5 Mortgage Trends to Watch at Year's End
By Holden Lewis, bankrate.com | Published: 11/08/2010

Mortgage rates will remain low, getting a home loan will continue to take a long time and refinancers will be tempted by zero-closing cost mortgages.

Those are some of the trends mortgage industry insiders may see as the year closes out. Read on to learn more.

1. Mortgage rates are still low. Mortgage rates have dipped to modern record lows this fall. Back in the spring, economists warned that rates would be rising by now.

At the end of March, the Federal Reserve wrapped up an initiative intended to drive down mortgage rates by buying $1.25 trillion worth of mortgage-backed securities. The consensus view throughout the mortgage industry was that rates would rise steadily through the end of this year.  

Click Here For The Full Story 

Knowledge Is Power When You Buy A House

Written by Al Heavens

If you are going to spend top dollar for a house, you want a golden goose and not a turkey.

Now, that doesn't mean the house has to be perfect. You are going to spend some money after you move in -- industry experts say an average of $6,000 within the first six months -- but wouldn't you rather focus on new curtains, paint and additional storage than on a furnace or a new roof?

Although sellers cringe merely at the mention of it, and some residential builders continue to set up obstacles to it, you should not forgo a professional home inspection by a reliable inspector.

By reliable, we are talking about inspectors who belong to associations that establish strict requirements for membership, including professional experience, as well as standards for inspection.