According to a recent study by Synergistics Research Corporation, the use of Web sites for learning about and applying for mortgages is on the increase. The survey included key questions to homeowners who have a first mortgage. They were asked if they did any of a number of activities online the last time they applied for a mortgage. Overall, seven in 10 respondents indicated they did at least one of these activities online.About half of respondents researched interest rates in general and used calculators and Web sites to determine monthly payments under various criteria. More than four in ten compared rates and terms among different lenders and brokers. A fourth of them read information or general news about mortgages online. One in seven actually applied for a mortgage online. The incidence of having applied online for a home mortgage increases to one-quarter for borrowers with home values of $500,000 or more, according to the study report.