Mortgage Strategy - Page 20

Zero-cost mortgages are terrific in a falling interest rate environment, like the one we're in now. They eliminate sunk costs completely and offer an immediate refinance payback.

As compared to the day *after* the expiration of the $8,000 home buyer tax credit, today's cost of carrying a 30-year fixed rate mortgage to term is lower by $51,000. Mortgage rates are on a 6-month rally.

During the first few years with an amortizing home loan (i.e. principal + interest), homeowners often feel like their entire monthly payment is going towards interest. Well, not all of it goes towards interest, the graph tells us. Just most of it. If you're in the early years of mortgage,...

When mortgage rates fell in early-January, it breathed life into a huge swath of loan officers that were getting ready to leave the business. It's a terrible turn of events for homeowners and homebuyers. With everyone focused on rate, rate, rate, the lowest-of-the-low loan officers are in their natural habitat....

A favorite mortgage myth of mine is some variation of: You can't buy a home without a 20 percent downpayment. Let's address why this is false, using history as a guide. It all started 50 years ago when real estate information didn't move as freely as it does today. There...