Helpful Articles and Information!

The Library is where you'll find comprehensive help on a variety of topics on mortgages, credit issues, consumer finance, and other topics. We're regularly adding new resources, so check back frequently!

Looking for credit information? Check out the Credit Shelf, your one-stop resource for learning about credit, repairing your credit report, and more. It's the perfect companion to the Impaired Credit Showcase, where you can find lenders which offer less-than-perfect credit.

Visit the Authors' Corner, where the writers of some well-known books, newsletters, and columns share some of their best advice on a variety of topics.

Be sure to check out our Question of the Day page, too!

All of the HSH tutorials & primers are listed in one place

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 Find a Mortgage

A Directory of Interest-Only Mortgage Lenders (HSH Associates)
Commercial Loan Directory (HSH Associates)
Construction Loan Showcase (HSH Associates)
Home Equity Showcase: Today's Mortgage Rates (HSH Associates)
Lender Showcase: Today's Mortgage Rates (HSH Associates)
Less than Perfect Credit Showcase (HSH Associates)

 Mortgage Basics

Average Selected Closing Fees and Charges
Consumer's Guide to Mortgage Lock-Ins
FHA Maximum Loan Amounts
FHA Maximum Loan Amounts: Year 2001
FHA Maximum Loan Amounts: Year 2002
Homeowner's Guide to Prepaying Your Mortgage
How To Avoid Problems At Your Closing
HSH Associates' Weekly Market Trends
HSH Associates Weekly Market Trends - Archives and Sign Up
HSH Associates: Two Month Forecast
hsh.commentary, 02/18/05
HSH's Ten Best Ways to Improve Your Mortgage Experience
I Can Save You $41,911. Interested?
Mortgage Servicing
The Homebuyer's Vocabulary
The HSH Mortgage Glossary A-B
The HSH Mortgage Glossary C
The HSH Mortgage Glossary D-E
The HSH Mortgage Glossary F-I
The HSH Mortgage Glossary J-M
The HSH Mortgage Glossary N-P
The HSH Mortgage Glossary Q-S
The HSH Mortgage Glossary T-Z
Thoughts on Mortgage Risk, Housing Bubbles and Market Perceptions
VA Home Loans: A Quick Guide for Homebuyers & Real Estate Professionals
Vox Populi: Have rising mortgage rates affected your plans?
What Documents Will I Need To Apply for a Mortgage?
What Moves Mortgage Rates? (The Basics)
What To Do When Mortgage Rates Are Rising

 Mortgage Refinancing

FHA Loan Kit from OurBroker®
Homeowner's Guide to Mortgage Refinancing
Refinance: Is It Right for You?
Refinancing? Beware of Conventional Wisdom
What You Should Know About Home Equity Loans

 Mortgage Purchasing

25 Steps to a Penny Pinching Closing
A History of Conforming (Fannie/Freddie) Loan Limits
A Homebuyer's Guide to Mortgage Fees and Qualification (HSH Associates)
Are Home Prices Headed Down? Buying in a Falling Market
Buyer Brokers: Can They Save You Money?
Buyer Brokers: Ten Money-Saving Tips
Buyer Brokers: What do Homebuyers Need Most?
Do You Need HSH's Homebuyer's Mortgage Kit?
Does the Federal Funds Rate Affect Mortgage Rates?
Eric & Ray's Top 10 Keys to a Successful Home Purchase
Eric & Ray's Top 10 Tips for Borrowers
FHA Loan Kit from OurBroker®
Find the Best Mortgage with HSH
HUD-1 Settlement Statement
Negotiate Your Loan Terms!
One Scenario for Interest-Only Mortgages
Q & A: Piggyback Mortgages
Smart Homebuying: Catch a Winter Bargain!
Ten Tips for Saving Money on Your Mortgage
Typical Specifications for B-C-D Credit -- HSH Associates

 Home Equity

Home Equity Showcase: Today's Mortgage Rates (HSH Associates)
Homeowner's Guide to Home Equity Loans and Home Equity Lines of Credit
What You Should Know About Home Equity Loans

 Fixed Rate Mortgages

25 Steps to a Penny Pinching Closing
3-Year Graph of 30-year Fixed-Rate Mortgages
Federal Funds vs. Prime Rate & Mortgage rates

 Adjustable Rate Mortgages

25 Steps to a Penny Pinching Closing
3-Year Graph of 1-year Adjustable Rate Mortgages
3-Year Graph of 5/1 Hybrid ARMs
A Growing Case For One-Year ARMs
ARM Index Histories from HSH Associates
ARMs: Hows, Whos and Whys - What You Need to Know About Adjustable Rate Mortgages
Consumer Handbook on Adjustable Rate Mortgages
Federal Funds vs. Prime Rate & Mortgage rates
HSH Associates: Print the ARM Check Worksheet
Keeping an ARM Could Save You Money
Your ARM's New Interest Rate: How To Check Your Lender's Calculation

 Mortgage Law

Fair Credit Reporting
Mortgage Discrimination
RESPA: The Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act
The Fair Housing Act

 Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI)

