Tribune News Service

By Zach Wichter, Bankrate.comBuying your first home can be an overwhelming experience: a high-stakes adventure that can leave you feeling elated and exhausted all at the same time. And, as a newbie, it’s easy to make (sometimes costly) mistakes if you don’t know how the homebuying process works. Whether you are a brand-new house hunter

Jarrell Dillard, Jonnelle Marte | Bloomberg News (TNS)After years of mostly steady decline, the Black homeownership rate in the US saw its largest jump on record in the early days of the pandemic. Now, soaring borrowing costs and home prices threaten to erode those gains. Black Americans — who for decades in the mid-20th century