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The Real Estate Library - An educational site offering, articles, tips andinformational reports for realtors, buyers and sellers! REAL ESTATE - FIND IT HERE! The Real Estate Library contains essential resources for buyers, sellers, home owners, real estate professionals, and anyone investing or seeking to connect with the world of real estate. REAL ESTATE WEB SITE DESIGN Are you a real estate agent with website questions? Ask our expert. Click Here PURE GOLD AWARD It has been said that "Success leaves clues" . Nowhere is that more apparent than on the Internet. Click Here to apply! The Nations MOST ENDORSED Real Estate School Get your CA, TX, VA, or WA Real Estate License from an ACCREDITED & NATIONALLY ENDORSED school. 110% Money Back Promise! Quick & Convenient programs!! VA MORTGAGE CENTER Need assistance getting through the Loan process? Need some direction on where to find assistance? Apply for a VA Loan AMERICA'S FAVORITE ONLINE REAL ESTATE SCHOOL Get your Real Estate License in Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Virginia, Alabama, Missouri, Washington, Iowa or Kansas. Fast, Easy and Enjoyable. Nationally Approved by ARELLO (The Association of Real Estate Law Officials). Click Here to Go to Real Estate School BRIO REALTY: REAL ESTATE LISTINGS View photos of over 30,000 MLS listings in California, Washington, Virginia, and Maryland. Foreclosureworld.net Recommended pages: Mortgage Lenders by State Real Estate Agents by State Home Buying & Home Selling Tools Add Your Link Don't forget to bookmark this page! Quick links to popular pages: Commercial Real Estate Lenders Florida Real Estate Agents Utah Real Estate Agents Real Estate Investment Vacation Rentals by State (New!) Index | Advertising Info | Add Your Link | Contact RELibrary.com RELibrary.com Click To Apply For This Award For Your Site

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Looking for the Best Mortgage ESPAÑOL Shopping around for a home loan or mortgage will help you to get the best financing deal. A mortgage--whether it’s a home purchase, a refinancing, or a home equity loan--is a product, just like a car, so the price and terms may be negotiable. You’ll want to compare all the costs involved in obtaining a mortgage. Shopping, comparing, and negotiating may save you thousands of dollars. Skip to content Obtain information from several lenders Obtain all important cost information Obtain the best deal that you can Remember: Shop, compare, negotiate Fair lending is required by law Credit problems? Glossary Mortgage shopping worksheet For more information Obtain Information from Several Lenders Home loans are available from several types of lenders-- thrift institutions , commercial banks, mortgage companies, and credit unions. Different lenders may quote you different prices, so you should contact several lenders to make sure you’re getting the best price. You can also get a home loan through a mortgage broker . Brokers arrange transactions rather than lending money directly; in other words, they find a lender for you. A broker’s access to several lenders can mean a wider selection of loan products and terms from which you can choose. Brokers will generally contact several lenders regarding your application, but they are not obligated to find the best deal for you unless they have contracted with you to act as your agent. Consequently, you should consider contacting more than one broker, just as you should with banks or thrift institutions. Whether you are dealing with a lender or a broker may not always be clear. Some financial institutions operate as both lenders and brokers. And most brokers’ advertisements do not use the word "broker." Therefore, be sure to ask whether a broker is involved. This information is important because brokers are usually paid a fee for their services that may be separate from and in addition to the lender’s origination or other fees. A broker’s compensation may be in the form of "points" paid at closing or as an add-on to your interest rate , or both. You should ask each broker you work with how he or she will be compensated so that you can compare the different fees. Be prepared to negotiate with the brokers as well as the lenders. Obtain All Important Cost Information Be sure to get information about mortgages from several lenders or brokers. Know how much of a down payment you can afford, and find out all the costs involved in the loan. Knowing just the amount of the monthly payment or the interest rate is not enough. Ask for information about the same loan amount, loan term, and type of loan so that you can compare the information. The following information is important to get from each lender and broker: Rates Ask each lender and broker for a list of its current mortgage interest rates and whether the rates being quoted are the lowest for that day or week. Ask