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For the first time in its 99 years, the Federal Reserve has set an explicit target rate for inflation. The Fed's inflation target will change how you shop for mortgages.
Mortgage rates have been improving since the Fed's mid-day meeting Wednesday.
Mortgage rates and the Fed Funds Rate have different masters. The former is by Wall Street; the latter by government committee. Use government clues to make sure you lock your mortgage rate at just the right time.
Another sign of a housing market recovery : The longer you wait to buy a home, the fewer homes there are from which to choose. Home buying stays strong -- now 4 months running,
How FHA mortgage insurance works, and how to cancel your monthly MIP requirement. Depending on your loan type, the rules for FHA MIP cancellation vary.
December's Housing Starts data suggests a housing recovery is well underway. You'll just have to ignore the newspaper headlines.
Mortgage rates are low because of 4 forces, each in place since 2009. Today, those forces fade into history. When they're gone, so will low mortgage rates. Read why mortgage rates are positioned to rise, and rise sharply.
Buying a foreclosure? Get a move on. Foreclosure activity fell to a 49-month low last month, and figures to be even lower through 2012. See where foreclosures are occurring, and where they're not.
ARM mortgage rates are low. It's now 1/2 percent cheaper to refinance into a new ARM rather than letting your existing ARM adjust to the market. That hasn't happened in years.
The December Fed Minutes show the U.S. economy in expansion, and threatened by a European slowdown. Mortgage rates will be volatile for a while and if your rate is not locked, it's floating -- a dangerous situation.
These days, different lenders apply different underwriting standards. A home loan that's denied by one bank may be approved by another. Here's how to re-apply.
If you paid cash for a home within the last 6 months and want to take "cash out", you can. It's because of a new mortgage allowance named the Delayed Financing Rule. The standard 6-month seasoning requirement on home purchases has been eliminated.
A pending mortgage policy change threatens to end zero closing costs mortgages for good. The end of "no fee" mortgages may be here sooner than you think.
First-Time Home Buyers have found out. You don't need a 20% downpayment to purchase a home. There are ample low-downpayment mortgage products available today.
When does "cleared to close" not mean "cleared to close"? When Fannie Mae's involved! Keep your loan approval intact all the way through funding. Here's how.
The Payroll Tax Extension raises mortgage costs. For conforming mortgages, it's +1/8% to rate. For FHA, PMI premiums are rising. Beat the "loan tax". Lock your rate ASAP.
I made a lot of mortgage charts in 2011, covering rates, costs, and new programs. Here is a collection of the best of them.
We can't predict the mortgage market's future, but we can have opinions. Here are some of them.
Start that mortgage application! The government is financing its 2012 Payroll Tax Extension via new, mandatory mortgage fees. You'll get lower mortgage payments on your upcoming purchase or refinance by applying for your loan today.
Record-low mortgage rates draw refinancing households away from 30-year fixed-rate mortgages into shorter-term products such as the 15-year fixed-rate mortgage.
