Public Information Guide Answers:

"Should you refinance your home mortgage?"
(Federal Trade Commission)

Advice/Articles

• Money Saving Mortgage Advice from TheMotleyFool.com
• Refinancing: Take the Low Road from SmartMoney.com
• 60-SECOND GUIDE TO ...Optimizing Your Mortgage from TheMotleyFool.com
• Refinancing and Home Equity from TheMotleyFool.com
• Will you save money by refinancing your home mortgage? from SmartMoney.com
• When is refinancing your home mortgage appropriate? from HomePath.com by Fannie Mae
• Refinance Considersations from MyOpen-House.com
• What are the costs involved with refinancing your home mortgage?from America Mortgage Online
• Mortgage Almanac Search by Topic or Article from Full-text indexed Articles

Current Interest Rates

• How do you shop for and compare mortgage rates?
• Freddie Mac "News and Information: Providing comprehensive, up-to-date information about the residential mortgage, finance market and affordable housing in America".

• How much will my payments be? A calculator powered by The MotleyFool.com. Just enter your information.
• SmartMoney.com Real Estate Mortgage Calculator "THIS CALCULATOR IS DESIGNED to do three things: 1) Calculate a simple monthly payment 2) Figure the effects of prepaying your mortgage and 3) Analyze the composition of your monthly payments in the future. The latter is particularly helpful in projecting your mortgage-interest tax write-off in future years. The graph will show you either how your equity builds over time or how interest declines as a percentage of your monthly payment."
  
• A Refinance Worksheet "This worksheet will help you figure out how much you'll save on your monthly payments with a lower rate and how long it will take, given those savings, to repay the cost of getting a new loan."

Government Resources

The Federal Reserve Board

• Home Mortgages: Understanding the Process and Your Right to Fair Lending
• Looking for the Best Mortgage
• Federal Consumer Information Center Read online or order brochures about housing.
  • Directory of Federal Agencies
    • The Department of Housing & Urban Developement (HUD) has primary responsibility for implementing the Fair Housing Act.
      Office of Fair Housing & Equal Opportunity
      Dept. of Housing and Urban Developement
      Washington, DC 20410-2000
      1-800-424-8590
      

VA Loan Information

Home Loan Guaranty Services/Veterans Benefits and Services

Ginnie Mae

"The Government National Mortgage Association - helps more Americans buy their own homes. Ginnie Mae does not loan money for mortgages. Instead, Ginnie Mae helps make mortgage-backed securities more attractive to investors thereby increasing the availability of mortgage credit...Mission: To support expanded affordable housing in America by providing an efficient government-guaranteed secondary market vehicle linking the capital markets with Federal housing markets."

Lenders

HSH "Shop for Lenders in your area with the Lender Showcase. It is an advertising forum where lenders display their best and most competitive mortgage and other loan programs".

Locate a Lender near you. CLICK ON THE STATE OF YOUR CHOICE TO FIND A MORTGAGE LENDER

FannieMae "Opening the Doors to Homeownership:Learn the basics of borrowing, choosing a mortgage, and establishing credit through free guides and resources."