Go to the source

Have you ever read a government web site? 

If you seek consumer information sometime the government web sites are the best source.  They do like to create PDF - Acrobat Reader documents, which I personally find frustrating, but most are worth opening.  Both the real estate and mortgages industries are regulated on the state level.  Information from other states does not always apply to Minnesotan's.

For Minnesota residents one of the best places to go for mortgage and real estate consumer information is the Minnesota Attorney General's web site, these are my favorites:

Abusive and Predatory Lending

The Citizen’s Guide to Home Building and Remodeling
The Home Buyer’s Handbook
The Home Seller’s Handbook
Landlords and Tenants: Rights and Responsibilities
Private Mortgage Insurance Fact Sheet

The home buyer's handbook is a little out of date, it has sample forms in the back and our forms are changed every year, other wise it is a great resource, I often print a copy for first time home buyers because it just contains information without pretty pictures of Realtors, and other advertising.