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Old 11-23-2005, 01:52 PM
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Location: Minnesota
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Default Re: Needed Advice: Saving First Time Home Buyer

Try to avoid PMI if you can. (20% down or a 80-10-10.) If you can't avoid it completely, it's often better to actually pay it up front and make it part of your mortgage. (Surprised me too, but Suze Orman had an article about that a few months ago. . . . at least look into it.) Make sure your property is homesteaded if your state does that kind of thing. Don't know what part of the REI game you're interested in, but I like this site http://reiplace.com/newsgroup/list.php?f=1&ng=FH

My blog (link below) has some stuff on the REI game too. Just look around. . . I probably have 40 or so posts related to REI in one way or another

Oh, I also noticed it looks like you have an interest only loan. I'd be sure to try to pay a half decent chuck of principle on top of the IO payment. Making IO payments are dangerous in the current environment of rising interest rates and possibly stagnating real estate values (depending, of course, a lot on location, but . . .) Just my opinion
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