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Our Mission.

You care about your home. The NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® cares about homeownership. To help you become the best, most responsible homeowner you aspire to be, we want to provide you with free information and tools you can use to make smart and timely decisions about your home.

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Author Profiles

Barbara Eisner Bayer

Barbara Eisner Bayer has written about mortgages and personal finance for the past 15 years for Motley Fool, Daily Plan-It, and Nurse Village, and is the former Managing Editor of Mortgageloan.com and Credit-land.com. She splits time between a beachfront condo and a mountain retreat, which leaves her with double the pleasure and double the headaches of homeownership.

Articles by this author

Family buying house after foreclosure

(New!)

5 Steps to Owning a Home Again After Foreclosure

Foreclosure is just a one-time event—with discipline and perseverance, you can get a mortgage and become a homeowner again. Read More

Progress K
Added to Binder
Couple meeting with mortgage officer about home loan

Do Adjustable-Rate Mortgages Make Sense Now?

Although they’ve been much maligned, adjustable-rate mortgages make sense in a variety of circumstances. Read More

Progress $ K
Save Money High If everything works out
Effort Low 2-3 hrs research
Investment High 5-7% of mortgage
Added to Binder
Tan house with an adjustable-rate mortgage

Evaluate Your Adjustable-Rate Mortgage

If you have an adjustable-rate mortgage, be sure to investigate your loan options well before the rate on your ARM resets. Read More

Progress $ K
Save Money High $244/mo (5/1 ARM intro rate)
Effort Low 1 day (review ARM)
Investment Med $6,000-$12,000 ($200,000 refi)
Added to Binder
Exterior of red brick house with metal roof

Appeal Your Property Tax Bill

To successfully appeal your property tax bill, you first need to do a bit of sleuthing into your real estate assessment. Read More

Progress $ K
Save Money Med $285/yr (15% reduction)
Effort Med 2-3 days (research)
Investment Low $10-25 (appeal filing fee)
Added to Binder
Couple talking with man about reverse mortgage

Biggest Reverse Mortgage Mistakes

Before you take out a reverse mortgage on your home, make sure you’re not committing one of these common but costly mistakes. Read More

Progress K
Effort Low 1 hr (HECM counseling)
Investment Med $6,000 (max origination fee)
Added to Binder
Exterior photo of house

Common Property Tax Exemptions

Property tax exemptions are available to many homeowners, but you’ll need to do some legwork to find them and lower your property tax bill. Read More

Progress $ K
Save Money Med $285/yr (15% exemption)
Effort Low 4 hrs (research/paperwork)
Investment Low $0
Added to Binder
Older couple hugging outside house

Alternatives to a Reverse Mortgage

Before you succumb to the temptation to tap into your home equity with a reverse mortgage, consider some of the alternatives available to seniors. Read More

Progress $ K
Save Money High $10,000 (in upfront costs)
Effort Low 1-2 days
Investment Med $3,000 (plus REX profit cut)
Added to Binder
Woman reviewing reverse mortgage terms

Is a Reverse Mortgage Right for You?

A reverse mortgage is a tempting route to take for cash-strapped seniors who own their homes, but this road to riches can be curvy. Read More

Progress K
Effort Low 1 hr (counseling)
Investment Med $6,000 (max origination fee)
Added to Binder