Image by Gino Crescoli from Pixabay Although a 20 percent down payment is no longer the norm, you still need to save a considerable amount to cover all the initial costs of buying a home. With median down payments at seven percent, a $250,000 home will require a down payment of $17,500. Plus, you need to have funds...

Photo by Precondo via Pixabay Some mortgage companies offer loans with points. In a nutshell, paying points means paying down the interest rate. One point is equal to 1 percent of the mortgage amount. On a $200,000 mortgage, one point is $2,000. The percentage the interest rate lowers depends on the mortgage company and the market. For example,...