Almost all homes are purchased with at least a portion of the sale price being financed with a home mortgage. Therefore, when you buy a house, you also "buy" a mortgage.

The mortgage marketplace is a complicated and competitive arena. The days of the simple "one size fits all" home loan are long gone, and, as a result, lenders provide home buyers with as many as many as 50 -75 different types of home loans from which to choose.

The reality is that home mortgages, today, are practically custom tailored to each individual buyer's needs and financial means.

• First-time home buyers,
• Affluent home buyers,
• Second home buyers,
• Future-income-potential home buyers,
• Frequently-relocating home buyers,
• And one-house-per-lifetime home buyers

The following reports are meant to help you to become a savvy home mortgage shopper and find the financing that will be most beneficial to your situation.

• Home Mortgage Strategies
  There is a wide variety of home loan products available. It is important that you analyze your family's specific situation to determine the mortgage that is best for you.
• Number Crunching 101
  Quick calculators for a variety of home mortgage scenarios
• Applying For A Home Loan - Getting Prepared
  While the process itself is straightforward and standardized, proper preparation is one of the keys to success.
• Applying For A Home Loan - Questions To Ask A Lender
  During the mortgage interview, you and the lender will BOTH be interviewing each other. Knowing the right questions to ask can be helpful.
• Applying For A Home Loan - A Road Map To The Mortgage Process
  Obtaining a mortgage loan need not be an ordeal that dampens the thrill of acquiring a new home. If you understand the lending process and are prepared to do your part, it simply becomes a necessary step towards owning a home.
• Applying For A Home Loan - The Uniform Residential Loan Application
  This is the standard FannieMae/Freddie Mac loan application known as Form 1003 (Ten-oh-three). This form is used by almost all lenders. Sooner or later you are going to have to complete one of these so you may as well take a peek at one in advance.
• Applying For A Home Loan - Document Checklist
  An itemized list of the information typically needed to process a mortgage application.
• Applying For A Home Loan - Loan To Value Ratio
  The home you intend to purchase will be used as collateral to support the home loan. The magnitude of the proposed loan versus the actual value of the property is one of the standards used by lenders to evaluate whether they are willing to approve the loan.
• Applying For A Home Loan - Debt To Income (Qualifying) Ratios
  Debt to income ratios (often referred to as the qualifying ratios) are simple calculations mortgage underwriters use to determine if a prospective borrower has the capacity to repay a proposed loan. Lenders use a Front End Ratio and a Back End Ratio in assessing the risk involved in underwriting loans.
• Applying For A Home Loan - The FICO Credit Score
  An individual borrower's credit score is one of the criteria by which lenders determine if they are willing to approve a home loan. The FICO credit score (which is generated via standards & software developed by the Fair Isaac Corporation) is the "gold standard" of credit scores.
• Applying For A Home Loan - How The FICO Score Works (18 page booklet)
  How The FICO Score works and what you can do about it.
• Applying For A Home Loan - RESPA In A Nutshell
  Know your rights. The Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act protects home buyers and borrowers by mandating a series of disclosures throughout the home buying process.
• RESPA Special Information Booklet (28 page booklet)
  This is the educational booklet that lenders are required to provide to prospective borrowers when they submit an application for home financing.
• APR Explained
  The Annual Percentage Rate is an interest rate that reflects the total cost of acquiring a loan. It is designed to help consumers compare lenders and loan products. The APR is required to be disclosed under the Truth In Lending Act.
• What Are Points? - Are They Worth It?
  The option of paying points is offered whenever you request a mortgage rate quote. How do you decide if paying points is beneficial to you?
• Truth In Lending Act (TILA - Regulation Z)
  TILA is the law requiring lenders to disclose ALL the costs involved in acquiring a loan.
• Good Faith Estimate
  The written estimate lenders are required to provide to borrowers when they apply for a loan. The GFE is an estimate that includes all the charges a borrower is likely to incur in connection with the mortgage transaction.
• Mortgage Comparison Checklist
  When comparing home loans, it's not simply a matter of comparing rates. The Mortgage Comparison Checklist itemizes 47 points to be analyzed when comparing home loans. Use this handy checklist to make sure you are getting the best loan for your particular situation, and also that you are comparing "apples to apples".
• Consumer's Guide To Mortgage Refinancing - (28 page booklet)
  Before deciding to refinance, you should understand all that refinancing involves.
  Use this guide to help you make an informed decision.
• Home Mortgage Glossary
  Applying for a mortgage doesn't necessarily require that you learn another language. However, during the course of the mortgage application process, you may encounter some industry jargon and acronyms with which you are not familiar. This is a comprehensive mortgage glossary designed to help you become a little more fluent in "mortgage speak".
• A History Of American Home Financing
  A chronology of federal public policy that has shaped the way homes are financed in the United States today
• Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI)
  PMI is insurance borrowers are required to purchase for certain mortgages. PMI protects the lender against losses caused as a result of the borrower's default. Typically, PMI is required when the amount of the home loan exceeds 80% of the home's value.
• Alternatives To Private Mortgage Insurance
  If you seeking to finance more than 80% of a home's value, there are alternatives to paying for Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI).
• Credit Repair Toolkit
  Your credit score could possibly be the most important three-digit number in your life. Lenders, insurance companies, landlords and employers check the credit status of applicants, so your credit status can determine if you get a loan, insurance, an apartment or a job. If your credit is damaged, it is important that you take measures to get it repaired.
• Closing Costs Simplified
  Closing costs represent a significant amount of money. Before writing all those checks, it would be nice to understand what they are, how much they are, and who is getting all this money.
• Buyer Closing Costs
  A basic explaination of closing costs. What they are, how much they are, and who is getting all this money.
• Guide To The HUD-1 Settlement Statement (9 pages)
  The HUD-1 Settlement Statement is the standardized form created by the Department of Housing and Urban Development and is required by RESPA to be provided to the borrower at closing (settlement). The form itemizes all the fees and services charged to a borrower in connection with the issuance of a home loan.
• Title Search & Title Insurance
  More insurance? What is it? And who needs it?
• Title Insurance 101
  Wow, that's a lot of money! Tell me again why title insurance is necessary and who is being insured.
• The Impact Of The “Fed Rate” On Mortgage Rates
  When the Federal Reserve Board announces it is reducing its interest rate, that's good news for mortgage rates, right?
• The New Climate For Mortgage Borrowers
  Tips for refinancing or getting a new loan.
  And what to do if you can't make your mortgage payment.
• Your Home Mortgage - An Integral Part Of Your Investment Portfolio
  Careful management of your debt (i.e. your home mortgage) is just as important as careful management of your assets.
• Mortgage Processing Red Flags
  What NOT To Do After Applying For A Home Loan
• Get The Best Mortgage ... GUARANTEED
  We'll beat any lender's price. Instant pre-approval - 7 days per week