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Buying a Home - HUD HUD News Newsroom Priorities About HUD Homes Buying Owning Selling Renting Homeless Home improvements HUD homes Fair housing FHA refunds Foreclosure Consumer info Communities About communities Volunteering Organizing Economic development Working with HUD Grants Programs Contracts Work online HUD jobs Complaints Resources Library Handbooks/ forms Common questions Tools Webcasts Mailing lists Contact us Help Buying a Home Information by State Esta página en español Print version Email this to a friend Counseling and Education Housing counseling agencies can give you advice about buying a home. Find a housing counselor near you. Common questions Homeownership videos More from HUD Mortgage glossary FHA mortgage limits HUD approved lenders HUD approved condos Healthy homes Environmental maps Energy info About appraisals Links Rural housing loan programs Loan programs for veterans Freddie Mac Fannie Mae US Postal Service Mover's Guide The homebuying process can seem complicated, but if you take things step-by-step, you will soon be holding the keys to your own home! Nine steps to buying a home Figure out how much you can afford Know your rights Shop for a loan Learn about homebuying programs Shop for a home Make an offer Get a home inspection Shop for homeowners insurance Sign papers Step 1: Figure out how much you can afford What you can afford depends on your income, credit rating, current monthly expenses, downpayment and the interest rate. The calculators below can help, but it is best to visit a lender to find out for sure. How much home can you afford? Buying vs. Renting Need help with your downpayment and/or closing costs? Homebuying programs in your state A housing counselor can help you figure out how to manage and pay off your debt, and start saving for that downpayment! Find a housing counselor near you Step 2: Know your rights Fair Housing: Equal Opportunity for All - brochure Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA) Borrower's rights Predatory lending Back to Top Step 3: Shop for a loan Save money by doing your homework. Talk to several lenders, compare costs and interest rates, negotiate to get a better deal. Consider getting pre-approved for a loan. Looking for the best mortgage: shop, compare, negotiate - brochure Let FHA help you Step 4: Learn about homebuying programs Homebuying programs in your state FHA loan programs offer lower downpayments and are a good option for first-time homebuyers. Let FHA help you HUD's special homebuying programs Good Neighbor Next Door Program - for police officers, teachers, firefighters and emergency medical technicians Homeownership for public housing residents Indian Home Loan Guarantee Program (Section 184) Step 5: Shop for a home Choose a real estate agent Wish list - what features do you want? Home-shopping checklist take this list with you when comparing homes Homes for sale (including HUD homes) " Fixer-uppers " - home purchase and repair programs Manufactured (mobile) homes Build a home If you choose a home in a neighborhood with a Home Owners Association (HOA), be sure to request a copy of the HOA packet, so you can review before closing. Back to Top Step 6: Make an offer Discuss the process with your real estate agent. If the seller counters your offer, you may need to negotiate until you both agree to the terms of the sale. Making an offer Step 7: Get a home inspection Make your offer contingent on a home inspection. An inspection will tell you about the condition of the home, and can help you avoid buying a home that needs major repairs. For Your Protection Get a Home Inspection Step 8: Shop for homeowners insurance Lenders require that you have homeowners insurance. Be sure to shop around. Homeowners insurance 12 ways to lower your homeowners insurance costs Step 9: Sign papers You're finally ready to go to "settlement" or "closing." Be sure to read everything before you sign! Settlement Costs and Helpful Information Content updated December 1, 2005 Back to Top FOIA Privacy Web Policies and Important Links Home U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development 451 7th Street S.W., Washington, DC 20410 Telephone: (202) 708-1112 TTY: (202) 708-1455 Find the address of a HUD office near you
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Home Equity Loan | Home Equity Line of Credit -- BUY A HOME SELL A HOME HOME LOANS NEW HOME CONSTRUCTION ABOUT US MY ACCOUNT Find a REALTOR ® Buy or sell your home and you may receive a Gift Card worth up to $1,000. Find a REALTOR ® Find a Builder with iNest and Get 1% Cash Back! Finance Your Home Get a Mortgage Refinance Your Mortgage Home Equity Loan / Line of Credit Online Credit Report Search Homes for Sale Start Your Search Home Price Check ® Additional Services Insurance Quotes Get a Home Warranty Get a Home Inspection Find a Mover Find Home Improvement Professionals Change Your Address Setup Your Utilities Learning Center Qualifying for Home Loan How Much Can You Afford? How To Choose the Right Loan You are here: Home | Home Finance | Home Equity Loan Center Home Equity Loan Center Get up to 4 lenders competing for your home equity loan. When Banks Compete, You Win ® ! 