For many, the American dream still means owning a home.  Whether you’re buying for the first time, refinancing or beginning home improvements, you need to understand the complex issues involved. Articles Buying a Home Buying a home Making Home Affordable Program Qualifying for a Mortgage in a Tough Economy Tax benefits of home ownership Winter Savings Tips Financing And Home Equity Applying for a mortgage Multiple Programs for Modifying Mortgages Refinancing your mortgage Refinancing Your Mortgage: Is It Worthwhile? Tapping the equity in your home Your home as a source of dollars in retirement Homeowners Insurance Opening the door to homeowners insurance Renters insurance Tools Financing and Home Equity Adjustable Rate Mortgage Calculator ARM vs. Fixed Rate Mortgage Balloon Mortgages Homeowners insurance quiz How to save money on your homeowners insurance Is my home mortgage interest fully deductible? Less common mortgage options Maximum Mortgage Mortgage APR Calculator Mortgage comparison: 15 years vs. 30 years Mortgage Loan Calculator Mortgage payment calculator Mortgage Payoff Mortgage Points Calculator Mortgage Qualifier Mortgage Required Income Mortgage Tax Savings Calculator Popular types of mortgages Refinance Breakeven Refinance Interest Savings Should you refinance your mortgage? Home Basics Home Budget Rent vs. Buy Homeowners Insurance Disaster checklist Home inventory checklist Homeowners insurance quiz How to save money on your homeowners insurance Less common mortgage options Personal liability umbrella insurance Refinance Interest Savings FAQs Buying a Home Can I buy a house even though I declared bankruptcy? Can I buy a house with no money down? How much house can I afford? How much money do I have to put down to buy a house? Should I buy a home or continue renting? Should my partner and I buy a house together even though we're not married? We just bought our first home. What can we deduct from the settlement statement? What is involved in buying a house that's for sale by owner? Whats the Homestead Act? Financing And Home Equity Can I use a piggyback mortgage as an alternative to private mortgage insurance? Can my mortgage lender require me to have an escrow account? Do I need to let my homeowners insurance company know that I'm refinancing my mortgage? I am behind on my mortgage payments. Will my lender begin foreclosure proceedings? I refinanced my principal home last year and paid points. What are points, and can I deduct them on my tax return? I'm a first-time homebuyer, and I don't have a lot of cash to put down on a house. What type of mortgage would be best for me? I'm having a hard time selling my home. Should I take out a reverse mortgage? I'm retired now and own my home outright, but I need money to live on. How can I use my home to raise some money without selling it? My mortgage includes a statement that a penalty may be imposed for early payoff. What does that mean? Should I choose a mortgage with no points and pay a higher interest rate, or should I put money toward points to lower the interest rate on a mortgage? Should I refinance my home mortgage? Should I take out a home equity loan to pay for my child's tuition? What are the advantages of making biweekly mortgage payments? Whats involved in getting a VA mortgage? What's the difference between a home equity line of credit and a second mortgage? Which mortgage is better: fixed rate or adjustable? Why do I have to purchase homeowners insurance in order to obtain a mortgage? Home Improvements Can I deduct the cost of improvements or repairs I've made to my home? Homeowners Insurance Do I need flood insurance? Do I need to let my homeowners insurance company know that I'm refinancing my mortgage? Does homeowners insurance cover losses that occur outside my home? How can I insure my possessions during a move? How can I reduce the cost of my homeowners insurance? I need to file a claim on my homeowners insurance. How do I do this? I'm building a new home. Do I need to insure it while it's under construction? If so, how can I do this? I'm placing some items in a self-storage facility. Will they be covered under my homeowners insurance policy? My friend and I share an apartment. Will her renters policy cover my possessions? Why do I have to purchase homeowners insurance in order to obtain a mortgage? Will I have trouble getting homeowners insurance if my dog has bitten someone in the past? Private Mortgage Insurance Can I use a piggyback mortgage as an alternative to private mortgage insurance? What's private mortgage insurance , and can my mortgage lender require me to have it? Rental Properties I rent my home out for two weeks each year. Do I have to show this rental income on my federal income tax return? Should I sell or rent out my present home? Selling a Home How do I figure the tax on the sale of my home? I'm having a hard time selling my home. Should I take out a reverse mortgage? Should I sell or rent out my present home?

The 360 Degrees of Financial Literacy Web site offers general information for managing personal finances and does not recommend specific financial actions.  For financial advice tailored to your situation, please contact an expert such as a CPA or a personal financial advisor.