WASHINGTON · Mortgage giant Freddie Mac said Tuesday it will no longer buy high-risk home mortgages that it deems to be highly vulnerable to foreclosure.

The surprise move came amid a deteriorating market for subprime loans affected by slumping home prices and rising interest rates.

The government-sponsored company, which is the second-biggest financer of home loans in the United States, said it will begin using stricter standards for mortgages that it buys — including limiting the use of loans requiring less documentation of the borrower’s status than conventional mortgages. The goal is “to help ensure that future borrowers have the income necessary to afford their homes,” McLean, Va.-based Freddie Mac said.

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Ten that are often missed include mortgage points, prepayment penalty, job-related moving expenses

Have you ever forgotten to claim a real estate tax deduction? I did. Years ago, after I filed my income-tax returns, I remembered a mortgage interest deduction of about $4,500, which I totally overlooked. To claim my refund, I had to file IRS Form 1040X to amend my tax return.

As a result, I learned the IRS hates to part with tax dollars already collected. Just so you never make a tax-deduction mistake like that, here are some of the most-forgotten real estate tax deductions:

1. Deduct loan-fee points paid for a home mortgage. If you bought a house or condo in 2006 as your principal residence, you probably paid the mortgage lender loan-fee points. One point equals 1 percent of the amount borrowed.

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WASHINGTON — Rates on 30-year mortgages fell this week to the lowest level in six weeks.

The mortgage company Freddie Mac reported on Thursday that 30-year, fixed-rate mortgages averaged 6.22 percent this week compared with 6.30 percent last week.

The decline was only the second since early December. It pushed rates to the lowest level since the 30-year mortgage was at 6.21 percent the week of Jan. 11.

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