Home buying quizzes
70 quizzes and games. A couple of minutes each, no signup. Find out where you stand, what type of buyer you are, and how much you really know.
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Where do you stand?
Get a score out of 100 and a plan for your weakest areas.
Are you ready to buy a home?Eight quick questions about your credit, savings, debts, income and plans. You’ll get a readiness score out of 100 and a plan that starts with your weakest areas.How strong is your offer?Answer eight questions about the offer you’re planning. You’ll get a strength score out of 100 for a competitive market, and the changes that would help most.Will a lender approve you?Seven questions about what lenders look at: credit, debts, income, savings and paperwork. You’ll see how likely approval looks and what would strengthen your file.Is your budget house-poor-proof?Seven questions about how your budget would hold up after buying: the payment, your cushion, your income and the surprises every homeowner meets.Are you ready for homeownership costs?Seven questions about the costs new owners most often underestimate: closing, taxes, insurance, repairs, HOA dues and the first-year surprises.Are you ready for a bidding war?Six questions about your money, paperwork and plan. See if you’re ready to compete when several buyers want the same home.Is your credit mortgage-ready?Six questions about the parts of your credit lenders care most about. See how ready it is and what would move your score.Can you afford a fixer-upper?Six questions about your budget, skills and patience. See if a fixer-upper fits, and how to protect yourself if it does.Are you ready to buy with a partner?Six questions for couples, friends or family buying together. See how aligned you are on money, ownership and the what-ifs.Is your down payment plan on track?Six questions about your savings goal, pace and options. See if your plan is on track and how to speed it up.
Guess the number
Guess a figure for a real place, from real market data. New questions every time you play.
Guess the salary neededEight real places. Guess the yearly income needed to comfortably buy a typical home there. New places every game.Guess the monthly paymentEight homes at today’s average rate with 10% down. Can you guess the monthly principal and interest? New prices every game.Guess the property tax rateEight real counties. Guess the effective property tax rate homeowners pay each year. New counties every game.Bidding war or buyer’s market?Eight real ZIP codes. Is each one a bidding-war market, balanced, or a buyer’s market right now? New places every game.Guess the walkabilityEight real places. How walkable is each one, based on the EPA’s National Walkability Index? New places every game.Guess the rentEight real places. Guess the fair market rent for a two-bedroom, from HUD’s latest figures. New places every game.Guess the closing costsEight homes in different states. Guess the estimated closing costs, using the same estimates as our closing cost calculator. New homes every game.Mortgage rate time machineEight yearly average mortgage rates from Freddie Mac’s survey. Can you guess the year each one comes from? New years every game.Guess the typical home valueEight real places. Guess the typical home value in each. New places every game.How many years of income buys a home?Eight real places. A typical home costs how many years of the typical household’s income? New places every game.Guess how fast homes sellEight real ZIP codes. How long does a typical home take to sell? New places every game.What share sell over asking?Eight real ZIP codes. What share of homes sell for more than the asking price? New places every game.Guess the commuteEight real places. How long is the typical one-way commute? New places every game.Owners or renters?Eight real places. What share of households own their home? New places every game.Houses or apartments?Eight real places. What share of homes are single-family houses? New places every game.Guess the loan limitEight real counties. What’s the conforming loan limit for a one-unit home? Borrow more and you’ll need a jumbo loan. New counties every game.
This or that?
Two places or two answers: pick the right one, from real market data. New questions every time you play.
Higher or lower: home pricesTen pairs of real places. Which one has the higher typical home value? Every game picks new places.Which state has lower property taxes?Eight pairs of states. Which one has the lower typical property tax rate? New pairs every game.Older or newer homes?Ten pairs of real places. Which one has newer homes, by typical year built? New places every game.Higher or lower: rentsTen pairs of real places. Which has the higher two-bedroom fair market rent? New places every game.Higher or lower: mortgage rates through historyTen pairs of years. Which one had the higher average 30-year mortgage rate? New pairs every game.Higher or lower: household incomeTen pairs of real places. Which has the higher typical household income? New places every game.Cheaper to rent or buy here?Eight real places. Is it cheaper each month to rent a typical two-bedroom or to own a typical home? New places every game.Higher or lower: price per square footTen pairs of real ZIP codes. Which one sells homes for more per square foot? New pairs every game.Which market is heating up faster?Ten pairs of real ZIP codes. Which one’s prices per square foot rose faster over the past year? New pairs every game.Remote work capitalTen pairs of real places. Which has more people working from home? New places every game.Which town has better internet access?Ten pairs of real places. Which has more homes with a broadband subscription? New places every game.Which town is younger?Ten pairs of real places. Which has the younger typical resident? New places every game.College town?Ten pairs of real places. Which has a bigger share of adults with a bachelor’s degree? New places every game.Which faces more natural hazard risk?Ten pairs of real places and one hazard each: floods, wildfires, hurricanes and more. Which faces the higher risk, based on FEMA’s National Risk Index? New pairs every game.
