Before you start your search for the perfect new home to purchase you will want to think about financing. There are many things to consider shopping around for a mortgage. One of the first things to consider when shopping for a mortgage is what length of time would you like the mortgage to be. Would a 40 year mortgage be more advantageous then say a 30 year mortgage for example. As prices for new homes are on the increase a 40 year mortgage can make the monthly payments lower then a 30 year mortgage making it possible for some home buyers to afford a slightly more expensive home. While this may seem like a great deal 40 year mortgages also come with a couple of disadvantages:home buyers will end up paying more interest and they will start building equity at a much slower rate then if they had a 30 year mortgage. If you choose to go with the 30 year mortgage your monthly payments will more then likely be larger then a 40 year mortgage but you will also be able to start building equity at a faster rate. Once you are sure about the length of time you want your mortgage to be the next thing to look into is should the mortgage be at a fixed or adjustable rate. What is the difference between the two you might ask? Basically if a home buyer were to get a fixed rate mortgage the interest rate at that time would be locked in for the entire life of the mortgage. Because of this stability fixed rate mortgages are the most popular with those seeking to purchase a new home. Now if you were to get an adjustable rate mortgage the interest would not be locked in and would go up and down as the market dictated. So your initial monthly payments could start out being lower but have a great chance of eventually increasing. Other things to keep in mind while shopping for a mortgage are what will the closing costs be abd will they end up being an out of pocket expense for you. You will also need to find out if you or the mortgage company will be covering the costs of court fees, titles changes and other aministrative issues that go along with purchasing a home. Once you are well informed about the mortgage process and have weighed the pros and cons of which type of mortgage will work best for you, you will be well on your way to buying your new home.