Before You Sign: Housing

Can you spot the expensive mistake before you commit? Before You Sign: Housing is an interactive housing investigation game for adults making their first U.S. housing decision. Walk through fictional homes, look for clues, ask questions, and discover what the advertised payment leaves out. EXPLORE BEFORE YOU SIGN Use a joystick and drag to look around furnished 3D homes. Move between rooms, visit outdoor spaces, and tap things to inspect them. Explore a rental apartment, a condo, an older two-story house with an attic and basement, and a house in a homeowners association. FOLLOW THE CLUES A crack, stain, aging appliance, or document raises a question. Ask the seller, request records, and consider professional inspections. Alder Street includes eight buyer investigations covering structure, a water heater, sewer conditions, wiring, outlet protection, wood pests, a wall repair, and renovation records. UNDERSTAND HOA RESPONSIBILITIES Read fictional association rules and financial documents. Compare shared services with private repair obligations, and keep monthly dues separate from special assessments. PLAN FOR THE WHOLE COST Compare upfront cash, monthly commitments, and emergency reserves. Account for moving, inspections, taxes, insurance, utilities, maintenance, and repairs. Refundable deposits and home equity stay separate from spendable savings. LIVE WITH YOUR DECISION Negotiate where the scenario allows, verify seller-funded work, choose a home, or keep searching. Fast-forward through selected first-year events and see how your decisions affect cash and household fit. Buying is not the only successful outcome. EXPLORE BUDGET ASSUMPTIONS Use the fictional training case or apply editable market-budget inputs. A dated national mortgage reference can be refreshed online. National and Mahopac, New York examples are included; other locations require manual inputs. These are not live property listings or parcel-specific tax and insurance quotes. No account, advertising, or in-app purchases. Core tours and gameplay work offline; refreshing the mortgage reference and opening external sources require internet access. Progress and entered budgets are stored locally by the app. Homes, conditions, repair scopes, seller responses, HOA terms, and events are fictional. Reference rates carry a publication date and are not lender offers. This game is educational and does not replace financial, legal, real estate, or inspection advice. Real costs, rules, and professional findings vary by location and property.