How to land the best loan Our plan will help you find the cheapest possible mortgage and walk you through the application process.
	8 critical questions your GFE should answer Use your good faith estimate to make sure you're getting the loan you've been promised and avoid nasty surprises.
	Be ready with the right down payment Most home buyers will need 3.5% to 20% of the purchase price to qualify for a mortgage. A few will need more. A few less.
	Preapproval is an important first step Before you start looking for a home you approve of, you need to find a lender that approves of you. Here's a step-by-step guide.
	FHA loans great for buying, refinancing Borrowers with iffy credit and little equity or money for a down payment can get an affordable mortgage.
	How much house can you afford? Our four simple rules will make sure you can make the monthly payments and weather the recession.
	10 smart moves for buying a foreclosure You'll save 10% to 20% -- even after repairs -- if you get a good deal and avoid the costly pitfalls.

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	Effort to help homeowners revives risky loans Feb. 7--The pitch is strikingly familiar: A home loan deal that offers a five-year "teaser" rate with low monthly payments, but then escalates to sharply higher costs.
	Struggle with bank drags on past a year Feb. 7--Joe and Dee Setzer, embroiled in a long battle with their lender to modify their mortgage, also narrowly avoided spending thousands with what state prosecutors say appear to be illegal foreclosure assistance firms.
	Gain trumping pain of walking away Feb. 5--Marysville real estate agent Ruben Ramos caught a torrent of abuse in December 2008 when he said at a Bee real estate roundtable that he counsels people to "walk away" from their mortgages.
	Mortgage investors trying to regroup NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. - The financial wizards who concocted the complicated mortgage-linked investments that nearly brought down the world economy are trying to come back from the dead.
	Mortgage rates little changed this week The average conventional 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage costs 5.15%, while the average jumbo loan costs 6.00%.
	Rules hinder low-income buyers' loans Jan. 31--Lucas Harrison-Zdenek has tried twice since last summer to get a federal loan to buy a foreclosed home.

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	Ask a lender to preapprove you for a loan It's the best way to find out where you stand and how much you owe on everything.
	Ask the seller to pay your closing costs With the glut of properties on the market, sellers are often very motivated to negotiate with prospective buyers.
	New GFE can help you get the best deal Comparison charts will show you what your monthly payments and closing costs might be for slightly different loans.
	PMI tax deduction good through 2010 But you must have bought or refinanced your home since Jan. 1, 2007, and have an adjusted gross income of less than $110,000.
	Compare final vs. estimated costs before closing The government's new standard settlement statement makes it easy by cross-referencing the numbers.
	Auctions are a risky way to buy foreclosures You won't be able to inspect the property and could end up with a property that's been badly damaged.

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