A Homeowner's Guide to Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI)
How Mortgage Insurance Works
Nightmare on Elm Street: Common PMI Scams
Understanding Private Mortgage Insurance

 New(er) Loan Products

Shared Appreciation Mortgages
The Principal Facts of Interest-Only Mortgages

 Reverse Mortgages

How HUD's Reverse Mortgage Program Works
Older New Jerseyan's Reverse Mortgage Income Program
Reverse Mortgage Information
Reverse Mortgages
Reverse Mortgages: Cashing In On Home Ownership
Top Ten Things To Know If You're Interested In A Reverse Mortgage

 Building a House

Are You Ready to Build a New Home? Take this quiz to find out.
Build It Today! Five Reasons You Can't Afford Not To

 Manufactured Housing

How to Buy a Manufactured Home
Manufactured Housing Resource Center

 Avoiding Financial Fraud Scams

Protect Yourself from Online Theft
Protecting Your Finances on the Internet

 Environmental Issues

Environmental Hazards in the Home
Protecting Your Family From Lead In Your Home

 Getting Help

10 Questions to Ask When Choosing a Financial Planner
Author's Corner: Debt Counselors of America
Debt Consolidation 101: The Crash Course
Eric & Ray's Top 10 Tips for Selling Your House
Four Truths About Buying a New Home No One Tells You
Gerri Detweiler's Ultimate Credit Online Newsletter Volume 1, Issue 1
Gerri Detweiler's Ultimate Credit Online Newsletter Volume 1, Issue 10
Gerri Detweiler's Ultimate Credit Online Newsletter Volume 1, Issue 11
Gerri Detweiler's Ultimate Credit Online Newsletter Volume 1, Issue 12
Gerri Detweiler's Ultimate Credit Online Newsletter Volume 1, Issue 13
Gerri Detweiler's Ultimate Credit Online Newsletter Volume 1, Issue 14
Gerri Detweiler's Ultimate Credit Online Newsletter Volume 1, Issue 15
Gerri Detweiler's Ultimate Credit Online Newsletter Volume 1, Issue 2
Gerri Detweiler's Ultimate Credit Online Newsletter Volume 1, Issue 3
Gerri Detweiler's Ultimate Credit Online Newsletter Volume 1, Issue 4
Gerri Detweiler's Ultimate Credit Online Newsletter Volume 1, Issue 5
Gerri Detweiler's Ultimate Credit Online Newsletter Volume 1, Issue 6
Gerri Detweiler's Ultimate Credit Online Newsletter Volume 1, Issue 7
Gerri Detweiler's Ultimate Credit Online Newsletter Volume 1, Issue 8
Gerri Detweiler's Ultimate Credit Online Newsletter Volume 1, Issue 9
Gerri Detweiler's Ultimate Credit Online Newsletter Volume 2, Issue 1
Gerri Detweiler's Ultimate Credit Online Newsletter Volume 2, Issue 2
Gerri Detweiler's Ultimate Credit Online Newsletter Volume 2, Issue 3
Help Using HSH's Free Content
How to Find Better Business Bureaus
How to Find Your State Banking Authorities
HSH's Question of the Day - consumer finance
Insuring The Roof Over Your Head
List of Housing Counseling Agencies
Mortgage Banker/Broker Trade Associations
Mortgage Myths Could Be Costing You $25,000
National Consumer Organizations
Selected Federal Agencies
Solving Credit Problems
State Housing Finance Agencies
State Insurance Regulators
State, County and City Government Consumer Protection Offices
The Author's Corner: Info for Homebuyers & Homeowners
The Conventional Loan Kit
The Credit Shelf: Learn About, and Use, Credit Wisely (HSH Associates)
The Scoring Game: FICO and Vantage Credit Scores explained
Uncovering The Top Ten Defects Before You Buy Your Dream Home
What You Should Know About Financial Planning

 Other Topics

401(k) Retirement Plans
A Welcome to HSH Survey Participants
About HSH Associates' Co-brand Advertising Showcases
Be a Contributor to The Author's Corner!
Eric & Ray's Top 10 Tips for Selling Your House
Everything You Need To Know About Home Inspections
Exchange Your Real Estate: Why Pay Taxes? by Ken Harney
Federal Reserve Lifts Short-Term Rates 0.25% to 2.5% March 22, 2005
First Mortgage Bounced Check Fees
Graph of Federal Funds Rate and Table of Values
Housing Statistics - Price Changes
Housing Statistics - Price Changes
How to Qualify a Contractor for Your Project
HSH Associates: Industry Products and Services: Off the Shelf
HSH Associates: Retail Mortgage Survey Coverage
HSH Associates: VoxPop Index
HSH Search Engine Standings
HSH's Feedback and Contact Page
Media Release: HSH Associates Settles Lawsuit Against Spammer
Prepaying Your Mortgage for Fun and Profit
Vox Populi: Are You Experiencing Delays in Getting Your Mortgage?
Vox Populi: Fee Bundling
Vox Populi: How did you find your lender?
Vox Populi: Lock-in Expired?
Vox Populi: RESPA Reform, Guaranteed Mortgage Packages and Fee Bundling
Vox Populi: Serial Refinancers
Welcome to HSH Associates!