How to find the best loan for you You want the lowest rate and smallest monthly payment from your lender. Follow our plan to land a great deal on your mortgage.
	Jumbo loans still tough to find Although Congress allowed the big government-chartered mortgage companies to buy larger loans, that hasn't helped much.
	The 7 biggest mortgage mistakes Avoid these pitfalls and you'll save time, money and trouble.
	How much house can you afford? Follow two simple rules based on your income and debt, and you'll have no trouble making your monthly mortgage payments.
	5 smart moves to get the best rate Here's what you can do right now to qualify for a cheaper mortgage. And every tenth-of-a-point is worth fighting for.
	FHA loans a big help for first-time buyers If you have little or no money for a down payment, or iffy credit, this could be what you need.
	How to find the best real estate agent These 5 smart moves can help anyone buying a home hire the right agent, at the right price, with the right contract.

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	Take advantage of more than 2 million empty homes Whether it's owned by a bank, builder or individual, you've got more leverage to pay less and dicker for incentives.
	Decide what to spend before looking Without reasonable limits you'll probably buy a pricier home and take out a bigger mortgage than you can comfortably repay.
	Buy now, before prices bottom out If you put off buying a home until the media starts reporting that home values are rising again, you'll have waited too long.
	Get preapproved for a loan It's your first chance to think about how much you can afford to borrow and whether you'll have any trouble obtaining a mortgage.
	Refinance before retiring If you've had your current loan long enough to take a bite out of your principal, this is a way to reduce monthly costs.
	Judge your ARM by its index The financial index that your adjustable-rate mortgage is tied to tells a lot about the quality of the loan.

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	Mortgage rates steady in latest survey The average conventional 30-year fixed-rate mortgage now costs 6.19% while the average jumbo loan costs 7.41%.
	Don't wait for Washington to save your home We expect Republicans and the mortgage industry to kill -- or ignore -- the Democrats' foreclosure prevention plan.
	Foreclosure tours make sense Hopping on a foreclosure bus is a surprisingly good way to see a wide variety of repossessed homes in just a few hours.
	Home sales seem to have stabilized We're now buying about 5 million homes a year, about a million fewer than during the go-go years of the real estate boom.
	100% financing can be a trap Putting little or no money down is a bad idea when home prices are going down -- as they're doing in most of the country.
	Banks look at new system for pricing loans It's the same one airlines, hotels and other businesses use to charge different prices for the same service.

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