Intra-family loans can lower estate tax bill - 2004-02-12
You may be thinking, "Hey, the estate tax is coming down... . And even if it doesn't disappear completely, I'm not worth enough to care."

Currently, the rate, fixed for the life of the loan, would be 1.62 percent on a loan of three years or less, 3.44 percent on one of three to nine years, and 4.94 percent on one with a term over nine years. You can't beat those rates at a bank or mortgage company.
Read the full story at Philadelphia Inquirer

Obstacles to landing a mortgage - 2004-02-12
There are four vital things a lender will look at when analyzing a mortgage application. They are: income, credit history, the size of your downpayment and the marketability of the property you are buying.

All of these factors are important to an application and each will have an impact on the size and type of mortgage you will be approved for.
Read the full story at Money Sense