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27Jan2012
Author
Dan Green
Filed Under
Federal Reserve
Inflation Targeting : What It Does To Mortgage Rates Thumbnail

Inflation Targeting : What It Does To Mortgage Rates

For the first time in its 99 years, the Federal Reserve has set an explicit target rate for inflation. The Fed's inflation target will change how you shop for mortgages.

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26Jan2012
Author
Dan Green
Filed Under
Federal Reserve
The January 2012 FOMC Statement And Its Effect On Mortgage Rates Thumbnail

The January 2012 FOMC Statement And Its Effect On Mortgage Rates

Mortgage rates have been improving since the Fed's mid-day meeting Wednesday.

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25Jan2012
Author
Dan Green
Filed Under
Federal Reserve
No Correlation: The Fed Funds Rate And 30-Year Fixed Mortgage Rates Thumbnail

No Correlation: The Fed Funds Rate And 30-Year Fixed Mortgage Rates

Mortgage rates and the Fed Funds Rate have different masters. The former is by Wall Street; the latter by government committee. Use government clues to make sure you lock your mortgage rate at just the right time.

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24Jan2012
Author
Dan Green
Filed Under
Real Estate Sales
Bull Market Signals : Home Supplies Get Scarce Nationwide Thumbnail

Bull Market Signals : Home Supplies Get Scarce Nationwide

Another sign of a housing market recovery : The longer you wait to buy a home, the fewer homes there are from which to choose. Home buying stays strong -- now 4 months running,

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23Jan2012
Author
Dan Green
Filed Under
FHA Mortgages
How To Cancel Your FHA Mortgage Insurance Premiums (MIP) Thumbnail

How To Cancel Your FHA Mortgage Insurance Premiums (MIP)

How FHA mortgage insurance works, and how to cancel your monthly MIP requirement. Depending on your loan type, the rules for FHA MIP cancellation vary.

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20Jan2012
Author
Dan Green
Filed Under
Real Estate Sales
Housing Market Strength : Single-Family Housing Starts Rise Another 4% Thumbnail

Housing Market Strength : Single-Family Housing Starts Rise Another 4%

December's Housing Starts data suggests a housing recovery is well underway. You'll just have to ignore the newspaper headlines.

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19Jan2012
Author
Dan Green
Filed Under
MBS Markets and Mortgage Rates
Mortgage Rates : Rapid Rise Likely In The Coming Months Thumbnail

Mortgage Rates : Rapid Rise Likely In The Coming Months

Mortgage rates are low because of 4 forces, each in place since 2009. Today, those forces fade into history. When they're gone, so will low mortgage rates. Read why mortgage rates are positioned to rise, and rise sharply.

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18Jan2012
Author
Dan Green
Filed Under
Foreclosures
These 4 States House 50% Of The Nation’s Foreclosure Filings Thumbnail

These 4 States House 50% Of The Nation’s Foreclosure Filings

Buying a foreclosure? Get a move on. Foreclosure activity fell to a 49-month low last month, and figures to be even lower through 2012. See where foreclosures are occurring, and where they're not.

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17Jan2012
Author
Dan Green
Filed Under
Mortgage Strategy
New ARMs *Finally* Cheaper Than Adjusting ARMs Thumbnail

New ARMs *Finally* Cheaper Than Adjusting ARMs

ARM mortgage rates are low. It's now 1/2 percent cheaper to refinance into a new ARM rather than letting your existing ARM adjust to the market. That hasn't happened in years.

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13Jan2012
Author
Dan Green
Filed Under
Federal Reserve
Fed Minutes Suggests “Floating” Mortgage Rates Are At Risk Thumbnail

Fed Minutes Suggests “Floating” Mortgage Rates Are At Risk

The December Fed Minutes show the U.S. economy in expansion, and threatened by a European slowdown. Mortgage rates will be volatile for a while and if your rate is not locked, it's floating -- a dangerous situation.