Find your type
Answer a few questions and find the result that fits you.
What kind of homebuyer are you?Seven quick questions about how you shop, decide and plan. Find your homebuyer type, its superpower, its blind spot, and the tools that suit you best.Which loan type fits you?Seven questions about your service history, location, credit, down payment and income. See which loan type is likely your best fit, and why.What kind of home fits your life?Seven questions about your lifestyle, time and budget. Find out whether a condo, townhouse, starter house, fixer-upper or new build fits you best.Where should you live?Seven questions about how you live, work and spend weekends. Find the kind of place that fits you, then explore real ZIP codes that match.Should you rent or buy right now?Seven questions about your plans, savings and market. Get a clear lean, buy now, rent a while longer, or a toss-up, with the reasons behind it.Is now a good time to refinance?Six questions about your current loan, today’s rates and your plans. Get a clear lean: refinance now, wait, or it’s not worth it.How competitive is your market?Six questions about what you’re seeing while house hunting. Find out what kind of market you’re in and how to shop in it.What’s your negotiating style?Six situations from offers and inspections. Find your negotiating style and how to use it when buying a home.Which first-time buyer program fits you?Six questions about your savings, income and situation. See which kind of first-time buyer help fits you best.15-year or 30-year: which fits you?Six questions about your budget, goals and comfort with risk. See whether a 15-year or 30-year mortgage fits you better.Fixed or adjustable rate?Six questions about your plans and comfort with risk. See whether a fixed rate or an adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) fits you better.What should your down payment be?Six questions about your savings, goals and loan. See whether a minimum, middle or 20% down payment fits you best.What’s your home search strategy?Six questions about how you like to shop. Find the search strategy that fits you and the tools that make it work.Which home feature matters most to you?Six quick trade-offs. Find the home feature you value most, and how to protect it in your budget and search.
Test your knowledge
True or false and multiple choice, with an explanation after every answer.
Mortgage myths: true or false?Ten things people believe about mortgages and buying a home. Some are true, most aren’t. See how many you can call correctly.How well do you know home buying terms?Eight terms you’ll hear from lenders and agents. Pick the right meaning for each and see how fluent you are.First-time buyer IQEight questions on the steps every first-time buyer goes through, from offer to closing. How ready is your knowledge?Spot the red flagTen real situations from listings, inspections and closing. Is it a red flag, or usually fine?Bidding war: what would you do?Six real bidding-war situations. Pick the smartest move in each and see how you’d do.Closing day IQEight questions about the last week before you get the keys. Know what to bring, what to check and what can go wrong.Home inspection quizEight questions about what an inspection covers, what it misses and what to do with the report.Property tax quizEight questions on how property taxes work, why they change and how to lower them.Homeowners insurance quizEight questions on what homeowners insurance covers, and the gaps that surprise people.PMI quizEight questions about private mortgage insurance: when you need it, what it costs and how to get rid of it.Down payment assistance mythsEight common beliefs about down payment assistance. Which are true? Many buyers miss out because of these myths.Credit score mythsEight things people believe about credit scores. Get them right and you could save thousands on a mortgage.Contracts and contingencies quizEight questions about the purchase contract: the protections it gives you and the deadlines that matter.First-year homeowner quizEight questions on what new homeowners should do in their first year, from day one to tax time.Mortgage history triviaEight trivia questions about how the American mortgage came to be, and its record highs and lows.How mortgage rates workTen questions on what moves mortgage rates, why your quote differs from the average you see in the news, and how points, locks and buydowns work.