An 85-year-old US investment bank - one of the biggest on Wall Street - went bust. Last week, the impact of the credit crunch clearly escalated. Parallels were drawn with 1929. When shopping for mortgage loans, you should have a basic idea on what to look for in a loan. Keep in mind a few things that would serve as your eligibility criteria for a home mortgage. For example, what types of loans are available from a given institution?