With the start of a new year came the concern about how  2007 would affect sellers and homebuyers. The interest rates for 2007 are uncertain: they may climb or stay the same or even go lower. The state of our economy is unclear, which potentially means rates on the rise. Northeast Fl real estate sales are down causing developers and sellers to offer incentives to buyers. Expect to see everything from free plasma television sets to free car rentals to entice buyers to submit contracts for the upcoming year. If you have a mature adjustable rate mortgage that will adjust in 2007, you may want to consider refinancing while rates are around six percent. Low income consumers need to especially be wary of predatory lending because they often cannot get loans from legitimate commercial companies. The Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act forbids bribes between service providers, such as for example mortgage lenders in Jacksonville Florida, title companies and even attorneys. Northeast Fl and Jacksonville homebuyers should do some comparative shopping before selecting a lender or title company.