A No Closing Cost Refinance - What's the Catch?
Updated Oct. 24, 2014
They're not as prevalent as in 2006, but there are still no closing cost refinance options out there for you if you'd like to refi your home mortgage. You hear ads on the radio and see them on TV all the time. They can be a good deal, but like so many other things in life you've got to do your homework...

8 Ways To Accidentally "Un-Approve" Your Mortgage
Updated Oct. 24, 2014
For all the talk of how tough it is to be "mortgage approved", the basics of mortgages haven't changed. Mortgage approvals are still the 3-legged stool of income, equity, and credit.. Sometimes, though, it's not getting approved that's hard -- it's staying approved.. You have to watch out for...

FHA Loans for a First-Time Home Buyer
Updated Oct. 9, 2013
FHA (Federal Housing Administration) loans are popular with first-time home buyers. After the subprime meltdown, it has been more difficult for first-time home buyers to qualify for a mortgage. FHA loans are still easier to get and have some advantages over conventional mortgages. As long as you don't...

Deciding on How Much to put Down?
Updated Oct. 9, 2013
When deciding just how much to put down on a house, there are two sides to the equation to make this work out in an acceptable fashion for you. First, consider ALL the costs that come with the house. Only after you know all those can you then look at how to get the best mortgage deal based on how much cash you have available.....

What to Look for When Refinancing a Home Loan
Updated Oct. 9, 2013
Home refinancing is a complicated process that can often be confusing. However, if done correctly, it can save you tens of thousands of dollars, depending on the process.. In its barest definition, home refinancing is basically taking out a new home mortgage because the interest rates dropped. Typically carried...

How to Understand What Affects Mortgage Rates
Updated Oct. 9, 2013
Mortgage rates affect the long-term cost to finance a home purchase. At the same time, interest rates represent risk for mortgage lenders. Lower rates are associated more often with low-risk borrowers whose stable and consistently healthy financial history makes default less likely than borrowers with bad...

Mortgage Broker or My Bank - Which is Better?
Updated Oct. 9, 2013
A mortgage broker "buys" loans from a variety of mortgage lenders at a wholesale cost, and sells the loan to another mortgage banker, receiving a commission on the sale.. A banker, gets a loan from your local bank. A banker usually, but not always, has their own money to lend out and makes a profit by collecting loan...

Should I Buy or Continue Renting?
Updated Oct. 9, 2013
Home ownership has achieved near mythic status as an essential element of the American Dream. So deeply ingrained has this concept of the American Dream become that it is all too easy to forget that at the turn of the 20th century, just 36.5 percent of Americans owned their own homes. When making the decision of...

Mortgage after Bankruptcy
Updated Oct. 9, 2013
Buying a house after bankruptcy is definitely not an impossible undertaking, provided that you are prepared to do the work and you are patient. By doing whatever is necessary and working through it, you can get a mortgage after bankruptcy to purchase a house.. 1. One of the most important things you should do while...