“Lenders look at the monthly payment and not balances. So if you can pay off that debt, you can possibly qualify for a larger mortgage.”

Awardees recognized for "helping borrowers overcome affordability challenges"

Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation volunteers and even some Milwaukee Brewers favorites put on some hard hats and got to work.

Higher interest rates and for-sale prices may be a barrier, but for those ready to plunge into home ownership, the best advice is to get educated.

The fees that come with buying a house are changing and not everyone thinks it's fair. Some with better credit scores will pay more, while some with lower credit scores will pay less.

Benedict suspects the change will not likely affect higher-income buyers with good credit. He estimates the fee change will amount to hundreds of dollars.