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12Jan2012
Author
Dan Green
Filed Under
Mortgage Strategy
Was Your Mortgage Denied? Re-Apply With A Different Lender. Thumbnail

Was Your Mortgage Denied? Re-Apply With A Different Lender.

These days, different lenders apply different underwriting standards. A home loan that's denied by one bank may be approved by another. Here's how to re-apply.

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11Jan2012
Author
Dan Green
Filed Under
Conforming Mortgages
Delayed Financing Rule : Pay Cash For A Home, Cash-Out Refi Next Day Thumbnail

Delayed Financing Rule : Pay Cash For A Home, Cash-Out Refi Next Day

If you paid cash for a home within the last 6 months and want to take "cash out", you can. It's because of a new mortgage allowance named the Delayed Financing Rule. The standard 6-month seasoning requirement on home purchases has been eliminated.

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10Jan2012
Author
Dan Green
Filed Under
Mortgage Strategy
No More No Fee? “Zero-Closing-Cost Mortgages” Face Extinction Thumbnail

No More No Fee? “Zero-Closing-Cost Mortgages” Face Extinction

A pending mortgage policy change threatens to end zero closing costs mortgages for good. The end of "no fee" mortgages may be here sooner than you think.

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09Jan2012
Author
Dan Green
Filed Under
Real Estate Sales
Buy A Home Without A 20% Downpayment Thumbnail

Buy A Home Without A 20% Downpayment

First-Time Home Buyers have found out. You don't need a 20% downpayment to purchase a home. There are ample low-downpayment mortgage products available today.

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06Jan2012
Author
Dan Green
Filed Under
Credit Scoring For Mortgages
Your Credit Report Will Be Re-Pulled Just Prior To Closing (And It Could Change Your Loan Terms) Thumbnail

Your Credit Report Will Be Re-Pulled Just Prior To Closing (And It Could Change Your Loan Terms)

When does "cleared to close" not mean "cleared to close"? When Fannie Mae's involved! Keep your loan approval intact all the way through funding. Here's how.

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05Jan2012
Author
Dan Green
Filed Under
Mortgage Strategy
FHA Mortgage Insurance Premiums Rising Again Thumbnail

FHA Mortgage Insurance Premiums Rising Again

The Payroll Tax Extension raises mortgage costs. For conforming mortgages, it's +1/8% to rate. For FHA, PMI premiums are rising. Beat the "loan tax". Lock your rate ASAP.

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04Jan2012
Author
Dan Green
Filed Under
Essential Mortgage Miscellany
The 18 Best Mortgage Market Charts From 2011 Thumbnail

The 18 Best Mortgage Market Charts From 2011

I made a lot of mortgage charts in 2011, covering rates, costs, and new programs. Here is a collection of the best of them.

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03Jan2012
Author
Dan Green
Filed Under
Essential Mortgage Miscellany
Mortgage Predictions For 2012 From Around The Web Thumbnail

Mortgage Predictions For 2012 From Around The Web

We can't predict the mortgage market's future, but we can have opinions. Here are some of them.

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30Dec2011
Author
Dan Green
Filed Under
Mortgage Strategy
Confirmed : Mortgage Fees To Rise For Borrowers In January 2012 Thumbnail

Confirmed : Mortgage Fees To Rise For Borrowers In January 2012

Start that mortgage application! The government is financing its 2012 Payroll Tax Extension via new, mandatory mortgage fees. You'll get lower mortgage payments on your upcoming purchase or refinance by applying for your loan today.

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29Dec2011
Author
Dan Green
Filed Under
Mortgage Strategy
Save $45,000 Per $100,000 Borrowed With A 15-Year Fixed Rate Mortgage Thumbnail

Save $45,000 Per $100,000 Borrowed With A 15-Year Fixed Rate Mortgage

Record-low mortgage rates draw refinancing households away from 30-year fixed-rate mortgages into shorter-term products such as the 15-year fixed-rate mortgage.

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