3 Great Reasons to Use Your Home's Equity 1. Home Improvements Why wait to make needed home improvements. Redo your bathroom or kitchen now. 2. Major Purchases Thinking about buying a car or boat? Take advantage of low home equity rates now. 3. Dream Vacation The weather is getting warm. If you want to get away think about using a home equity line of credit. Login and View Your Offers Email: Password: Forgot Your Password? Know Your Credit Score. Make Smarter Decisions. Credit Reports TM , Score Power ® and Score Watch TM give you the tools you need to understand, manage and use your credit wisely. Need Help Before Getting Started? How large a line of credit can you obtain? Before You Remodel Your Home Should you consolidate debts? Home equity loan or an auto loan? Home Improvement What is a Credit Score? Furnishing on a Budget How to Find an Architect 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. 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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FRB: Understanding the Home Mortgage Process Where to Shop and What to Look For Skip to content The Mortgage Application Process Understanding Your Rights to Fair Lending Directory of Federal Agencies Mortgage home Once you have found the home of your choice, you may think that your shopping days are over. Actually, only the first phase has been completed. Next comes finding a mortgage and payment terms that fit your budget. Where you shop and what you look for are important. You might start by looking for a mortgage at the bank where you have your checking or savings account. But dont limit yourself. A wide variety of institutions make home mortgage loans, including savings and loan associations, commercial banks, mutual savings banks, and mortgage companies. The mortgages these institutions offer will have varying features. One way to find the creditor with the most attractively priced loan is to look in your local newspaper; check to see if it publishes a shoppers guide to mortgage credit. These shoppers guides are available in many localities and can be used to identify the lenders with low rates. But, basically, the way to find the loan with the most attractive terms is to shop around. You should have in mind some of the things to look for in a mortgage loan. For example, what types of loans are available from a given institution? Does the lender make privately or federally insured or guaranteed loans? Some lenders offer mortgage loans backed by a federal agency such as the Federal Housing Administration (FHA loans) or the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA loans). Loans that are not government-insured are called conventional mortgages. Insured mortgages may be more attractive than conventional mortgages in some ways--such as lower down payment requirements. But they may be more restrictive in other ways; for example, they may be available only for certain kinds of homes, or for properties whose value is below a specified price. Other factors important to your mortgage decision are the length of the loan and the down payment required by the lender. The longer the term and the larger the down payment, the smaller your monthly payments will be. The interest rate is important too, and in some cases the amount of the down-payment will influence the interest rate that you pay (the larger the down payment, the lower the interest rate). In addition, mortgage loans may have interest rates that will stay fixed for the life of the loan (fixed-rate mortgages), that may change (adjustable-rate mortgages, or ARMs), or that represent a combination of fixed and variable rates (convertible mortgages). The initial rate of an ARM is generally lower than the rate available on a fixed-rate mortgage; but remember, the rate may change during the lifetime of the loan. Dont hesitate to ask the lender how one loan differs from another, how the different features of the loan will affect the mortgage, or whether your chances to qualify would improve if you made a higher down payment. When you're shopping around, you will find that some home mortgage lenders have special programs to assist veterans and low-income or first-time homebuyers. Ask the lender if such programs are available. Home | Brochures Accessibility To comment on this site, please fill out our feedback form. Last update: June 21, 2001
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Shopping for a Home Equity Loan? -- Search: FTC Consumer Alert PDF Version Shopping for a Home Equity Loan? If you decide that the timing’s right for a home equity loan, ask your friends or family for recommendations of lenders. Then, comparison shop . Comparing loan plans will help you get a better deal. Contact several lenders, not just the ones that send you mail, call you, or knock on your door. Talk with banks, savings and loans, credit unions, mortgage companies, and mortgage brokers. Remember, brokers don’t lend money: they help arrange loans. Ask all the lenders you interview to explain the loan plans they have for you. If you don’t understand any loan terms and conditions, ask questions . They could mean higher costs. Knowing just the amount of the monthly payment or the interest rate is not enough. Pay close attention to fees , including: the application or loan processing fee, origination or underwriting fee, lender or funding fee, appraisal fee, document preparation and recording fees, and broker fees which may be quoted as points, origination fees, or