The mortgage game is unbelievably confusing to most people. Lenders use heavy terminology. Costs and fees vary dramatically from one lender to the next. So what is homebuyer supposed to do? Use the internet for research, research, research.

Credit Score Sites

The first thing you will want to do is figure out your credit score and and what you can do to make it better. Websites such as experian.com offer you one free credit report per year. You can use the report to calculate your debt-to-income ratio and look for any mistakes on your record that is bringing your score lower. MyFico.com, the company that created the universal credit scoring system, offers mortgage and credit tips to help you get your score up and decipher how it is put together.

Interest Rate Sites

Bankrate.com is a one stop interest rate shop. You can comparison shop, learn about the mortgage process, and crunch numbers until your hearts content.

Mortgage News and Info Sites

RealEstateJournal.com is a website run by the people at The Wall Street Journal. They report on housing trends, mortgage news, top locations, and everything about the business of homeownership.

Real estate commentators Jack Guttentag and Ilyse Glink each run their own websites that decipher mortgage terms, industry lingo, and current trends. Guttentag's site, www.mtgprofessor.com, has a uniquely mocking tone when referencing the lending business. Glink's www.thinkglink.com has a less condescending approach, but is extremely helpful for learning about home buying and selling. At both mtgprofessor.com and thinkglink.com, browsers can research everything from home-equity loans to balloon-loans, to piggyback mortgages.

For more information on home buying and selling, visit www.bankrate.com, www.mortgagebankers.org, or www.realestatejournal.com.

The author, Eddie Daroza, is a personal investor and stock market junkie. Besides contributing content to efinancedirectory, he works on the consumer watch program '7 On Your Side', broadcast daily on San Francisco's ABC 7. Eddie is also a reporter for PBS' Update News. He studies Business and Journalism at San Jose State University.