Terms of Use: Your mortgage broker and loan officer are there to help you get the best mortgage possible for your specific needs and to make the process as convenient and hassle-free as possible. A good mortgage broker and loan officer should provide the following services: Assist you in selecting the best loan to meet your personal needs. This single decision can save you thousands of dollars throughout the years. Keep you informed of your loan status throughout the entire process. Keep y  More...

Terms of Use The Whys: To save money when market rates are lower than what you are paying. To pay off non-deductible consumer debt using some of the equity built up in your home. To change your present adjustable mortgage to a fixed rate or vice versa. To get cash for home improvements, college education, second home purchases and personal investments. The Whens: If you are refinancing your mortgage for the reasons defined in 2-4 above, then it really comes down to understanding how much you w  More...

Terms of Use Buying a home doesn't have to be an overwhelming experience. Below are some general guidelines to consider when finding a home that's right for you: Do your homework first . Evaluate your tastes, lifestyle, the school district, and preferred commuting distance. Then do a lot of research about the neighborhoods you are considering. Read local papers. Walk and drive around. Determine how much you can afford to spend on your home. As a general rule of thumb, your mortgage  More...

Terms of Use When buying your first home, navigating the world of financing options can be somewhat daunting. In addition to the options available, consider your own finances to ensure that you are getting the mortgage that best suits your needs. Here's a look at several mortgage loan types: Conventional Loans Conventional loans are fixed-rate mortgages that are not insured or guaranteed by the federal government. The good thing about these is that the interest rate is fixed, so your  More...

Terms of Use: Selecting a real estate agent is an important part of buying a new home, although not required. A good real estate agent can be extremely helpful and should provide the following services: Present the homes that suit your needs as you've defined them. Preview those homes to weed out those that are overpriced, or undesirable in some other way. Help you determine the difference between a good buy and a property which, because of its characteristics (i.e. neighborhood, market app  More...

Terms of Use: PMI stands for Private Mortgage Insurance. PMI is an insurance policy taken out by a mortgage company to protect the lender in case you are unable to make your mortgage payments and the lender forecloses. However, PMI does nothing to protect you, the borrower. When you took out the loan to purchase your home, the lender added the cost of this insurance to your monthly payment unless you made at least a 20% down payment. Once you pay off enough of the loan to meet this 20% th  More...

Terms of Use: With current mortgage rates nearing all-time lows and home prices continuing to climb, you want to "get while the gettin's good!" But accumulating enough for a down payment on your first home can be one of the toughest financial challenges you'll face. The traditional down payment requirement used to be 20 percent of your home's purchase price. However, lending rules have changed recently, so you may be able to put down less (5 or 10 percent) to qualify for a mortgage. But keep in   More...

Terms of Use: Pre-qualification is an informal way to see how much you may be able to borrow. You can be "pre-qualified" over the phone with no paperwork by telling a lender your income, your long-term debts, and how large a down payment you can afford. Without any obligation, this helps you arrive at a ballpark figure of the amount you may have available to spend on a house. Pre-approval is a lender's actual commitment to lend to you and carries much more weight with sellers than being pre-qual  More...

Terms of Use Points, also known as discount points, allow you to lower your interest rate by prepaying some of the interest. So instead of repaying the interest on the loan over the loan's life, you can prepay some of the interest up front by paying points. Each point you pay for equals 1% of the total loan amount and reduces the interest rate charged on the loan. When shopping for loans, ask lenders for an interest rate with 0 points and then see how much the rate decreases with each point paid  More...

Terms of Use Credit Score A credit score (ranging from 300 to 850) is a measure of your credit worthiness or how likely you are to pay back your debts and do so on time. You want to have a high score. Your credit score is used by lenders, credit card companies, employers, landlords, insurance companies and others in evaluating whether to extend credit to you. The higher your credit score, the lower the assumed risk to lend you money. While no specific definition of “good” is un  More...