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Underwater homes complicate your life if you need to move. You can unload the home and take a loss, walk away and ruin your credit, or sell short and watch your lender play chicken with prospective buyers. Why not rent out your old home? Rents are rising in the hardest-hit states, as foreclosure homes sit empty and former occupants need to live somewhere.

• »Don’t fall victim to short-sale fraud
• »How to divorce your mortgage
• »Size matters most to first-time buyers
• »Heat your home and get rid of pests at the same time
• » See all 'Homeowners & Repeat Buyers' articles

Jumbo mortgage refinancing is harder to find and more expensive than smaller Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac or FHA loans. Save by shopping smart with these jumbo refinancing tips.

• »4 ways to get your spouse to say 'I do' to a refinance
• »HARP: What’s it about, why it failed and why it’s changing
• »HARP 2.0: Your 5 steps to approval
• »Breaking down the new HARP program
• » See all 'Refinancing' articles

Fannie Mae's HomePath mortgage program may get you into a new home with little out-of-pocket and no mortgage insurance.

• »Deployed overseas, foreclosed on back home
• »Civilians can reap the benefits of VA loans
• »Zero-down mortgages are not extinct!
• »Homebuyers should act now, mortgage costs will rise
• » See all 'Government Programs' articles

If your debt got out of control during the recession, you're probably looking for ways to cut it down to size. Since you don’t want to trash your credit with a bankruptcy or debt settlement, you might consider using a home equity loan or your retirement savings to tackle that debt.

• »Facing unemployment? Your home equity can help
• »Getting a home equity loan in an impossible market
• »Sometimes it's good to be underwater
• »Got debt?! Your home equity can help
• » See all 'Home Equity' articles

Mortgage lenders and servicers are famous for turning deaf ears on frantic homeowners. Is getting their attention with a lawsuit the answer for those seeking mortgage modification or foreclosure help?

• »Is it time to kill HAMP?
• »HAMP update: Foreclosure more likely than modification
• »Unemployed? Save your home before benefits lapse
• »5 tips to surviving the loan modification process
• » See all 'Loan Modification & Help' articles

Renters can check out a landlord to avoid a slum landlord or bad rental apartment

• »Solving Credit Problems
• »Prepaying Your Mortgage for Fun and Profit
• »Fair Credit Reporting
• »Protect Yourself from Online Theft
• » See all 'Personal Finance' articles