interest rate add-on. If points and other fees are added to your loan amount, you’ll pay more to finance them. Also ask for your credit score . Credit scoring is a system creditors use to help determine whether to give you credit. Information about you and your credit experiences – like your bill-paying history, the number and type of accounts you have, late payments, collection actions, outstanding debt, and the age of your accounts — is collected from your credit application and your credit report . Creditors compare this information to the credit performance of consumers with similar profiles. A credit scoring system awards points for each factor that helps predict who is most likely to repay a debt. A total number of points — your credit score — helps predict how creditworthy you are, that is, how likely it is that you will repay a loan and make the payments when they’re due. Negotiate with more than one lender. Don’t be afraid to make lenders and brokers compete for your business by letting them know that you’re shopping for the best deal. Ask each lender to lower the points, fees or the interest rate. And ask each to meet — or beat — the terms of the other lenders. Before you sign, read the loan closing papers carefully . If the loan isn’t what you expected or wanted, don’t sign the loan. Either negotiate changes or walk away. You also generally have the right to cancel the deal for any reason — and without penalty — within three days after signing the loan papers. The lender must return any money you’ve paid to date. Your Credit Report Because your credit report is an important part of many credit scoring systems, it’s very important to make sure it’s accurate before you submit a credit application. To get copies of your report, contact the three major credit reporting agencies: Equifax: (800) 685-1111 Experian (formerly TRW): (888) EXPERIAN (397-3742) Trans Union: (800) 916-8800 These agencies may charge you up to $9.00 for your credit report. To Learn More For more information about shopping for a home equity loan and a glossary of home loan terms, call the FTC’s Consumer Response Center toll-free at 1-877-FTC-HELP (382-4357). Ask for a free copy of Looking for the Best Mortgage: Shop, Compare, Negotiate ; and Home Equity Loans: The Three-Day Cancellation Rule . Or visit us online at ftc.gov . Lender A Lender B Lender C What are the monthly payments? What is the Annual Percentage Rate (APR)? (the cost of credit expressed as a yearly rate; includes the interest rate, points, broker fees, and other credit charges) What is the interest rate? (the cost of borrowing money expressed as a percentage rate) Will the interest rate change? When? How often? By how much? What will you have to pay in points? What will you have to pay in fees? Application or loan processing fee Origination or underwriting fee Lender or funding fee Appraisal fee Document preparation and recording fees Broker fees Other fees Are any of the application fees refundable if you don't get the loan? How many years will you have to repay the loan? Is this an installment loan or a line of credit? Is there a balloon payment? What are the total closing costs? If you use a broker, how will he or she be paid? Does the loan include optional credit insurance? (You don't have to accept optional credit insurance to get your loan.) If you want optional credit insurance, can you pay for it monthly instead of financing the premiums as part of your loan? Did you get a copy of your credit score? Can you afford this loan? The FTC works for the consumer to prevent fraudulent, deceptive and unfair business practices in the marketplace and to provide information to help consumers spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint or to get free information on consumer issues , visit www.ftc.gov or call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357); TTY: 1-866-653-4261. The FTC enters Internet, telemarketing, identity theft, and other fraud-related complaints into Consumer Sentinel , a secure, online database available to hundreds of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad. January 2001
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Homes for Sale, Foreclosures, Real Estate Listings :: Buy a House, Sell Your Home at House.com -- "Thank you for all you did to help us get into our new home" -The Meyer Family House.com Sections Find an Agent Foreclosure search -- Check House Value Tips for Buying a House Apply for Mortgage -- Agents Sign Up Here -- Current Rates 30-year fixed: 5.78 % 15-year fixed: 5.18 % 1-year ARM: 4.06 % -- House.com is the 2nd Most Visited Real Estate Site* We are the Nationwide Leader in Connecting You to Top Real Estate Agents. Getting Started 1. Select below a state you want to buy or sell a house in. 2. Fill out our simple form to find top real estate agents. This service is absolutely free with no obligations . Click here to find an Agent » Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming We are a Licensed New York State Real Estate Broker. Home | About Us | Contact Us affiliate program --| Privacy Statement | Terms And Conditions | Jobs | Agents Glossary | Site Map | Press Releases | Exclusive Leads | Census Utah Real Estate | Salt Lake City Real Estate Utah Real Estate Agent | Salt Lake City Real Estate Agent *ComScore Media Metrix Report, week ending September 26, 2004