Trusted, official sources

Official resources for selling, renting & buying by owner

Government agencies and public data sources we rely on — taxes, disclosures, fair housing, fraud reporting, flood maps, vehicle history and more.

Selling & Taxes

IRS Publication 523 — Selling Your Home
Home-sale gain exclusion, basis and reporting rules.
EPA — Lead-Based Paint Disclosure Rule
Federal disclosure duties for homes built before 1978.
Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey
Weekly average mortgage rates buyers are seeing.
NAR Research & Statistics
National existing-home sales and seller/buyer profiles.
ARELLO — Real Estate Regulators Directory
Find your state's real estate commission and rules.

Buying & Financing

CFPB — Buying a House
Step-by-step tools from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
CFPB — Closing Disclosure Explainer
Line-by-line walkthrough of your closing documents.
FRED — 30-Year Fixed Mortgage Average
Historical rate chart from the St. Louis Fed.
FEMA Flood Map Service Center
Check flood zones before you buy or price land.
EPA — Radon
Testing guidance and action levels.

Renting & Landlords

IRS Publication 527 — Residential Rental Property
Rental income, expenses, depreciation and personal-use rules.
FTC — Using Consumer Reports: What Landlords Need to Know
FCRA duties when you screen applicants.
HUD — Fair Housing & Equal Opportunity
Federal fair housing rules and complaint process.
U.S. DOJ — The Fair Housing Act
What the Act covers and who enforces it.

Vehicles & Business

NHTSA Recalls Lookup
Check open safety recalls by VIN before you buy or sell.
NMVTIS Vehicle History (DOJ)
Official consumer access to title-brand and salvage data.
U.S. Small Business Administration
Business valuation, 7(a) loans and transition resources.
SBA 7(a) Loans
The most common financing route for small-business buyers.

Safety & Fraud

FTC ReportFraud
Report rental, overpayment and imposter scams.
FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)
Report wire and real-estate closing fraud fast.
FTC Consumer Advice
Plain-English scam alerts and recovery steps.
USA.gov — State Consumer Protection Offices
Find your state attorney general's consumer office.

Moving & Data

USPS Official Change of Address
Forward mail when you close or move out.
U.S. Census QuickFacts
Local income, housing and population data for pricing and rent research.
ENERGY STAR
Efficiency upgrades that help listings and lower operating costs.

FSBO checklist

50 interactive steps from prep to closing.

Glossary

60+ real estate terms in plain English.

Calculators

Savings, mortgage, rental ROI and more.

External links go to independent government and public websites. ByOwners.com is not affiliated with these agencies and is not responsible for their content.