"QuickenMortgage is the gateway for homebuyers on the Internet because they can shop for a home and mortgage anytime, anywhere," said Alison Berkley, senior product manager, Intuit. "And after they compare the various rates and costs from thousands of loans that fit their needs, consumers will now be able to reward themselves with this savings." Consumers seeking to refinance can also enjoy the $225 rebate after using the online loan application.

The timing could not be better. As interest rates stay low and demand for homes remains high, home pricing is stable in some regions, with some other areas -- particularly hot markets in the Northeast and California -- experiencing steady escalations. Overall, 1997 was the best year on record for home sales since 1968 with 4.21 million previously owned homes changing hands, and 1998 is off to a fast start as well according to the National Association of Realtors. Among repeat home buyers, the national median home price rose 4.7 percent last year to $178,700*, making every penny saved prior to closing count that much more.

How QuickenMortgage Works
QuickenMortgage allows consumers to search through thousands of loans, pre-qualify themselves online at no cost, and submit an online mortgage application via the QuickenMortgage web site. In just 15 minutes, users can make apples-to-apples comparisons of loans, selected and sorted based on their preferences. For loans offered by the participating lenders, users can drill down and get detailed information including an itemized list of closing costs along with an online Good Faith Estimate. QuickenMortgage offers access to 11 national lenders including: Allied Money, American Finance, Chase, Countrywide, HomeSide, LaSalle, LoanWorks, North American, PNC Mortgage, Principal Residential, and Wells Resource.

New QuickenMortgage Educational Centers
Site visitors can also enjoy four QuickenMortgage Centers dedicated to educating consumers about the entire home purchase and financing cycle:

• Home & Mortgage Center - features articles from industry expert Ilyce Glink and Inman news, including Glink's Step-by-Step Guide to Homeownership. Also includes daily market commentary and detailed mortgage news from Mortgage Market Information Services
• HomeSearch Center - provides access to over 500,000 home listings provided by Moore Data's Cyberhomes
• Credit Center - helps consumers find out how their credit affects the loan process, where to go for help and provides access to order credit reports online
• Refinance Center - educates the consumer about what to consider in deciding whether to refinance and points consumers to the best tools and articles on the web.

Other Features On QuickenMortgage Include:

• Online, printable pre-qualification letter
• Home finance calculators — "Should You Refinance Today?", "How Much House Can You Afford?" and "What Are Today’s Rates?"
• A detailed checklist of all the documentation needed to close a loan
• State-of-the-art encryption and verification technology

Since its launch in November 1997, over 1.2 million consumers have already visited QuickenMortgage and the site was recently awarded "Best Consumer Real Estate Site" by Inman News. The recent Intuit partnership with America Online and existing relationships with Excite and CNNfn gives QuickenMortgage the potential to reach over ten million new consumers. QuickenMortgage rounds out Intuit’s web offerings that include personal finance, tax and insurance tools, advice and resources.