Current Interest Rates

Housing Market Information

» The Wall Street Journal's guide to real estate and the U.S. Housing markets.

» Realty Times reports on current local housing market conditions.

» Biz Journal's in-depth real estate industry news.

» RIS Media's news on mortgage rates, finance and the economy.

Guides and Calculators

» Interior & Designs
» Landscaping
» Associations

» Down Payment Calculator
Calculate monthly housing payments with different down payment amounts.

» Monthly Housing Payment
Calculate your monthly payment including loan amount, interest rate, property taxes and insurance.

» Credit Score
An approximate rating of your credit score as a guideline for loan qualification.

» Amortization Calculator
Detail how much of your payment goes to principal and interest annually over the life of your mortgage loan.

» Mortgage Qualification
what kind of income will lenders expect you to be making.

» Mortgage Loan Cost
Calculate the total cost of your mortgage (effictive loan amount and APR) with your interest, points and closing costs.

Buying A New Home. Tips and advice to make your new home purchase easier from National Association of Realtors® - Choosing Your New Home

• Planning Your Home Purchase • Financing Basics
• Finding a Home • Choosing Your New Home
• Funding and Insurance • Closing and Moving In

A house is shelter, but a home is far more. It´s where you live, relax, entertain friends, raise families, and work. A home is where you spend much of your life, and so choosing a house is an enormous decision.

How do you know if a house is THE one? Probably the best approach is to look at as many homes as possible, something made easy by the Internet, where you can quickly and easily view huge numbers of homes, check prices, take video tours and view extensive neighborhood information. Once your choices have been narrowed, you can then contact a local Realtor® to find specific information and options.

Can you really afford it?

Getting a loan preapproved means you have a very good idea of how much you can borrow, what loan programs will most likely work best in your situation and how much home you can afford.

How reliable is a preapproval? While preapproval is not a loan commitment, it´s still necessary for lenders to check such items as appraisals and the latest credit reports. Despite fluctuating interest rates, preapproval nonetheless provides a reasoned, careful analysis of what you can afford. After all, loan officers are routinely paid only when loans are originated. It doesn´t make much sense for loan officers to suggest high loan limits that later can´t be delivered.

Visit the NAR website
at: www.realtor.org

The content in this section is provided by ©The National Association Of Realtors® as a service to the real estate buying public.