Mortgages and Home Loans

    Learn everything you need to secure the best home mortgage or refinance your existing mortgage. We'll cover the different types of mortgages, and prepare you for your mortgage transaction.
    Young expectant couple examines modern condominium for sale
    What Is a Condominium?
    A Realtor and home buyer go over closing documents.
    What Is the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA)?
    A homeowner gets an estimate of her house’s value.
    How To Estimate Your Home’s Value
    A woman collects all the info she needs to apply for mortgage preapproval.
    Why You Might Not Be Getting Preapproved for a Mortgage
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    Tips for Mortgage Shopping in a Hurry
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    How To Appeal Property Taxes (and Win)
    A woman greets a smiling man at her front door.
    What Is Earnest Money?
    Man looks over rental agreement
    What Is a Security Deposit?
    Real estate agent showing a new apartment to a young couple
    How Long Does It Take To Buy a House?
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    How to Get a Joint Mortgage With Friends and Family
    Woman in blue sweater reads through paperwork at a laptop as a young girl colors beside her at the table.
    What Is a Loss Mitigation Application?
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    What Is Adverse Possession?
    A couple moves boxes in a home or apartment
    What Is a Lessor in a Lease Agreement?
    A woman carrying a cardboard box with books arranges them on a shelf.
    What Is a Lessee?
    Home equity loan illustration
    What You Need to Know About Home Equity Loans
    What to Know About Construction Loans. A short-term loan that funds everything you need to build a new home. Similar to a line of credit in that you receive advances for each portion of the project. Interest is only paid on the amount you actually borrow. Most often, payments begin six to 24 months after securing the loan. Usually paid off with another “permanent” loan. Be equipped with a solid plan before investing in a construction loan
    Construction Loans: Funds to Buy Land and Build
    couple sitting in apartment packing up boxes and looking at a lease
    What Is a Lease?
    white, green, and orange illustration of houses, dollar bills, and a line graph
    Compare Current Mortgage Refinance Rates
    A young couple enjoys their first morning in their new HomePath home.
    What Is a Fannie Mae HomePath Property?
    Woman sits at a small table drinking coffee in a tiny home.
    How Much Does a Tiny House Cost?
    Portrait of family holding keys to new home on move-in day
    A State-By-State Guide To Down Payment Assistance
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    Are Solar Panels Worth the Cost?
    A real estate agent shows property to a couple.
    What Is a Pocket Listing?
    A woman wears a facemask and goggles while sanding a wall with an electric sander
    How Much Does a Home Addition Cost?
    A couple review documents and information on a laptop.
    How To Write a Mortgage Letter of Explanation
    A man and his children move into a new home
    How Long Does a Mortgage Preapproval Last?
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    What Is the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act?
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    Are Your House Payments Making It Difficult to Cover Your Other Bills?
    A small two-story starter home
    The Average Price of a Starter Home Across the U.S.
    Older couple looking at tile flooring amid a home renovation.
    How To Finance a $25,000 Home Renovation Project
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    Using Price-to-Rent Ratio To Decide Between Buying and Renting
    A couple sits across a coffee table from a man in a suit and they review a document.
    Guide to Seller Concessions by Loan Type
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    Best Mortgage Lenders for Bad Credit of 2021
    Down Payments: How Much Should You Pay?
    Should You Make a Large or Small Down Payment?
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    How Much Does It Cost To Build a House in 2021?
    Real estate agent with couple closing a deal
    What Is an Escrow Agent?
    Woman analyzing blueprint for her new home interior
    Best HELOC Lenders of 2021
    Real estate agent showing empty home to buyers
    How You Can Pay Less on Home Loan Origination Fees
    Couple going over paperwork for home appraisal
    What Is the Sales Comparison Approach to Appraisals?
    Couple working outside house during home improvement
    Repairing your property? A home improvement grant can help.
    Advisor helping a senior couple at a home table
    Is It Bad To Have a Lien on Your House?
    how to get started calculating your mortgage: Compare the monthly payment for several different home loans. Figure out how much you pay in interest monthly, and over the life of loan. See how much you pay off over the life of the loan versus the principal borrowed to determine the extra amount paid
    How To Calculate Mortgage Payments Before You Buy or Refinance
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    When Should You Get a No-Cash-Out Refinance?
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    What Is a Title Company and What Does It Do for You?
    Man in suit sits on porch near for sale sign
    What Is the Right of Redemption?
    couple buying real estate
    How Subprime Mortgages Helped Cause a Crisis
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    What Is a Maximum Loan Amount?
    A couple reviews insurance information with a professional
    How Much Homeowners Insurance Coverage Do I Need?
    A couple looks at a laptop
    What Is a Mortgagee?
    Young professional using digital tablet in bright office
    What Is an Interest Rate Cap?
    ballpoint pen and a calculator on a loan agreement.
    Loan Modification: Lower Your Payments and Avoid Foreclosure
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    What Happens to Your Mortgage When You Die?
    A couple reviews documents while sitting in front of a laptop
    FHA Cash-Out Refinance Guide
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    What Are Qualifying Ratios?
    .Image shows a man looking over a document and signing it. Text reads: "What to know about fixed-rate mortgages: The interest rate on a fixed-rate mortgage stays the same throughout the life of the loan. Some of the principle is paid off each month making the interest payment on the remaining principle less. More of your monthly payment goes toward the principle. At the beginning of the loan most of the payment goes towards interest - at the end, most of it goes towards the principle."
    What Is a Fixed-Rate Mortgage?
    Image shows a queer couple looking out at a house on a large lot of land punctuated by trees. Text reads: "Look for origination fees, processing fees, credit check costs, appraisal fees, and more; Get a professional to complete a boundary survey before buying; Perform a title search; Budget for other costs, like county taxes and Homeowners' Association dues"
    Need Money to Buy Land? Here Are Several Ways to Borrow.
    Young man moving a loveseat into a new home with packing boxes sitting in the background
    9 Basic Rules for First-Time Home Buyers
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    What Is the Federal Home Loan Bank Act?
    Couple meets with a businesswoman in her office
    What Is a Rate and Term Refinance?
    A couple relax in lounge chairs on a wooden deck as the sun shines on them.
    Should You Buy a Vacation Home?