NoSoup

You can check online, but online companies generally have higher closing costs than brick and morter institutions. I would avoid brokers altogether, and see if you can find a bank or credit union to do it for you, as they generally charge much less in fees.

As far as the interest rate goes, it depends on your credit as well as how long you are going to have the term for. You should be able to check online for todays rate, or just give your local bank/credit union a call. Another option you may have is to obtain a "home equity line of credit," depeding on your specific situation. Without examining your finances, I unfortanately am unable to suggest a specific action for you.

As far as the fees/closing costs you should expect, I would try for under $500.00 including an appraisal. However, depending on where you live, that may seem kinda low. Try to avoid institutions that charge bogus fees (ie application fees, processing fees, broker fees, etc.)

You should definately avoid having a pre-payment penalty, as well as "bogus" fees mentioned above. Some home equity lines of credit have annual fees, and on occasion that is alright, if it is the best product to suit your needs.

I copied and pasted this from a different post, just to remind you -
"If at any time you (or anyone else reading this) are looking into a loan and feel uncertain about the terms or just want to make sure that you aren't being cheated, I'd be more than happy to take a look at the documents. Simply send me a PM, and I can give you a fax number, you can delete all the personal information (last name, social security number, address, ect.) and you can either fax it or scan/email it to me. I must warn you, however, that I do live/work in Wisconsin, and I may not be aware of some of the laws that exist in your state."

If there is anything else I can do for you, just let me know!