First Door method
How we research
The friendly answer
The method behind First Door is simple to state: find the governing document, quote it accurately, explain it plainly and link it. HUD's FHA program pages and Handbook 4000.1 are the main references for first-time buyers here, along with CFPB guidance, and they are rechecked first.
Last reviewed against the primary sources listed below.
Where questions come from
Topics come from the questions people type into search engines about this subject, gathered from free public autocomplete suggestions, then narrowed to the ones this site's focus can answer well.
Sources we rely on
Pages cite these primary sources, among others. Each guide lists the exact sources it used at the bottom of the page.
How a page is checked
- Each rule is checked against the current version of its source document.
- Plain-language wording is compared back to the source so meaning is not lost.
- The review date at the top of the page is updated only after that check.
Pages written this way
- Who qualifies for an FHA loan? Is FHA a fit for you
- FHA MIP explained: upfront and annual mortgage insurance premiums
- FHA property requirements: what makes a house qualify
- FHA loan limits by county: how to look up yours
- FHA gift funds rules: who can give and how to document it
- FHA vs conventional loan for first-time buyers: how to choose
- Is an FHA loan only for first-time buyers?
- FHA loan after bankruptcy or foreclosure: waiting periods
About the First Door FHA MIP explainer
The First Door FHA MIP explainer uses only what you type, works entirely in the browser and keeps nothing.