whether the rate is fixed or adjustable . Keep in mind that when interest rates for adjustable-rate loans go up, generally so does the monthly payment. If the rate quoted is for an adjustable-rate loan, ask how your rate and loan payment will vary, including whether your loan payment will be reduced when rates go down. Ask about the loan’s annual percentage rate (APR) . The APR takes into account not only the interest rate but also points, broker fees, and certain other credit charges that you may be required to pay, expressed as a yearly rate. Points Points are fees paid to the lender or broker for the loan and are often linked to the interest rate; usually the more points you pay, the lower the rate. Check your local newspaper for information about rates and points currently being offered. Ask for points to be quoted to you as a dollar amount--rather than just as the number of points--so that you will actually know how much you will have to pay. Fees A home loan often involves many fees, such as loan origination or underwriting fees , broker fees, and transaction, settlement, and closing costs . Every lender or broker should be able to give you an estimate of its fees. Many of these fees are negotiable. Some fees are paid when you apply for a loan (such as application and appraisal fees), and others are paid at closing. In some cases, you can borrow the money needed to pay these fees, but doing so will increase your loan amount and total costs. "No cost" loans are sometimes available, but they usually involve higher rates. Ask what each fee includes. Several items may be lumped into one fee. Ask for an explanation of any fee you do not understand. Some common fees associated with a home loan closing are listed on the Mortgage Shopping Worksheet in this brochure. Down Payments and Private Mortgage Insurance Some lenders require 20 percent of the home’s purchase price as a down payment. However, many lenders now offer loans that require less than 20 percent down--sometimes as little as 5 percent on conventional loans . If a 20 percent down payment is not made, lenders usually require the home buyer to purchase private mortgage insurance (PMI) to protect the lender in case the home buyer fails to pay. When government-assisted programs such as FHA (Federal Housing Administration), VA (Veterans Administration), or Rural Development Services are available, the down payment requirements may be substantially smaller. Ask about the lender’s requirements for a down payment, including what you need to do to verify that funds for your down payment are available. Ask your lender about special programs it may offer. If PMI is required for your loan, Ask what the total cost of the insurance will be. Ask how much your monthly payment will be when including the PMI premium. Ask how long you will be required to carry PMI. Obtain the Best Deal That You Can Once you know what each lender has to offer, negotiate for the best deal that you can. On any given day, lenders and brokers may offer different prices for the same loan terms to different consumers, even if those consumers have the same loan qualifications. The most likely reason for this difference in price is that loan officers and brokers are often allowed to keep some or all of this difference as extra compensation. Generally, the difference between the lowest available price for a loan product and any higher price that the borrower agrees to pay is an overage . When overages occur, they are built into the prices quoted to consumers. They can occur in both fixed and variable-rate loans and can be in the form of points, fees, or the interest rate. Whether quoted to you by a loan officer or a broker, the price of any loan may contain overages. Have the lender or broker write down all the costs associated with the loan. Then ask if the lender or broker will waive or reduce one or more of its fees or agree to a lower rate or fewer points. You’ll want to make sure that the lender or broker is not agreeing to lower one fee while raising another or to lower the rate while raising points. There’s no harm in asking lenders or brokers if they can give better terms than the original ones they quoted or than those you have found elsewhere. Once you are satisfied with the terms you have negotiated, you may want to obtain a written lock-in from the lender or broker. The lock-in should include the rate that you have agreed upon, the period the lock-in lasts, and the number of points to be paid. A fee may be charged for locking in the loan rate. This fee may be refundable at closing. Lock-ins can protect you from rate increases while your loan is being processed; if rates fall, however, you could end up with a less favorable rate. Should that happen, try to negotiate a compromise with the lender or broker. Remember: Shop, Compare, Negotiate When buying a home, remember to shop around, to compare costs and terms, and