By G. M. Filisko, contributing writer, HouseLogic

Fixed- or adjustable-rate mortgage? How do you answer that perennial buyer question?

Get the 411 on finding the right home loan—including eight questions buyers should ask themselves before choosing an adjustable-rate mortgage—from the free August “Financing Your Home Purchase” article package now at the REALTOR^® Content Resource. Here’s just some of the information on adjustable-rate mortgages you’ll find there:

• An ARM does just what its name implies: Its interest rate adjusts at a future date. It moves up and down according to a particular financial market index, such as Treasury bills. Typically, ARMs include a cap on how much the interest rate can increase, such as 3 percent at each adjustment, or 5 percent  over the life of the loan.

• ARMs can be a good choice if you expect your income to grow significantly in the coming years. ARMs also often offer a lower interest rate than fixed-rate mortgages during the first few years of the mortgage, which means big savings for you—even if there’s only a half-point difference. But if rates go up, your ARM payment will jump dramatically.

Also covered in the August “Finance Your Home Purchase” article package now at the REALTOR^® Content Resource are tips on determining how much mortgage you can afford, improving your credit, deciphering your home loan’s good-faith estimate, and the tax advantages of homeownership.

The REALTOR^® Content Resource, the new tool brought to you by the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS^®, is an exclusive NAR member benefit that entitles you to download free homeownership content to your consumer Web site, blog, or e-newsletter. HouseLogic is the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS’^® no-topic-left-uncovered consumer Web site geared to helping home owners make smart decisions to maintain, protect, and increase the value of their home.