Mortgage Loans 101: Who or What is Freddie Mac?
Freddie Mac can help you obtain a home mortgage loan.But while Freddie Mac might sound like a generous uncle, its more closely related to Uncle Sam. So what is Freddie Mac, and how does it help you when buying a home?Freddie Mac is the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, a private corporation ... more...

Home Loans Lenders Continue to Offer High-Risk Loans
Home prices in the Untied States continue to soar, and the remarkable run of real estate as the must have investment continues. The median price of a new home, which only recently crossed the $200,000 barrier, is now $215,000. The high prices of homes havent deterred buyers; sales in June reached ... more...

Adjustable vs Fixed Rate Mortgages
Mortgage rates can either be fixed for the duration of your loan or can be adjustable. An adjustable rate mortgage is a loan that is set up with an interest rate that changes based on pre-determined criteria, primarily tied to the federal interest rate. If the interest rates are up, then your ... more...

Private Mortgage Insurance Your Rights and Responsibilities
An often overlooked cost of buying a new home is private mortgage insurance, usually simply called PMI. The basic idea behind PMI is simple. When a home buyer buys a house with less than 20% of the homes value as a down payment, the mortgage lender assumes a larger risk. In most cases, the lender ... more...

The Financial Lessons of Hurricane Katrina
Sitting on my couch with my family praying for those hit by the category 4 hurricane named Katrina, I could not help but wonder what the economic impact on the people would be within the next 3 to 6 months. While the death toll rises, looters take to the street, and President Bush abruptly ends ... more...

Tips For Getting A Low Downpayment
There's also a lot of personal satisfaction in living in a home that you own. Real estate is still considered a valued investment which can have many financial advantages and tax benefits. The amount of interest you pay on a home loan and the real estate taxes you pay on your home are among the few ... more...

Keep Your Eye Focused On Treasury Bond Rates To Adjust Your Current Mortgage Rates
Mortgage rates typically are based off the current rates of treasury bonds. Most lenders set their long term mortgage rates in line with 10 and 30-year treasury rates. The reason that they do this is quite simple. Treasury rates are the rates that are used as an index to represent what the future ... more...

Is a Risky Mortgage Right for You?
The use of nontraditional mortgages, such as interest-only and payment-option, has risen along with home prices and the real estate market. Should you take the risk?The Federal Reserve and other government regulators are concerned that these nontraditional loans may be a little too risky for the ... more...

Overwhelming Debt? Bankruptcy May Be Your Way Out, But Maybe Not
Things are bad, really bad. They have to be for you to be considering bankruptcy. Its true that bankruptcy can wipe away your debts, or most of them anyway. Taxes are exempt from bankruptcy protection. You can declare bankruptcy, but if a substantial portion of your outstanding debt is back taxes, ... more...