to negotiate for the best deal. Your local newspaper and the Internet are good places to start shopping for a loan. You can usually find information both on interest rates and on points for several lenders. Since rates and points can change daily, you’ll want to check your newspaper often when shopping for a home loan. But the newspaper does not list the fees, so be sure to ask the lenders about them. The Mortgage Shopping Worksheet that follows may also help you. Take it with you when you speak to each lender or broker and write down the information you obtain. Don’t be afraid to make lenders and brokers compete with each other for your business by letting them know that you are shopping for the best deal. Fair Lending Is Required by Law The Equal Credit Opportunity Act prohibits lenders from discriminating against credit applicants in any aspect of a credit transaction on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, marital status, age, whether all or part of the applicant’s income comes from a public assistance program, or whether the applicant has in good faith exercised a right under the Consumer Credit Protection Act. The Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in residential real estate transactions on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin. Under these laws, a consumer cannot be refused a loan based on these characteristics nor be charged more for a loan or offered less favorable terms based on such characteristics. Credit Problems? Still Shop, Compare, and Negotiate Don’t assume that minor credit problems or difficulties stemming from unique circumstances, such as illness or temporary loss of income, will limit your loan choices to only high-cost lenders.If your credit report contains negative information that is accurate, but there are good reasons for trusting you to repay a loan, be sure to explain your situation to the lender or broker. If your credit problems cannot be explained, you will probably have to pay more than borrowers who have good credit histories. But don’t assume that the only way to get credit is to pay a high price. Ask how your past credit history affects the price of your loan and what you would need to do to get a better price. Take the time to shop around and negotiate the best deal that you can. Whether you have credit problems or not, it’s a good idea to review your credit report for accuracy and completeness before you apply for a loan. To order a copy of your credit report, contact: Equifax: (800) 685-1111 TransUnion: (800) 888-4213 Experian: (888) 397-3742 Glossary Adjustable-rate loans , also known as variable-rate loans, usually offer a lower initial interest rate than fixed-rate loans. The interest rate fluctuates over the life of the loan based on market conditions, but the loan agreement generally sets maximum and minimum rates. When interest rates rise, generally so do your loan payments; and when interest rates fall, your monthly payments may be lowered. Annual percentage rate (APR) is the cost of credit expressed as a yearly rate. The APR includes the interest rate, points, broker fees, and certain other credit charges that the borrower is required to pay. Conventional loans are mortgage loans other than those insured or guaranteed by a government agency such as the FHA (Federal Housing Administration), the VA (Veterans Administration), or the Rural Development Services (formerly know as Farmers Home Administration, or FmHA). Escrow is the holding of money or documents by a neutral third party prior to closing. It can also be an account held by the lender (or servicer) into which a homeowner pays money for taxes and insurance. Fixed-rate loans generally have repayment terms of 15, 20, or 30 years. Both the interest rate and the monthly payments (for principal and interest) stay the same during the life of the loan. The interest rate is the cost of borrowing money expressed as a percentage rate. Interest rates can change because of market conditions. Loan origination fees are fees charged by the lender for processing the loan and are often expressed as a percentage of the loan amount. Lock-in refers to a written agreement guaranteeing a home buyer a specific interest rate on a home loan provided that the loan is closed within a certain period of time, such as 60 or 90 days. Often the agreement also specifies the number of points to be paid at closing. A mortgage is a document signed by a borrower when a home loan is made that gives the lender a right to take possession of the property if the borrower fails to pay off the loan. Overages are the difference between the lowest available price and any higher price that the home buyer agrees to pay for the loan. Loan officers and brokers are often allowed to keep some or all of this difference as extra compensation. Points are fees paid to the lender for the loan. One point equals 1 percent of the loan amount. Points