MORTGAGE, FINANCE, INSURANCE & CALCULATORS

Glossaries and Guides 

Glossary of Mortgage-Related Terms 

Insurance

Common Questions About Insurance

Mortgages

Consumer Handbook on Adjustable-Rate Mortgages 

FHA Mortgage Limits List (Billings, Montana, MSA; Yellowstone County) 

FHA Self-Assessment Tool 

High Rate High Fee Loans

If you’re refinancing your mortgage or applying for a home equity installment loan, you should know about the Home Ownership and Equity Protection Act of 1994 (HOEPA). 

Interest-Only Mortgage Payments and Payment-Option ARMs

Home Equity Lines of Credit

If you need to borrow money, home equity lines may be one useful source of credit. Initially at least, they may provide you with large amounts of cash at relatively low interest rates.

How to Manage Your Mortgage if Your Lender Closes or Files for Bankruptcy

When a mortgage company closes or files for bankruptcy, its customers may be left wondering about the impact on their own loans.

Mortgage Discrimination: A Guide to Understanding Your Rights & Taking Action

Mortgage discrimination is against the law. That’s important to know if you are thinking about applying for a mortgage to buy, refinance, or make improvements to your home.

Mortgage Servicing: Making Sure Your Payments Count

When you apply for a home mortgage, you may think that the lender will hold and service your loan until you pay it off or you sell your house. That’s often not the case. In today’s market, loans and the rights to service them often are bought and sold.

Mortgage Shopping Worksheet

Mortgage:  Calculators

Financial Calculators

GinnieMae® Buy versus Rent Calculator

GinnieMae® Affordability Calculator

GinnieMae® Loan Estimator Calculator

Preparing for Homeownership

Freddie Mac® Mortgage Calculator 

Freddie Mac® Rent versus Buy Calculator

Understand the financial differences between renting and homeownership. 

Freddie Mac® Affordability Calculator

Understand how much home you can afford. 

Freddie Mac® Affordability Calculator

Understand how much money you can borrow. 

Freddie Mac® Tax Savings Calculator

Learn about the potential tax savings with homeownership.

All About Mortgages

Freddie Mac® Fixed and Adjustable Mortgage Rate Calculator

Understand the financial differences between the fixed- and adjustable-rate mortgage.

Freddie Mac® Adjustable-Rate Mortgages
Find out how much monthly mortgage payments might be with an adjustable-rate mortgage.

Freddie Mac® Fixed-Rate Mortgages
Find out how much monthly mortgage payments might be with a fixed-rate mortgage.

Freddie Mac® 15-year or 30-year Term
Learn how a different term affects your mortgage payment and overall cost of the loan.

Freddie Mac® Down Payments
Research how much of a down payment you should consider.

Freddie Mac® Closing Costs
Estimate what your closing costs might be.

Freddie Mac® Extra Payments
Learn how advantageous extra monthly mortgage payments might be.  

Freddie Mac® Paying Points
Find out how paying extra points might lower your mortgage rate.  

Freddie Mac® Mortgage Insurance
Understand how to possibly reduce mortgage insurance.  

Purchasing A Home, and Avoiding Foreclosure: Refinancing Costs
Understand what your refinancing costs might be.

Mortgage:  Refinance

A Consumer's Guide to Mortgage Refinancings 

Home Affordable Refinancing
Many homeowners pay their mortgages on time but are not able to refinance to take advantage of today’s lower mortgage rates perhaps due to a decrease in the value of their home. A Home Affordable Refinance will help borrowers whose loans are held by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac refinance into a more affordable mortgage.