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The Mortgage Bankers Association of America reports that more people are taking out disastrous home loans. Going back six years, only two out of every 100 people took out one of those loans. But today about 40 percent of people are taking out exotic loans that could harm their wallet. This is a loan where you don’t pay any principal on your home, known as an interest only loan. Or the other type is an option loan that sets the payments so low that the balance on the loan goes up instead of down. Option payment loans are worst, but both are bad news. Banks were pushing these kinds of loans in the ‘80s and they were called “Negative AM” loans. Back then, many people had to foreclose on their homes because they took out these loans. It’s happening again today. If you can’t qualify for a traditional home loan – typically a 30-year fixed loan – you shouldn’t buy that home.

Pocket PC phones are growing in popularity. Clark and Christa love theirs. But it’s typically only the big corporations buying these gadgets because they’re so expensive. That’s going to change shortly, though. Cell phones will soon start promoting the various gadgets and services their phones can do, and the prices of them will drop. The entry price point is under $300, but it’s possible to get them for under $200. The important gotcha you need to remember is that the phone does nothing without the service plan. And, the service plans can be sky high. There are plans that cost $15 or $20 a month extra, but some are upwards of $50. So, don’t get mesmerized by the phone only. Be sure to check out what it costs to get all the functionality. For more information, check out cnet.com before you buy.

Despite every attempt to get rid of spam e-mails, spam still accounts for 90 percent of the e-mails we receive. The only reason it’s happening is because people buy products from the spamsters. Please don’t open these e-mails and please don’t buy the products being sold in them. It opens you up to viruses and spyware and it affects the amount of spam other computer users receive. If need be, set up a junk mail or bulk mail folder in your e-mail preferences and have it sent there automatically. Then you will never be tempted to open it. And if you have a doubt about an e-mail, delete it.

If you want to sell your home, the No. 1 source for marketing and promotion is the MLS or Multiple Listing Service. The only problem is that the listing service is set up to serve only fully-commissioned brokers. It’s very hostile to people selling a home on their own or using discount brokerage services. But if you can’t join them, beat them! Zillow.com is now allowing FSBO folks to list their homes for sale FOR FREE. The company is fed up with the way the National Association of Realtors is trying to create a closed market. So it’s giving an alternative to all the other folks out there. Zillow lists online appraisals and home values, and they are surprisingly accurate. So, if you’re selling a home on your own, take advantage of this resource.