are usually paid in cash at closing. In some cases, the money needed to pay points can be borrowed, but doing so will increase the loan amount and the total costs. Private mortgage insurance (PMI) protects the lender against a loss if a borrower defaults on the loan. It is usually required for loans in which the down payment is less than 20 percent of the sales price or, in a refinancing, when the amount financed is greater than 80 percent of the appraised value. Thrift institution is a general term for savings banks and savings and loan associations. Transaction, settlement, or closing costs may include application fees; title examination, abstract of title, title insurance, and property survey fees; fees for preparing deeds, mortgages, and settlement documents; attorneys’ fees; recording fees; and notary, appraisal, and credit report fees. Under the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act, the borrower receives a good faith estimate of closing costs at the time of application or within three days of application. The good faith estimate lists each expected cost either as an amount or a range. Mortgage Shopping Worksheet File for Printing Worksheet (12KB PDF) Lender 1 Lender 2 Name of Lender: ___ ___ Name of Contact: ___ ___ Date of Contact: ___ ___ Mortgage Amount: ___ ___ mortgage 1 mortgage 2 mortgage 1 mortgage 2 Basic Information on the Loans Type of Mortgage: fixed rate, adjustable rate, conventional, FHA, other? If adjustable, see below ___ ___ ___ ___ Minimum down payment required ___ ___ ___ ___ Loan term (length of loan) ___ ___ ___ ___ Contract interest rate ___ ___ ___ ___ Annual percentage rate (APR) ___ ___ ___ ___ Points (may be called loan discount points) ___ ___ ___ ___ Monthly Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI) premiums ___ ___ ___ ___ How long must you keep PMI? ___ ___ ___ ___ Estimated monthly escrow for taxes and hazard insurance ___ ___ ___ ___ Estimated monthly payment (Principal, Interest, Taxes, Insurance, PMI) ___ ___ ___ ___ Fees Different institutions may have different names for somefees and may charge different fees. We have listed some typical fees you may see on loan documents. Application fee or Loan processing fee ___ ___ ___ ___ Origination fee or Underwriting fee ___ ___ ___ ___ Lender fee or Funding fee ___ ___ ___ ___ Appraisal fee ___ ___ ___ ___ Attorney fees ___ ___ ___ ___ Document preparation and recording fees ___ ___ ___ ___ Broker fees (may be quoted as points, origination fees, or interest rate add-on) ___ ___ ___ ___ Credit report fee ___ ___ ___ ___ Other fees ___ ___ ___ ___ Other Costs at Closing/Settlement Title search/Title insurance For lender ___ ___ ___ ___ For you ___ ___ ___ ___ Estimated prepaid amounts for interest, taxes, hazard insurance, payments to escrow ___ ___ ___ ___ State and local taxes, stamp taxes, transfer taxes ___ ___ ___ ___ Flood determination ___ ___ ___ ___ Prepaid Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI) ___ ___ ___ ___ Surveys and home inspections ___ ___ ___ ___ Total Fees and Other Closing/Settlement Cost Estimates ___ ___ ___ ___ Lender 1 Lender 2 Name of Lender: mortgage 1 mortgage 2 mortgage 1 mortgage 2 Other Questions and Considerations about the Loan Are any of the fees or costs waivable? ___ ___ ___ ___ Prepayment penalties Is there a prepayment penalty? ___ ___ ___ ___ If so, how much is it? ___ ___ ___ ___ How long does the penalty period last? (for example, 3 years? 5 years?) ___ ___ ___ ___ Are extra principal payments allowed? ___ ___ ___ ___ Lock-ins Is the lock-in agreement in writing? ___ ___ ___ ___ Is there a fee to lock-in? ___ ___ ___ ___ When does the lock-in occur—at application, approval, or another time? ___ ___ ___ ___ How long will the lock-in last? ___ ___ ___ ___ If the rate drops before closing, can you lock-in at a lower rate? ___ ___ ___ ___ If the loan is an adjustable rate mortgage: What is the initial rate? ___ ___ ___ ___ What is the maximum the rate could be next year? ___ ___ ___ ___ What are the rate and payment caps each year and over the life of the loan? ___ ___ ___ ___ What is the frequency of rate change and of any changes to the monthly payment? ___ ___ ___ ___ What is the index that the lender will use? ___ ___ ___ ___ What margin will the lender add to the index? ___ ___ ___ ___ Credit life insurance Does the monthly amount quoted to you include a charge for credit life insurance? ___ ___ ___ ___ If so, does the lender require credit life insurance as a condition of the loan? ___ ___ ___ ___ How much does the credit life insurance cost? ___ ___ ___ ___ How much lower would your monthly payment be without the credit life insurance? ___ ___ ___ ___ If the lender does not require credit life insurance, and you still want to buy it, what rates can you get from other insurance providers? ___ ___ ___ ___ This brochure was prepared by the following agencies: Department