The parts nobody explains.

Practical answers, written out properly rather than left for you to work out on the phone. Everything here is in English and Spanish.

• What documents will I need?

  Nobody enjoys this part. But gathering it early is the single biggest thing you can do to keep a loan moving, and most of what holds files up is not a problem with the borrower — it is a missing page.

• Buying a house when you work for yourself

  Working for yourself is not a problem. It is a paperwork question with one awkward twist, and almost nobody explains the twist until it is too late to do anything about it.