Mortgage Loan Network

Each week, Bankrate.com surveys experts to gauge which way interest rates are headed on mortgages—a vital tool if you’re about to buy a home.

read more…

Making extra payments can save thousands off the cost of a mortgage, says Dr. Don Taylor.

read more…

read more…

Q: I am considering a “lease-option agreement” to buy a home. What are some of the advantages and disadvantages of buying a home through this type of agreement? A: A lease-option agreement combines a … via Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services is considering slashing its rating on more than $500 billion of investments tied to bad mortgage loans, the ratings agency said Wednesday.

The massive downgrade would threaten a broad swath of the world’s finance industry, S&P said, ranging from Wall Street’s trading desks to regional banks to local credit unions.

Ratings from agencies like S&P play a vital role in how much investments are worth. Many funds can only buy investments carrying strong ratings, and some people blame the agencies for granting top-notch credit scores to risky investments during the housing boom. Read more

One-third of the nation?s mortgage foreclosures probably could have been avoided if black and Hispanic home buyers hadn?t been so afraid to borrow from banks, U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Alphonso Jackson said today.

read more…

It’s time for a do-over!If you haven’t refinanced already, you might be refinancing soon. But before you call your mortgage broker, you need to consider what kind of loan you have. Last week’s Federal Reserve interest-rate cut of three-quarters of a…

read more…

A loan officer charged in connection with a mortgage scam that cost more than 200 victims their homes has pleaded guilty and agreed to testify against his co-defendants.

read more…

Congress is breaking out its blunt instruments. A stimulus package just passed by the House of Representatives would allow Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac , the government-sponsored mortgage lenders, to buy jumbo mortgage loans valued at up to $729,750 ? well above the current $417,000 limit.

read more…

Mortgage insurance stocks jumped Wednesday after the Federal Reserve cut its target for a key benchmark interest rate, potentially offering a salve to mortgage borrowers having trouble paying their bills.

read more…