of Housing and Urban Development Department of Justice Department of the Treasury Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Federal Housing Finance Board Federal Reserve Board Federal Trade Commission National Credit Union Administration Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight Office of the Comptroller of the Currency Office of Thrift Supervision These agencies (except the Department of the Treasury) enforce compliance with laws that prohibit discrimination in lending. If you feel that you have been discriminated against in the home financing process, you may want to contact one of the agencies listed above about your rights under these laws. For more information on home lending issues, visit ( http://www.consumer.gov ), write to the Federal Citizen Information Center, Pueblo, CO 81009 or visit the Center’s Web site at ( http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov ). The following brochures are available from the Center: A Consumer’s Guide to Mortgage Lock-Ins A Consumer’s Guide to Mortgage Refinancing Buying Your Home: Settlement Costs and Helpful Information Consumer Handbook on Adjustable Rate Mortgages Guide to Single Family Home Mortgage Insurance Home Buyer’s Vocabulary Home Mortgages: Understanding the Process and Your Rights to Fair Lending How to Buy a Home with a Low Down Payment How to Dispute Credit Report Errors The HUD Home Buying Guide What You Should Know About Home Equity Lines of Credit Home | Consumer information | Publications | Brochures | Accessibility | Contact Us Last update: January 22, 2004

Real Estate Prices

Real Estate | Homes for Sale | Houses for Sale | RealEstate | REALTORs ® | Real Estate Agent BUY A HOME SELL A HOME HOME LOANS NEW HOME CONSTRUCTION ABOUT US MY ACCOUNT FREE HOME PRICE CHECK ® Learn the Market Value of Your Home! NEW CONSTRUCTION Search for a New Home and get 1% Cash Back EXISTING HOMES Receive a Gift Card Worth up to $1,000 or more.** HOUSEWATCH SM Get notified by email as new home listings come on the market. PRE-QUALIFICATION Get up to 4 Mortgage Offers in Minutes HOME IMPROVEMENT CENTER Find Pre-Screened Home Contractors in Your Area. REALESTATE.COM IN THE NEWS SEARCH OVER 1 MILLION HOMES GET YOUR CREDIT SCORE REAL ESTATE AGENTS View and Save homes easily. Please Choose Alberta, AB Alaska, AK Alabama, AL Arkansas, AR Arizona, AZ British Columbia, BC California, CA Colorado, CO Connecticut, CT District of Columbia, DC Delaware, DE Florida, FL Georgia, GA Hawaii, HI Iowa, IA Idaho, ID Illinois, IL Indiana, IN Kansas, KS Kentucky, KY Louisiana, LA Massachusetts, MA Manitoba, MB Maryland, MD Maine, ME Michigan, MI Minnesota, MN Missouri, MO Mississippi, MS Montana, MT New Brunswick, NB North Carolina, NC North Dakota, ND Nebraska, NE New Hampshire, NH New Jersey, NJ New Mexico, NM Nova Scotia, NS Nevada, NV New York, NY Ohio, OH Oklahoma, OK Ontario, ON Oregon, OR Pennsylvania, PA Rhode Island, RI South Carolina, SC South Dakota, SD Tennessee, TN Texas, TX Utah, UT Virginia, VA Vermont, VT Washington, WA Wisconsin, WI West Virginia, WV Wyoming, WY Lenders will look at your credit score. And so should you. Partner with a fast-growing online network today. CLICK HERE Buying a Home | Selling a Home | Homes for Sale | Credit Report & Score | House Prices at Domania New Home Construction | Find a Mover | Find a REALTOR ® | Home Financing | Real Estate Learning Center Customer Service | Publications | For the Media | News Releases | Join Our Real Estate Network | Post Home Listings Privacy | Security | Terms of Use | Jobs | Disclosures and Licenses | Sitemap | Loans | Commercial Real Estate Houses for Sale in: Atlanta | Austin | Boston | Charlotte | Chicago | Dallas | Denver | Houston | Las Vegas | Los Angeles Miami | Minneapolis | New York | Philadelphia | Phoenix | San Antonio | San Diego | San Francisco | Seattle Washington, DC | Real Estate in More Cities LendingTree technology and processes are patented under US Patent Nos. 6,385,594 and 6,611,816. © 1998 - Real Estate.com, a service of LendingTree, LLC. All Rights Reserved.This site is directed at, and made available to, persons in the continental U.S., Alaska and Hawaii only. Conversion to LendingTree, LLC We are pledged to the letter and spirit of U.S. policy for the achievement of equal housing opportunity throughout the Nation. We encourage and support an affirmative advertising and marketing program in which there are no barriers to obtaining housing because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin. REALTOR ® -- A registered collective membership mark that identifies a real estate professional who is a member of the National Association of REALTORS ® and subscribes to its strict Code of Ethics. Not all of the real estate professionals participating in the "Agent's Competing" program are REALTORS ® , which are members of the National Association of REALTORS ® . The Home Depot ® is