Assistance Credit when you buy through a participating House Karma partner. That’s real money — to help make your first home even more affordable.

How to use this course

This course isn’t just about getting you a certificate or qualifying you for a program – it’s about truly making you an educated, well-informed, and savvy real estate buyer.

The format is designed – not to just get you through it but to truly give you knowledge and skills that you can apply, and hopefully, share with people you care about.

We do this by using a building block approach, introducing basic concepts to create a foundation and then later revisiting those concepts in greater and greater detail to make them easier to understand and absorb.

The first modules go through all the basics to get you started, and the later modules go back and expand on them. This is the best way to teach you everything you need to know.

Some future sections may seem redundant at first glance, but we are reinforcing the basics at each step and then adding additional information each time to ensure a total and complete understanding so that you can better protect yourself when buying your first home.

You’ll register to take the course.

This will save your place so you can come back and continue, review past information you’ve learned, or retake quizzes as many times as you want.

Final Word: This Isn’t Just a Course — It’s Your Launchpad!

Homeownership isn’t just about getting the keys. It’s about setting yourself up for a better future — one where you’re building equity instead of paying rent, controlling your own space, and creating financial stability for you and your family.

But getting there the wrong way can cost you years of financial hardship. That’s what we’re here to help you avoid.

So, take your time. Ask questions. Use the tools. Read the sidebars and click the buttons for more information. Finish each module. And when you’re done, you’ll be one of the most informed — and most protected — first-time buyers out there.

We know “Course”, “Lessons”, and “Quizzes” sound like work and school – think of it as arming yourself with information that you’d only find out the hard way – by making very costly mistakes. You can chip away – a section at a time. But, please, before you start looking for a home, PLEASE complete this. We’d hate for you to say, “Oh no, I should have finished that – I didn’t know….”

More importantly, when you are done with this course, you will likely know more and be better educated than many of the agents, loan officers, and others that you will be dealing with!

Curriculum

8 Sections
53 Lessons
Lifetime

Expand all sectionsCollapse all sections

M1: Are You Really Ready to Buy?
Intro: Welcome to the start of your homebuying journey. This module lays the foundation for everything that comes next, helping you understand the process, what’s ahead, and how to prepare with confidence.

Learning Objectives:
- Understand the full homebuying timeline from start to finish
- Identify the key players involved in a purchase
- Recognize the importance of financial and emotional readiness
- Set realistic expectations for the journey ahead
16
M2: Budgeting, Credit & Down Payment Assistance
Intro: In this module, you’ll discover what truly matters in finding the right home. Beyond features and square footage, you’ll learn how to prioritize your needs, spot red flags, and make smart choices about where and how you’ll live.

Learning Objectives:
- Differentiate between needs, wants, and nice-to-haves
- Evaluate neighborhoods, schools, and lifestyle factors
- Understand how location impacts long-term value
- Avoid common mistakes when choosing a home
18
M3: The Search — Finding the Right Home for You
Intro: Money matters. This module explains the costs of buying a home, from the down payment to closing costs, and helps you budget wisely so you can buy smart without stretching yourself too thin.

Learning Objectives:
- Identify all upfront and ongoing costs of homeownership
- Understand the role of earnest money, escrow, and reserves
- Explore loan options and assistance programs
- Build a realistic homebuying budget
16
M4: Making an Offer That Gets Accepted (Without Getting Burned)
Intro: Here, you’ll learn about the professionals who will guide you through the process. From agents and lenders to inspectors and escrow officers, knowing who does what will keep you in control and reduce stress.

Learning Objectives:
- Understand the role of real estate agents, lenders, inspectors, and title/escrow
- Learn how to choose the right professionals for your team
- Know what questions to ask at each stage
- Recognize when to lean on your team and when to make your own decisions
16
M5: Mortgages, Credit & Down Payment Assistance
Intro: Mortgages can feel complicated, but this module breaks them down into simple steps. You’ll learn how lenders think, what programs exist, and how to position yourself for the best possible loan.

Learning Objectives:
- Understand down payment assistance and national/state programs
- Learn how credit scores and debt ratios affect approval
- Recognize the role of loan officers, processors, and underwriters
- Compare loan types and understand mortgage insurance
- Create a personal mortgage readiness plan
16
M6: Making the Offer & Negotiating Smart
Intro: Making an offer is both an art and a science. In this module, you’ll learn how to write smart offers, understand seller motivation, and protect yourself with contingencies while still being competitive.

Learning Objectives:
- Break down the parts of an offer beyond just price
- Understand how seller psychology influences negotiations
- Learn the steps after submitting an offer
- Prepare for multiple-offer situations and bidding wars
- Know how contingencies protect you and how deadlines work
10
M7: Closing the Deal — Escrow, Walkthroughs & Keys
Intro: Once your offer is accepted, the real work begins. This module takes you through escrow, closing, walkthroughs, and possession — everything that happens after “under contract” until you get the keys.

Learning Objectives:
- Understand what “under contract” means and track deadlines
- Follow the escrow process from start to finish
- Prepare for closing day and avoid common mistakes
- Know how to handle last-minute surprises and delays
- Complete a final walkthrough and understand possession rules
- Learn what to do immediately after closing to protect your new home
14
Final Exam
Final Exam: Your Path to Certification

You’ve worked your way through all eight modules of the House Karma HomeStart 101 course — covering everything from budgeting and credit to offers, escrow, and closing. Now it’s time to bring it all together.

This final exam will test your knowledge across the entire course. A passing score of 80% or higher is required to earn your official House Karma Certificate of Completion — proof that you’ve mastered the essentials of smart, confident homebuying.

Tips before you begin:
- Take your time — there’s no rush, and steady progress beats guessing.
- Review your notes or revisit lessons if you feel unsure.
- Use Karmi, your AI study buddy, if you get stuck. Karmi can explain concepts, give examples, or point you back to the right module.
- Remember — this exam is here to help you confirm what you know and build confidence for the real-world buying process.
When you’re ready, click Start Quiz below. Good luck — you’ve got this, and Karmi is just a click away if you need backup!
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  H.O.M.E. Final Exam
  50 Questions

House Karma Instructor

Our courses are a result of constant research of laws, policies, trends and statistics. Our "instructor" is a collective of real estate professionals with decades of experience. The goal of this format is to give you unbiased and very current information without ego, or alterior motives. We want to save you money. Every course is written to be helpful and to give you an advantage.

For Home Buyers with all the information no one will ever tell you, and most agents don’t even know.

H.O.M.E. Home Ownership Made Easy from House Karma

Your Guide to Buying Smart, Staying Protected, and Building a Better Financial Future