Refinancing your mortgage can be an intimidating and stressful process. There are a number of mistakes many homeowners make that could cost you a lot of money; being taken advantage of by a dirty mortgage lender is one mistake you cannot afford to make.

The internet is an excellent tool to aid in your search for the best mortgage offer. There are dangers on the Internet; giving your personal information online places you at risk for identity theft. The risk of identity theft does not mean you should not use the Internet, you simply need to use it smartly. Here are tips to help you shop for the best mortgage and avoid common homeowner mistakes.

A homeowner would be hard pressed to find a mortgage company today that does not have some kind of online presence. The Internet makes it easy to screen loan offers from dozens of prospective mortgage lenders and brokers. These mortgage companies include banks, credit unions, traditional mortgage companies and online mortgage lenders. The majority of these business are legitimate companies that do not take advantage of people; however, there are always exceptions. These dirty lenders mislead homeowners into taking out mortgages that do not have their best interests at heart. These loan contracts are designed to create financial hardships for the borrow so the lender will ultimately take their home. These are predatory mortgage lenders and brokers you hear about in the news.

The good news for you is once you have done your homework and researched a few mortgage lenders, the dirty ones are easy to spot. By comparing loan offers from a variety of mortgage lenders and brokers you will get a sense of what fair interest rates, lender fees, and closing costs are. Doing your homework will help you to avoid becoming a victim. Many homeowners that fall victim to predatory lending practices don