http://www.shoprate.com/ Mortgage rates made easy http://www.shoprate.com/expert-opinion/refinancing-tips-top-ten-ways-to-save-on-homeowners-insurance.html If you're re-evaluating your homeowners policy, here are ten key ways you can save on your premium while still ensuring that your investment is covered adequately. 1. Shop--Every Year Look at pricing, [...] http://www.shoprate.com/ask-the-expert/interest-only-mortgage-loan-what-and-why-would-you-want-one.html Dear Liz, What is an interest-only mortgage? What does a loan like that offer? Dennis in Delaware Dear Dennis, The ability to make interest-only payments [...] http://www.shoprate.com/ask-the-expert/buying-fixer-upper-special-mortgage.html Dear Liz, I am buying a house that is a fantastic deal but needs a bit of work. I was told that I could buy the home and then get a home equity loan to make the repairs, but then I heard that FHA has [...] http://www.shoprate.com/ask-the-expert/can-I-refinance-to-an-FHA-home-loan.html Dear Liz, I bought my house with a normal 30-year loan at 6.5% with 10% down. I'd like to refinance to today's rate of about 5%, but my home value has dropped a little and so has my credit rating. Can I refinance from my Fann [...] http://www.shoprate.com/expert-opinion/extended-home-buyer-tax-credit-what-you-need-to-know.html In early November, Congress passed a measure to make the Home Buyer Tax Credit available to more people by increasing income limits and extending it to people who aren't first-time home buyers. But if you aren't careful about buying [...] http://www.shoprate.com/expert-opinion/congress-extends-expands-home-buyer-tax-credit.html Congress has made the home buyer tax credit available until the end of June 2010 and expanded it to make more home buyers eligible. First-time buyers will still get up to $8,000 if they sign contracts to buy property before May 1, 2 [...] http://www.shoprate.com/ask-the-expert/can-i-save-money-by-choosing-my-own-title-insurance.html Dear Liz, I'm planning to refinance my mortgage and was shocked by the cost of title insurance. I'm sure it wasn't this expensive when I bought my home. Can I save money by shopping for title insuranc [...] http://www.shoprate.com/expert-opinion/best-mortgage-rates-and-mortgage-insurance-unavailable-in-some-areas.html In the past, an approval from a Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac automated underwriting system (AUS) was worth the paper it was printed on. Once you had that approval, all you had to do was meet its conditions--for example, provide pay stu [...] http://www.shoprate.com/ask-the-expert/how-many-mortgages-is-one-borrower-allowed-to-have.html Hi Ben, Lenders are increasingly gun-shy when it comes to financing homes for people with many mortgages already. That's because during the housing crisis last year, investors (especially those in California, Florida, and Ne [...] http://www.shoprate.com/expert-opinion/can-you-take-the-first-time-home-buyer-credit-if-your-co-borrower-is-ineligible-for-it.html Dear Jennifer, You are eligible for the maximum credit if your house costs more than $80,000 and your modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) is $75,000 a year or less. However, you might want to rethink your plans a bit. The [...]