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Home Finance Center

Mortgage Rates

 

Home Equity Rates

 

Calculators

Fixed vs. adj. rates
Which mortgage rate is the right one for you?
Affordability
Can you afford a mortgage on your dream home?
Rent or buy?
Which makes more sense for you?

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Mortgage Basics

Should you buy or rent?
Find out what you might encounter if you decide to embark on the journey toward home-ownership.

Home Equity Basics

What home equity entails
Wade through the gibberish and get the low down on everything from collateral to credit.

Home equity loan strategies

Trends in home equity lending
Record default levels have been hard on lenders and borrowers, necessitating change.

How to buy foreclosures at an auction

Regional home auctions are different from auctions at the courthouse. Here are tips for each.

How to buy foreclosures at an auction

Regional home auctions are different from auctions at the courthouse. Here are tips for each.

When 'dream house' becomes horror home

Researching the neighborhood can prevent your dream house from becoming a house of horror.

Does buyer or seller pay for roof repair?

In a buyers' market, dicker with the seller to help finance a roof repair and ask for a cash credit.

Home improvement: 10 cheap upgrades

Make a splash without spending much cash with these 10 quick and easy home projects.

Jobs down, rates up

Mixed jobs report yields higher rates, at least initially; first-person account of household survey.

Mortgage Rates Feb. 4, 2010

Greg McBride explains why mortgage rates inched higher this week.

National home equity loan rates

Here are the average home equity rates from Bankrate's weekly survey of large banks and thrifts.

What's best mortgage for your lifestyle?

Take a look at the different types of mortgages on the market to decide which would be best for you.

4 questions on $6,500 home tax credit

Existing homeowners now have a shot at the new home tax credit. Is it the right move for you?

Docs for mods

What documents you'll need to get a mortgage mod; watchdog warns of another housing bubble.

Selling a home: 5 wacky ways

Having trouble getting your home off the market? Try some of these offbeat methods.

Home Equity

A listing of all the home equity stories in Bankrate Basics.

'First Look' gives buyers foreclosure edge

Fannie Mae's "First Look" program helps owner-occupants looking for a deal on a foreclosure.

Interest Rate Roundup

See rates from our survey of CDs, mortgages, home equity products, auto loans and credit cards.

Invisible threat to home values

Tips for spotting the hidden debt that sinks home values: Is it lurking in your neighborhood?

Great time to invest in rental property

Low rates, low prices make this a great time to invest in rental property.

Top 10 states for foreclosure

Inflated prices, toxic mortgages and unemployment combined to cause a foreclosure tsunami.

Home staging key to selling

Staging gives your home more appeal to buyers who are viewing home interiors on the Internet.

Chapter 4: Watch out!

Understand risky loans before you agree to one. And watch out for these common loan scams.

Silent servicer rankles

A mortgage servicer doesn't report a homeowner's spotless credit record; landlord considers walking away.

5 borrowers who need a mortgage calculator

Five types of consumers can benefit from using a mortgage calculator to chart their next loan move.

Stricter FHA coming

The FHA is expected to make it more expensive or more difficult to get mortgage insurance.

Good credit score of past not so good now

In the new lending environment, a good credit score is not good enough for today's homebuyers.

Credit card may beat home equity loan

Credit card debt may trump a home equity loan for a couple planning a home improvement project. 

Tips for a foreign homebuyer in the U.S.

If you're a foreign homebuyer, you'll jump through more hoops to close a deal in the U.S.

Secrets of the homebuyer tax credit

The homebuyer tax credit has little-known rules that can help or hurt your chances for a refund.

Mortgage Rates Jan. 14, 2010

Greg McBride explains why mortgage rates drop again this week.

Facing foreclosure? You have options

If the dreaded "f-word" -- foreclosure -- has disrupted your life, here are four choices you should explore.

Selling a home: 5 wacky ways

Having trouble getting your home off the market? Try some of these offbeat methods.

New form helps to estimate closing costs

The new good faith estimate forces lenders to provide an accurate estimate of closing costs.

Go through foreclosure or walk away?

There are a few options to foreclosure. While none are good, some may be better than others for you.

Chicago schooled

Rates finally fall; Chicago School economists ignore the reality of the credit and housing bubbles.

10 savvy homebuying tips for 2010

Get out your calculators. Homebuying will require more research to find the best deals this year.

Burned by COFI

COFI, an index used in some option adjustable-rate mortgages, has its biggest one-month jump, for complex reasons.

2010 ushers in new GFE

Revised "good faith estimate" should be more accurate and make it easier to compare loan offers.

3 steps to refinance your mortgage

Can you take advantage of continuing low mortgage rates? Here's how to tell.

3 steps to refinance your mortgage

Can you take advantage of continuing low mortgage rates? Here's how to tell.

How do I ... Decide to remodel or buy a new home?

Here's a guide to help you decide if you should remodel or buy a new home.

10 tips to buy or sell real estate in 2010

If you're trying to move in or out of a house in the coming year, these real estate tips will help.

Mortgage Rate Trend Index

Each week, Bankrate.com surveys experts to gauge which way interest rates are headed on mortgages.

Home mortgage strategy is flawed

A homeowner's strategy of prepaying a home mortgage will not accomplish her goals.

FHA offers home renovation help

An FHA mortgage can help homebuyers frustrated by the difficulty of financing renovations.

How to avoid a low home appraisal

A low home appraisal can kill the sale of a home. Here are tips to help you fight back.
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