Posts with tag mortgages

There's a surprising new finding that says women get lousier mortgage rates than men, but not because of gender discrimination. It's because instead of shopping around for cheaper loans, they rely on the recommendations of friends. To recap: When it comes to mortgages, women don't shop enough. The report... Continue Reading »

Mortgage applications increased 10.3 percent this past week as more homeowners refinanced existing mortgages or took advantage of lower interest rates to buy homes. The Mortgage Bankers Association said its market composite index -- a measure of loan application volume -- increased 10.3 percent on a seasonally adjusted... Continue Reading »

This may fall under the category of "too much of a good thing," but there is growing sentiment that the historically low interest rates on mortgages are actually fueling the stagnation of the housing market. By keeping rates low, the hope was that more people would be motivated to buy homes. And when that didn't happen,... Continue Reading »

Oddly, the best way to deal with being upside down on your home mortgage may be to just go out and buy a second house. As housing values spiral down and people increasingly owe more on their loans than their homes are worth, many start to look longingly at a different house -- perhaps something smaller and cheaper and... Continue Reading »

Paul, 62, is like a lot of people near retirement: He wants a safe place to invest his money. But the interest rates on savings accounts barely keep up with inflation. Would it make sense to pay off a mortgage instead? In this week's installment of "Money & Happiness" DailyFinance's Laura Rowley reports on the three... Continue Reading »