not affiliated with LendingTree, LLC. The Home Depot ® is a registered trademark of Homer TLC, Inc. RealEstate.com is not sponsored by or affiliated with the parent franchisor companies of any of the participating members of its network. * Represents amount of consumer incentives and rebates (in the form of gift cards or other incentives) paid to consumers since August, 2000. ** Full Terms and Conditions Partner Sites: Citysearch | Expedia | Hotels.com | Ticketmaster.com | Hotwire.com | Entertainment.com | Match.com Home Shopping Network | ReserveAmerica | LendingTree.com | iNest | ServiceMagic | Ask Jeeves | Gift Ideas Mortgage Calculator | Refinance at GetSmart | LendingTree Mortgage | Free Online Credit Report | Home Equity Loans

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Home Equity Loans - Agony or Ecstasy  You are here: About > Money > Credit / Debt Management > Getting Money and Credit > Mortgage & Equity Loans > Home Equity Loans - Agony or Ecstasy Money Credit / Debt Essentials Credit And Credit File Fundamentals Basics Of Reducing Debt Credit and Debt Workshop Fast Financial Independence Debt Counseling Primer Articles & Resources Bankruptcy & Settlement Budgeting & Frugality Credit Law Credit Reports and Scoring Debt Counseling Debt Reduction Financial Planning Fraud and Protection Getting Money and Credit Learning About Money Smart Shopping Students and Education Tips, Essentials, Archives Buyer's Guide Before You Buy Top Picks Guide Picks - Top Books On Credit & Debt Compare Insurance Carriers Compare Utility and Loan Providers Product Reviews Forums Help FREE Newsletter Sign Up Now for the Credit / Debt Management newsletter! See Online Courses   Search Credit / Debt Management Stay up to date! Email to a friend Print this page Suggested Reading Biweekly Mortgage Payments The 'How-To' of Home Financing Mortgage Closiong Costs Suggested Reading Predatory Lenders Most Popular WARNING! Rising Minimum Payme Free Annual Credit Report Cleaner Credit Raises Scores Changes to the Bankruptcy Law Debt To Income Ratio What's Hot How To Consolidate Debt Credit / Debt Management - Articles Establishing Credit - Credit/Debt Management PayDay Loans Credit Problems.... Now What? Related Topics Frugal Living Financial Planning Online Shopping Banking / Loans Family Internet Home Equity Loans... Agony or Ecstasy From Apply Now , Your Guide to Credit / Debt Management . FREE Newsletter. Sign Up Now! Home Equity Loans - a dream come true or a living nightmare. A Home Equity Loan can be a dream come true or a living nightmare. It all depends on how you approach a home equity loan and for what reason you actually want the home equity in your hand instead of your home. If your intent is to reduce debt so that you have breathing room to pay more on other debts, a home equity loan MAY BE on the right track. However, if your objective is to have more breathing room so that you can add more debt, you are heading for a natural disaster. Basics of a Home Equity Loan - Good and Bad What is a home equity loan? A home equity loan is a second mortgage. It uses the collateral of your home to secure a loan. Good news - Because this is a secured loan, its interest is less than on many loans such as on a credit card. This is very attractive. Equally attractive is the fact that because it is a second mortgage, interest can offer a tax deduction. That's the good news. Bad news - But if a home equity loan is used to pay off unsecured debt such as a credit card, what you have done in essence is convert an unsecured debt into a secured debt with your home as the security. This is not a very sound plan. Not only that but just as when you default on your primary mortgage you could lose your home, so too you can lose your home by defaulting on your home equity loan. More bad news- Another draw back that has developed over the last few years is that often you can borrow more than your house is worth... up to 125% of the value of your home. This is called negative equity and means that if you sell the house because of a job transfer or any other reason, you must either get enough to pay off both loans or you will be paying off the home equity loan when you are trying to buy another home. Still more bad news - There is one other negative side to a home equity loan. You will have points and closing costs to get the loan just as you had when you got your first mortgage. Home Equity Warnings! Okay, so I did not scare you off with the above and you are still determined to get a home equity loan. What are the danger signs and issues to be watchful for? FTC warns: "The lender doesn't care if you can't keep up with the monthly payments. As soon as you don't, the lender will foreclose-taking your home and stripping you of the equity you have spent years building. If you take out a loan but don't have enough income to make the monthly payments, you are being set up. You