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That diamond in the rough can be a huge opportunity if you know what you're getting into ahead of time.

If your down payment is less than 20 percent of the value of the home you'll most likely be required to carry private mortgage insurance.

Rising home values have dropped a nice chunk of equity into many homeowners’ laps. Tapping into it with a home equity loan is easy. Deciding what to do with it? Not so much.

Your ability to get a mortgage depends on four primary factors: your credit history, financial capacity, available capital, and collateral.