Do I need to pay in advance to make a reservation at Home Inn?

You don't need to pay in advance. You pay in cash at the front desk of the store. However, if you arrive at the hotel late (for example, 1 or 2 am) because the reservation time is too late, the hotel will bear the risk of your cancellation. This is what the hotel will ask you to provide, such as credit card guarantee, down payment or remittance to a designated account. But if it is the off-season, you will never be satisfied, and the hotel will save trouble.