With the $8,000 first-time homeowner’s tax credit deadline approaching, many people are still trying to get in on the deal. If you’re in this boat, don’t assume that just having a down payment is enough (even though it’s a big help).
Applying for a mortgage involves a thorough check into your finances to see if you [...]

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This is a guest post from Kevin Mercadante of Out of Your Rut. Kevin is a former loan underwriter, and also author of Lighten Your Load, an e-book focused on reducing living expenses while still maintaining a comfortable lifestyle.
The housing market has been down for two years or more in much of the country, but [...]

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As many of you know, we’re in the process of buying a townhouse. We recently received the paperwork from our lender, including our truth in lending disclosure, a disclosure book, and our good faith estimate. The Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA) requires that we receive these things within 3 business days of submitting our [...]

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I recently received an e-mail from a reader who is interested in paying off her mortgage early. In it, she asked the following:
Is it better to pay money monthly that is applied to your escrow or your principal? I would like to pay the equivalent of one extra mortgage payment a year, but I’m not [...]

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We’ve been busy shopping around for home insurance for the condo that we’re buying. I’ve contacted several agents by phone and e-mail looking for a good deal. I’ve successfully reduced our car insurance bill by half simply by checking with different companies, so I know this will be worth the effort.
Why do you need homeowner’s [...]

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This past weekend my husband and I decided which townhouse we want to buy. After working the numbers, looking at different properties, and going through the options, we’ve signed a purchasing agreement on a property at a new development.
Since this is our first time buying a home, we wanted to be as thorough as possible. [...]

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A reader named Mary recently wrote in to ask about my thoughts on getting a mortgage from ING Direct. She’s heard that they have competitive rates and low fees, and is seriously thinking about refinancing her mortgage with them.
I don’t have any firsthand knowledge of ING Direct mortgages, but I was curious enough to go [...]

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This is a guest post form Carson Brackney of Personal Finance Analyst. If you like what you see here, please consider subscribing to their RSS feed.
There’s always someone trying to find a silver lining when the skies are gloomy and gray. So it is with home foreclosures. Amidst all of the hand-wringing and sad tales [...]

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One goal that my husband and I have is to own a house. This hasn’t been a spur of the moment decision. We’ve been planning it for awhile, and have been working together toward our goal one step at time.
The decision of whether or not to buy a condo, townhouse, or house can be overwhelming. [...]

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Remember back in February when I first talked about the $15,000 homebuyer tax credit? Well… It seems that Senator Johnny Isakson (R-GA), the original sponsor of that bill, is back at it again.
In addition to increasing the maximum tax credit from $8,000 to $15,000 (with a max of 10% of the home’s purchase), Isakson’s proposal [...]

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