probably will lose your home." Watch out for lowered payments because there is a balloon payment at the end. Balloon payments are large lump payments due as the last payment. Don't do it! Avoid home improvement cam which begin construction before any financing is settled. See Scams To Help You Lose Your Home . Avoid pre-payment penalties. If you want to pay off your loan ahead of time, you should not pay a fee to do so. A 10% prepayment fee is not uncommon... but is a lot of money. Avoid rate increases by avoiding missed or late payments. FTC Offers These Do's And Don t's: Don't agree to a home equity loan if you don't have enough income to make the monthly payments. Don's sign any document you haven't read or any document that has blank spaces to be filled in after you sign or let anyone pressure you into signing any document. Don't agree to a loan that includes credit insurance or extra products you don't want. Don's let the promise of extra cash or lower monthly payments get in the way of your good judgment about whether the cost you will pay for the loan is really worth it. Don't deed your property to anyone. First consult an attorney, a knowledgeable family member, or someone else you trust. DO ask specifically if credit insurance is required as a condition of the loan. If it isn't, and a charge is included in your loan and you don't want the insurance, ask that the charge be removed from the loan documents. If you want the added security of credit insurance, shop around for the best rates. DO keep careful records of what you've paid, including billing statements and canceled checks. Challenge any charge you think is inaccurate. Do check contractors' references when it is time to have work done in your home. Get more than one estimate. Important disclaimer information about this About site.        Topic Index | Email to a Friend Our Story | Be a Guide | Advertising Info | Work at About | Site Map | Icons | Help User Agreement | Ethics Policy | Patent Info. | Privacy Policy | Kids' Privacy Policy ©2005 About, Inc., A part of the New York Times Company . All rights reserved. Around About New Video iPod - Review POLL: Must-Have Gadgets VIDEO: Portable Gaming VIDEO: Choosing a TV Hugh Hefner's Life What's Hot How To Consolidate Debt Credit / Debt Management - Articles Establishing Credit - Credit/Debt Management PayDay Loans Credit Problems.... Now What?

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Century 21 Real Estate: home buying, home selling, financing and property listings. español Put My Century 21 to work for you, simply register your email address and create a password. Once you're registered, you'll be able to • save property descriptions • store your search criteria • file agent information • build a custom library Find out more or register now! Already registered? Sign in . -- Welcome to Century 21 Real Estate Century 21 Real Estate is your online resource for home buying, home selling, financing and property listings. Whether it's a house, condo, or any other type of property, we can assist you with your real estate needs. Search for Properties Looking to buy a new home, condo or any other property? Search thousands of properties in our real estate listings. Search Property Listings » First Time Homebuyers Guide » View Our Buyer Service Pledge » International Century 21 Real Estate LLC is part of the largest real estate referral network in the world - with over 110,000 brokers and sales associates in over 30 countries and territories. Access our world offices today» Sell a Property Let our real estate agents create a customized marketing plan to sell your property. List your Property » View Our Seller Service Pledge » View Mortgage Rates View current mortgage rates, apply for a home equity loan, crunch numbers with home mortgage calculators and more! Apply for a Mortgage Now» Use Our Mortgage Calculators » Find an Office or Agent Find and contact a CENTURY 21 Office or Agent to handle your real estate needs. Find an Office or Agent » Quick Vote! Your vote counts! Let us Know Where do you spend the most time? Bedroom Living Room Kitchen Bathroom Dining Room ©2005 Century 21 Real Estate LLC. An Equal Opportunity Company. Equal Housing Opportunity. Each CENTURY 21 Office Is Independently Owned And Operated. All rights reserved. Information appearing on this site has been produced by or obtained primarily from Century 21 Real Estate LLC and its representatives and from CENTURY 21 franchisees. Century 21 Real Estate LLC is not responsible for the accuracy or completeness of the broker information, sales associate information, listing information or other information provided by our franchisees appearing on or through this site. Such information has been provided by independent third parties who are solely responsible for such content. Certain conditions and restrictions apply to System promotions. Terms and Conditions of Use.