Rebuilding After Katrina: Smart Energy Choices
Energy efficiency has been part of the American lexicon since 1978 when the Energy Policy Act was first enacted. Since then, energy efficient homes and increased use of renewable energy resources have become the norm in states like New York and California. Policies and programs have supported these ... more...

10 Things to Look for in a Home-Equity Line of Credit
If you are a homeowner, you've probably received offers to apply for a home equity line of credit (HELOC). Handled with care, home equity credit lines can be an excellent way to improve financial flexibility, provide readily available cash reserves for emergencies, or pay for large expenses (like ... more...

Investing in Real Estate Profitably: Financing Options for Purchase of Rental Houses, Part 1.
This is not an article about tricks for 100% (no money down) financing. Even if you do take advantage of various no money down strategies from time to time, these strategies are not generally applicable when you begin investing systematically in multiple rental homes with the goal of making ... more...

Secrets of the Option ARM Loan
How Does an Option ARM Loan Work?Option ARM (also called Pick A Payment or Pay Option ARM) loans work by providing the borrower with four payment options each month.Before we get into the payment options, let's review some of the important terms and concepts involved with this loan program.ARM - ... more...

Reducing Debt Through Lower Interest Loans
It happens to the majority of us, credit card debt accumulates and before we quite realize it, we are carrying a debt load that is far beyond our means. When this happens, we need to take immediate positive steps to knock down the debt as quickly as possible. One of the most efficient ways to do ... more...

Home Loans
Buying a home remains the great American dream. Home ownership rates have been exploding in recent years, spurred on by the historically low interest rates in the home mortgage market. Home prices have been rising at far faster than inflation, especially in major urban areas such as San Francisco, ... more...

Home Equity Loans Categories
Fixed Rate Mortgages: These loans have a fixed rate of interest over the entire term for which the loan has been disbursed. The term for these mortgages is typically between 10 to 30 years. The monthly interest payment on these loans is fixed and hence there exists a certainty about the repayment ... more...

ARM Adjustable Rate Mortgages
Traditionally, homebuyers could look to two forms of mortgages fixed rate and adjustable mortgages. While there are now many more options, this article takes a look at the adjustable rate mortgage.What is an ARM Loan?An adjustable rate mortgage [ARM] is a basic mortgage with one important ... more...

Some of the Available Loan Types
There are many mortgage products available on the market today. We can help you find out which one is right for you. Here are the most common options.Fixed Rate Mortgages (FRMs)* Interest rates stay constant for the life of the loan.* Offered in 10, 15, 20, or 30 year terms.* Payments are made up ... more...

Is an ARM Right For You?
Lets start by taking a look at 7 key elements of an adjustable rate mortgage:1) ARM defined: While a fixed rate loan is constant and never changes throughout the life of the loan, an adjustable rate mortgage changes periodically. The interest rate of an ARM goes up and down based on whatever ... more...