Home loan rates easy to research on Internet

A web site I've found great for keeping up with national rates and statistics is http://www.hsh.com from HSH Associates, a large financial publisher. They post rates, indices, market synopsis and consumer information. It's an unbiased way to determine which way rates and the mortgage market are going.

A second site is the Mortgage Mart that originates in California, but contains information from lenders across the country. Lenders are listed by state, with current rates, points and loan programs. The address is http://www.mortgage-mart.com.

This site allows consumers to complete a mortgage application online and then shop with lenders, free of charge, using a matching service. It's a good way for a first-time buyer to see exactly what questions will be asked in a mortgage loan interview.

Many lenders believe online information and applications are the wave of the future. Yet a majority of buyers still prefer the one-on-one contact and personal service they receive from working with a local lender.

Q.

We are in the process of selling our home and were upset when the real estate agent told us that the firm strongly recommended that we go with a certain title company. We had trouble with this company the last time we purchased several years ago, and want nothing to do with it now.

Who gets to choose the title company? Is there anything we can do at this point to change the situation?
C.C., North Broward

A.

The choice of a title company is a negotiable item between the buyer and the seller. The final choice is usually determined by the party paying the bulk of the title insurance fees, generally the seller.

The real estate agent was wrong to press for a certain company. Not only should your options be respected, but it's wrong to steer consumers to one company over another. You should inform the agent that the company is not acceptable, and, with the buyer's agreement, choose another company. Since it's early in the transaction, there are few or no costs incurred yet so making the change should be painless.

Julie Garton-Good is a licensed Realtor and a real estate educator, lecturer and writer. If you have questions about real estate, write: Julie Garton-Good, Home Section, Fifth floor, The Herald, 1 Herald Plaza, Miami, Fla. 33132.