Would you buy a brand-new home if you could lock in an interest rate of, say, 3.63 percent on a 30-year mortgage? Homebuilders who've offered to "buy down" buyers' interest rates hope your answer will be yes.

Interest-rate buy-downs aren't new. In fact, builders, private home sellers and buyers have long been able to pay an extra fee to buy down the interest rate on a home loan. The extra fee, payable upfront, is priced in "points," and each point is equal to 1 percent of the loan amount. For each point (or partial point) that's paid, the interest rate on the loan is reduced by a set amount that's determined by the lender. Homebuilders that offer the incentive pay the extra points on the borrower's behalf as an inducement for him or her to buy a home.

A buy-down may help some new-home buyers qualify for a loan because the lower monthly payment improves the borrower's debt-to-income ratio, says Dan Klinger. Click here to read the full article and see how buy-downs may help you too.

Interest rates are at record lows, which makes this a pretty fantastic time to refinance. But there's just one problem...find out what it's going to cost you to re-do your loan.

You might think that getting out of a mortgage you can't afford is your top priority, but if you are in this situation, don't forget to consider what sellling your house for less than it is worth will do for your credit score.

Our blogger comes across an agent on TV who might just be the ideal seller and gets his tips on what to look for in your own real estate agent.

The calculus for deciding whether you should rent or own is shifting heavily in favor of owning thanks to falling prices and low interest rates. So if you're still shelling out to a landlord each month, you may want to take a second look at these numbers and rethink your living situation.

A Missouri family bought a cave a few years ago, built a house within it, and now is facing foreclosure. The property is up for bidding on eBay. What would your bid be?

Ken and Daria Dolan, known as the first family of personal finance, answer your questions every Friday on AOL's WalletPop blog. This week, the Dolans consider a complicated predicament: Should you take out a home equity loan to pay off debt?
For More Dolans See: Dolans.com

If you think you're ready to tap some of the equity in your home, do your homework first. The time you spend now could save you heartache (and plenty of dough) in the future. Take these four steps before signing on the dotted line.

Record default levels have been hard on lenders and borrowers, necessitating change. Read about the latest trends in home equity lending.