Getting home loans is possibly the biggest step in an adult's life. It's up there with having kids, landing that big job, starting your own business. Actually, the whole point of those big three landmarks is so you can be able to afford your piece of the American Dream.

But you don't want that dream to turn into a nightmare. Ask around. For many people, buying a house can turn into one of worst mistakes in their life. It's not because their home was a bad idea. More than likely, they signed up for a faulty mortgage. To avoid making the same mistake, follow these steps to signing the right mortgage for you.

First off, home loans come in fixed rates or variable rates. A fixed rate mortgage makes perfect sense at a time such as right now, when the interest rates are so dramatically low. You can buy a house that's worth much more than you could normally afford. However, just because your lender says it's a fixed rate mortgage, don't take him on his word. Be sure to get that rate, and the fixed status, on paper.

The benefit of a rate lock can be explained further by describing exactly how the investment works. First, in a locked interest rate, the lender guarantees a loan at that rate for exchange for payments and fees handed over by the buyer at certain points. The buyer and the lender work their best to close the house before the specified date. Otherwise, the mortgage expires without going into effect.

These locks usually last for one to two months. You'll typically have to pay more for a longer lasting lock. That makes sense, considering that the lock is like taking out insurance on the low rate that you want. Even if the interest rates go up in that month or two, the lock ensures you will have your agreed upon, lower rate. The lender looks at it as insurance, too, that you will borrow the money that you agreed to.

Of course, the trickiest part of these home loans is deciding when to lock. The decision, part intuitive guesswork and part research, comes down to weighing when you will need to pay the lock, how long your mortgage will be, and your "guestimate" of where rates are going.

Mike Long is the successful web publisher of Home-Loan-SuperGuide.com providing valuable tips, advice, and info about a multitude of relevant topics including home loans.