People often say the three most important words in real estate are “location, location, location,” but mortgage professional and author Derick Hungerford argues your primary concern should be “education, education, education.” His new guide, A Mind to Build: What every home buyer should know before buying a home, will equip first-time home buyers with the tools and information they need and will empower those already familiar with the real estate market through practical tips, professional insight, and words of encouragement to assist in a process that can seem overwhelming. Many real estate books simply invoke the latest buzzwords and jargon, while presenting readers with ideal scenarios where everything goes according to plan. A Mind to Build takes a much-needed step back and starts instead with mindsets and principles. By helping you first identify potential impediments, both financial and mental, and then by introducing thought-provoking concepts, A Mind to Build will educate and motivate you as you prepare to enter into the home buying process. Throughout are real-life examples gleaned from Hungerford’s own professional experience, as well as inspirational messages and valuable perspective drawn from scripture and religious leaders. A Mind to Build is straightforward, detailing in simple and easy-to-understand terms the critical elements of the home buying process, including your credit score; pre-qualification and pre-approval; upfront costs, purchase costs, and closing costs; and the tax, investment, and lifestyle benefits of home ownership. Also included are handy references outlining the ten greatest mistakes you can make when financing a home and an indispensable glossary of twenty terms you will need to know. The challenges are many and may seem daunting, but A Mind to Build will give you the confidence and inspiration you need to move forward with purchasing a new home in a manner that is fiscally prudent and built on a solid foundation of careful preparation. Derick W. Hungerford has over eighteen years of experience in the mortgage industry. A graduate of Hampton University, he has built an excellent reputation by providing financial expertise for his clients and the community at large, and his vision and proficiency with mortgages has directly contributed to an increase in home ownership in the Washington, DC metro area. Hungerford is a Certified Mortgage Planning Specialist, and his career with Residential Mortgage Corporation (RMC) has expanded to encompass new roles as an industry educator, including Instructor at RMC University, Chief Editor and Publisher of The Strategic Homeowner, a magazine geared to help homeowners properly manage their mortgages and home equity, and from 2000-2007, Host of "The RMC Home and Wealth Show" on Heaven 1580AM. He is a certified teacher at several non-profit housing agencies and is a member of From the Heart Church Ministries (John A. Cherry II, pastor) and serves in the Financial Stewardship Ministry.