Now I've heard it all.  The three CREDIT BUREAU reporting services, TransUnion, Experian and Equifax (though TransUnion wouldn't confirm it, according to Kenneth R. Harney, nationally syndicated real estate writer) are selling your information from your credit report the moment you've applied for a mortgage elsewhere.  They're compling what they call overnight "trigger" lists.  Some big loan providers are paying big bucks -- up to $30K plus a MONTH -- to be notified the next day that you've applied for a mortgage.  They use these "leads" to call you the next day, then try to convince you that you should go with them instead of the lender you've just applied with.  Read the whole article here.

I don't usually get this excited about something unless it's real estate or gardening, but this is an exception.  You must go check out Google's mars site.  Here's the URL.

http://www.google.com/mars/?

Please post your comments about this extraordinary thing.

A local mortgage broker called me the other day and asked if I was interested in hearing more about 40 year mortgages.  Of course, I already knew about them, but didn't think they made a lot of sense for buyers, even if it made high-priced housing more affordable for cash-strapped buyers.  But he said that he'd written a number of them lately, and they could help buyers buy a home who otherwise couldn't afford to.

So when today's article from Broderick Perkins, writer for Realty Times, appeared in my inbox, I took another look.  I still think they're not a panacea for buying homes in the 21st century, but there are times when certain homebuyers might take a look to see if the longer-term mortgage might not be a good match for their particular circumstances.

Take a look at today's article in Realty Times.

Broderick Perkins, national writer at Realty Times, has a lot to say about home valuation services, including upstart Zillow.  Check out what he has to say here:

http://realtytimes.com/rtcpages/20060301_homevalue.htm