House Shopping Tips

With the real estate market showingsome signs of cooling off andmortgage rates low, your retirementdream house may be more affordable.Before you start shopping, check yourfinancial situation. If you plan to make adown payment on a home within a fewyears, the stock market isn't where thatmoney should be. Put it in less volatileinvestments like bank CDs or moneymarket funds. Find out how mortgagelenders are going to look at you bychecking your credit score at MyFico(www.myfico.com). Once you're seriousabout a house, shop the mortgage marketat Quicken (www.quickenloan.com)or LendingTree (www.lendingtree.com).There are plenty of mortgages out therethat don't require a hefty down payment,and rates are near their lowestlevels in recent decades.