(businessweek) 1) Beware the origination fee 2) Trusting the first loan officer you interview 3) Using an interest-only adjustable-rate loan to qualify for a more expensive house 4) Thinking interest rates are the main thing 5) Not comparing final fees listed on the closing documents 6) Not knowing if the mortgage has a prepayment penalty 7)Thinking that renting means throwing money away 8) Not considering back-end yield spread 9) Paying for credit or mortgage life insurance 10) Paying extra to set up a biweekly payment plan. (view source for details)