TYPES OF MORTGAGES

Jumbo mortgage

This is considered a nonconforming loan because it exceeds the loan limit set by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the two publicly chartered corporations that buy mortgage loans from lenders, thereby ensuring that mortgage money is available at all times in all locations around the country. The 2003 single-family loan limit is $322,700. The maximum loan amount is 50 percent higher in Alaska, Hawaii and the U.S. Virgin Islands. If you need to borrow more than that, you will need a jumbo mortgage, which generally has a higher interest rate than "conforming" loans. See the latest Bankrate.com survey of jumbo mortgage rates.

Pro: Opportunity to purchase larger, more expensive home. Con: Pay a higher interest rate in exchange for the lender's higher risk

Two STep Mortgages

These are mortgages that combine elements of fixed and adjustable-rate mortgages. They go by confusing names such as 2/28, 5/25 or 7/23. A two-step mortgage features a fixed rate and payment for an initial period, followed by one adjustment, then a fixed rate and payment for the remainder of the loan term. A 7/23, for example, has an initial fixed period of seven years, an adjustment, and then 23 more years of payments following the adjustment. Pro: Opportunity for damaged-credit borrowers to buy homes and to establish better credit. Con: If your credit does not improve, you could be stuck in a high-rate loan for much longer than two or three years.

Biweekly Mortgage

This is a fixed-rate mortgage in which payments are made every other week, instead of monthly. Typically, it is a method used to shorten the life of a 30-year mortgage. Here's how it works: You take your monthly payment amount, divide it by two, and then pay that amount every two weeks. That means you will be paying 26 "half-payments" a year -- the equivalent of 13 monthly payments, with the 13th monthly payment applied entirely to the principal balance. This simple device has a dramatic impact on the length of the loan -- a 30-year loan can be paid off in about 23 years through this method. The only tricky part of changing to a biweekly mortgage is in making sure your lender accepts your payments and correctly credits the extra portion to principal. Pro: Good budgeting tool for people paid biweekly. Con: Less flexibility if an unforeseen financial problem arises because payments must be made so close together.

Balloon Mortgage

With these, borrowers get lower rates and payments for a specific period of time, which usually is anywhere from three years to 10 years. At that point, a borrower has to pay off the principal balance in a lump sum. Under certain conditions, the mortgages can be converted to fixed-rate or adjustable-rate loans. Many borrowers either sell their homes before they get to their due dates or end up refinancing their balances into new mortgages. Pro: Save on mortgage costs initially -- a great option if you don't plan on living in the home long. Con: Plans sometimes change. Will have to pay off or refinance balance, with time, effort and more closing costs.

Assumable Mortgage

Assumable mortgages are relatively rare. A homeowner with an assumable loan can "hand off" the loan to a buyer instead of paying it off using proceeds from the home sale. If rates are low and you can get one, by all means do so. If rates rise, buyers will want to assume your loan (and will be willing to pay more for your house!) because it'll be much cheaper than any loan they could get from a bank or other source. Pro: Reduces monthly payments and saves money on closing costs. Con: Sellers charge more for houses, so buyers need more cash to cover the difference between asking price and loan balance.