Mortgages are often thought of as a two-person operation, but that trend is starting to shift in the real estate market as individuals are increasingly seeking home loans on their own. Buyers who choose to go it alone enjoy some unique freedoms – like not being tied to another person's credit or employment history. However, they also may encounter some issues that might surprise them.

Keeping things consistant throughout the closing process will help ensure you have a predictable and stress-free closing experience. Here are 5 tips from our closing experts.

Low mortgage rates and improving optimism across the country have helped entice first-time homebuyers into the market. Several recent studies have shown that in most areas, buying a home is a superior fiscal option than renting, and as a result, many lifelong renters have become homeowners. However, it's not only young people that have been tempted by the favorable market.

Although the nation's housing market is a long way from recovering fully from the recession of the late 2000s, several indicators suggest that significant progress was made during the third quarter of 2012. In addition to improving in basic measurements of health like property values, the housing market has also seen a large reduction in the number of foreclosures left over from the economic downturn.

The list of housing markets showing measurable and sustained improvement held virtually unchanged in May at 100, down from 101 in April, according to the National Association of Home Builders/First American Improving Markets Index (IMI). The number of states represented on the list also held firm from the previous month, at 35 (including the District of Columbia).