As more and

more people turn to the Internet every day for many needs, including those

related to real estate, scores of companies in the real estate industry

are making it easier for prospective customers to get the information

they need and get it quickly.

One area in

particular that has benefited from this computer explosion is that of

mortgages, as a home shopper can use a click of the mouse to instantly

find various financial information and do calculations based on his or

her own economic situation to discover how much house is needed, how much

he or she can afford, and so on.

When a mortgage

company offers this kind of service online, it saves time and money for

the customer as well as the company, according to Martha Fulmer of Mortgage

Matters in Fayetteville.

That company's

Web site, www.mortgagematters.com , can get a prospective home buyer

off to a fast start with an online application that can lead to preapproval

within 24 hours. The site is currently being redesigned, but there is

a wealth of information on the kinds of loans available and how to contact

the office for more information. When completed, the site will have up-to-date

data on local realtors and builders as well as a mortgage calculator.

Time is the

main factor in this process, Fulmer said, especially as potential home

buyers fly into town just before being transferred to the area and often

are under a tight deadline.

"[The

online application] gives a quicker response," she said. "If

somebody goes online and applies, they've given us permission to check

their credit. If someone has just moved into town and wants to qualify,

they enter the information and we respond within 24 hours."

The site has

built-in security features to keep hackers from going in and getting access

to confidential information on the application, such as Social Security

numbers.

Thanks to a

tie-in to several popular search engines, it's not hard for Web surfers

to find Mortgage Matters. Usually a search of "Georgia mortgages"

is all it takes. "We get a lot of hits on our Web site," said

Fulmer.

While saving

customers time by avoiding a face-to-face meeting for the initial qualification

process, it also saves time for busy realtors, who are usually hesitant

to take several hours showing homes to someone who might not be able to

afford any of them, Fulmer said. "They want them prequalified before

they get in the car."

The process

also lets the realtor and customer know what price range they need to

be concentrating on, she added

One of the

nation's largest mortgage lenders is using the Internet to streamline

the process of refinancing a mortgage. For many customers, "One Fee"

refinancing is now just as simple as clicking a mouse.

A process known

as "one click financing" is said to eliminate the long hold

time some customers experience when calling their current lender.

It also offers

what is described as a streamlined service that provides immediate customized

savings analysis, an instant loan approval and online rate protection.

Customers can even schedule their closing from a secure Web site.

Once a customer

has entered an account number and "clicked," the lending group

analyzes the existing terms of the loan, compares it to current rate information

and recommends whether or not the customer would save money through refinancing.

The recommendation

includes the full rate and fees for the new loan and a break-even analysis

to let the customer know how long it would take to recoup closing costs.

The ABN AMRO

Mortgage "One Fee" program provides consumers with one fee total

cost to complete the processing and closing of their home loan at application.

The total figure includes all fees associated with the mortgage transaction.

The "One

Fee" may vary according to individual loan amount, chosen interest

rate or the location of the property a consumer is purchasing, but it

will not vary between the time the fee is assigned and the loan's closing.

This means the customer knows up front what his costs are. Not included

would be items such as: prepaid interest, taxes that may be charged, any

private insurance premiums or homeowners insurance.

The service

is available on a Web site called mortgage.com and has already been used

who are not yet customers can also use the service, but it may take them

more than a single click.

According to

William Newman, Mortgage Group executive vice president, customers that

use the process won't have to re-enter any information to process the

transaction. Said Newman, "The normal process of getting a rate quote,

comparing closing cost options, figuring out your savings and locking

in a rate is now down to seconds, not days."

To learn more,

visit www.mortgage.com .

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