Mortgage rates hit lowest levels in months - 2004-02-19
Mortgage rates around the country decreased this week to their lowest levels in seven months, great news for prospective home buyers.

The average rate on benchmark 30-year mortgages fell to 5.58 percent, down from 5.66 percent last week, Freddie Mac, the mortgage giant, said Thursday in its weekly nationwide survey of mortgage rates. This week's rate was the lowest since 5.52 percent for the week ending July 11.
Read the full story at Seattle Post Intelligencer

The new math on tax deductions - 2004-02-19
This year, the standard deduction may very well be the standard technique for more taxpayers.

In the past, for example, some homeowners had such a huge expense for home-mortgage interest that taking the standard deduction and forgoing this deduction made no sense.

But the refinancing boom has meant that many homeowners paid sharply lower rates on their mortgages last year -- meaning less mortgage interest to deduct.
Read the full story at San Francisco Chronicle