If you're living the renter's lifestyle -- or merely if you've never attempted to obtain a mortgage -- taking the plunge can be a daunting task. Mortgagespeak is chock full of foreign jargon. A Web site called GetSmart.com gives users a little Mortgage 101 in addition to the opportunity to sign up online for mortgages, mutual funds, auto financing, student loans, and credit cards. And an additional resource link provides many of the services familiar to the major national apartment search sites -- truck rental, school and child care information, long-distance service, auto clubs, furniture, renters' insurance, career resources, and moving companies, among others. GetSmart's mission is to provide consumers with the necessary information before they jump into major financial commitments with both feet. While it may sound basic, even familiar, it's where many mortgage providers miss the boat.

Quick -- what does "self-amortizing" mean? Self what? One of GetSmart's best features is its comprehensive glossary, a translation guide of sorts, of loan talk, property jargon, and legal matters. For instance, amortization means the process of paying back, over a period of time, an amount of money you've borrowed to buy a home. Payments like these typically are made once a month and continue for the number of years indicated by the home loan to which you're committed.

Here's another translation: Loan-to-Value Ratio (LTV). An LTV is a mathematical equation that mortgage experts use to describe the amount you've borrowed from a lender to buy a home, in relation to the total cost of the home. For example, if you've borrowed $80,000 to purchase a $100,000 home, the LTV for your loan is 80 percent.

How about a $1,000 prize to the individual who knows what "chattel" means? Your attorney probably is guilty of using this term, yet another perplexing product of legalese. Chattel is the property you own aside from real estate -- furniture, cars, jewelry, stocks, or any other asset that contributes to your total financial standing.

If you're looking either for your first mortgage or a second mortgage, GetSmart is a good place to start. The site asks users to enter a few facts about their budgets and home preferences, as well as whether they're looking to buy or refinance, and then conducts a search of leading national lenders to find a mortgage for the lowest possible price. The site claims it may save consumers hundreds if not thousands of dollars by locating the best match. Even the most uninitiated home shopper won't be intimidated, thanks to a step-by-step, plain-English approach to the site that first identifies and asks users to select their particular mortgage needs and concerns ("I want to refinance my home loan," "I'm just shopping for a home," "I've found the home," "I want a debt consolidation loan," or "I want a second mortgage," for example). Users then select the loan features that are most important to them, and the site walks them through the process, helping them determine how much they can afford, and ultimately allowing them to choose the type of loan that best fits their budgets.

GetSmart relies not only on its lenders but also leans on an impressive team of financial experts with backgrounds at such household-name institutions as Chase Manhattan, Wells Fargo, and Fannie Mae. Goldman, Sachs; Reuters; Time Warner; Edelman Public Relations; and Stanford Research Institute are among GetSmart's business partners.