Ask an Expert: All About the Finances of Buying a Home

Owning your own home is still part of the classic American dream, but financing that white picket fence is rarely easy. It's a huge life decision with major effects upon how you manage your budget. And here to help us wrap our heads around buying a home are our friends from NerdWallet.

Alex and Shiyan are here from the NerdWallet team to help answer your questions—to rent or to buy? What can you do to lower your mortgage payments? Are there unforeseen costs to home ownership? If you have a question, they'll be here for the next hour, so ask away!

This Q&A is now over—thank you for your questions!