In recent years, Google has worked to directly surface answers to popular questions as the first result. Google Search now has a Knowledge Panel to explain the US mortgage process and provide useful tools.
Working with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), looking up “mortgage” on a mobile device “breaks down the complex mortgage process into easy-to-follow steps to help guide you, wherever you may be in the process.”
It also connects you to a set of useful resources, including news articles, industry definitions and terms, a calculator to assist with payment plans and average mortgage rates. And for those looking for relief and refinance information, we’ll show some of the options available to you.
The “Overview” tab starts by explaining “key concepts and definitions” related to mortgages. Several other sections follow, and each has ‘i’ information buttons throughout the Knowledge Panel with additional tips.
One particular convenient part of this tool is the “Process” tab that summarizes the “key steps involved in getting a mortgage under the process section.”
No matter what phase of the journey you’re on, you can select a step to find a list of relevant documents and helpful tips from the CFPB. And to help you determine the next phase, you’ll find a list of popular and recommended next steps to guide you on the way.
There’s a mortgage “Calculator” where you can plug in your factors and other details, while “Rates” provides a “breakdown of the average mortgage rates in the market and a graph with daily granularity on rates.” There’s also “Refinance” and “Refinance” sections.
This mortgage tool comes as queries for “how to buy a house” hit an all-time high on Google Search in May, while search interest in refinancing reached a similar peak this March.
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