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22Feb2012
Author
Dan Green
Filed Under
Foreclosures
Foreclosed Homes Finally “Spreading Out” Across All 50 States Thumbnail

Foreclosed Homes Finally “Spreading Out” Across All 50 States

Buying a foreclosed home? Spring 2012 may be your best chance yet. A combination of aggressive legislation and low mortgage rates have left today's market ripe for value.

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21Feb2012
Author
Dan Green
Filed Under
Mortgage Strategy
30-Year Fixed Rate Mortgages Losing Favor With Homeowners; 15-Year Fixed Gaining Thumbnail

30-Year Fixed Rate Mortgages Losing Favor With Homeowners; 15-Year Fixed Gaining

Last quarter, 1 in 4 conforming mortgage applicants ditched their 30-year mortgage for a 15-year fixed. There are good reasons why, too.

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21Feb2012
Author
Rob Chrisman
Filed Under
Mortgage News
REO-To-Rental Program to the Housing Market Rescue? Thumbnail

REO-To-Rental Program to the Housing Market Rescue?

A program to dispose of large blocks of REO could help clearing out home inventory which, in turn, would benefit the U.S. economy as a whole.

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20Feb2012
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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19Feb2012
Author
Rob Chrisman
Filed Under
Mortgage News
Shadow Inventory Weighs Down Housing Market Thumbnail

Shadow Inventory Weighs Down Housing Market

U.S. homeowners have lost an estimated $7 trillion in home equity since 2007. That's the equivalent of 28 million homes losing $250k each!

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17Feb2012
Author
Dan Green
Filed Under
Uncategorized
Single-Family Housing Starts : The Market Is In Slow, Steady Recovery Thumbnail

Single-Family Housing Starts : The Market Is In Slow, Steady Recovery

New data proves what REALTORS® have known for months. The housing market bottomed September 2011. It's since made slow, steady growth.

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16Feb2012
Author
Rob Chrisman
Filed Under
Mortgage News
Are Mortgage Applicants Forced Into 30-Year Fixed Rate Mortgages? Thumbnail

Are Mortgage Applicants Forced Into 30-Year Fixed Rate Mortgages?

In 2011, 17% of refinanced mortgages featured “other length” loans, according to the MBA. The majority were 15-year fixed and 30-year fixed.

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16Feb2012
Author
Dan Green
Filed Under
Real Estate Sales
Surging Homebuilder Confidence Puts Home Buyers On The Clock Thumbnail

Surging Homebuilder Confidence Puts Home Buyers On The Clock

Want to know where the housing market is headed? Talk to the guys on the street. No one knows housing like homebuilders and builders say 2012 will be blowout.

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15Feb2012
Author
Dan Green
Filed Under
Real Estate Sales
The Psychological Link Between Housing And Jobs Thumbnail

The Psychological Link Between Housing And Jobs

If the housing's recovery will be closely tied to jobs, then 2012 purchase market is about to heat up.

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15Feb2012
Author
Rob Chrisman
Filed Under
Mortgage News
Green Mortgage Program In Jeopardy Thumbnail

Green Mortgage Program In Jeopardy

The viability and future of PACE -- an energy improvement-related mortgage program -- is in jeopardy.

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14Feb2012
Author
Dan Green
Filed Under
Conforming Mortgages
HARP Program : The Complete HARP II Eligibility Requirements Thumbnail

HARP Program : The Complete HARP II Eligibility Requirements

The Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP) is revamped and extended. There are no LTV requirements and fewer loan fees. It's a complete refinance overhaul.

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13Feb2012
Author
Dan Green
Filed Under
Mortgage Strategy
Plunging Mortgage Rates Lower Mortgage Payments 13% In One Year Thumbnail

Plunging Mortgage Rates Lower Mortgage Payments 13% In One Year

Mortgage rates are down more than 1% in the last year and mortgage payments are down 13%. The "break-even point" on today's mortgages comes relatively quickly -- even after accounting for closing costs.

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13Feb2012
Author
Rob Chrisman
Filed Under
Mortgage News
$25B Mortgage Foreclosure Settlement Expected To Affect Home Prices Thumbnail

$25B Mortgage Foreclosure Settlement Expected To Affect Home Prices

The $25 billion mortgage settlement deal is expected to flood the housing market with low-cost properties, which would cause a near-time decline in home prices.

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10Feb2012
Author
Dan Green
Filed Under
Essential Mortgage Miscellany
Mortgage Definition : Escrow Real Estate Taxes And Homeowners Insurance Thumbnail

Mortgage Definition : Escrow Real Estate Taxes And Homeowners Insurance

Homeowners that let lenders collect and pay their real estate taxes and insurance bills tend to get lower rates and lower fees. Here's how escrows work, and how you can use them to your advantage.

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10Feb2012
Author
Rob Chrisman
Filed Under
Mortgage News
The $25 Billion Mortgage Servicing Settlement : Does It Bring Closure? Thumbnail

The $25 Billion Mortgage Servicing Settlement : Does It Bring Closure?

For the mortgage industry, the $25 billion servicing settlement clears up uncertainty, but no one predicts an end to the troubles and legal fees.

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09Feb2012
Author
Rob Chrisman
Filed Under
Mortgage News
$35,000 : The Going Rate To Get Someone Out Of Their Home? Thumbnail

$35,000 : The Going Rate To Get Someone Out Of Their Home?

Banks have started to offer more than $35,000 in cash to delinquent homeowners so that they can sell their properties for less than they owe.

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08Feb2012
Author
Dan Green
Filed Under
FHA Mortgages
FHA Streamline Refinance Changes : Banks To Stop Verifying Income, Job, And Credit Thumbnail

FHA Streamline Refinance Changes : Banks To Stop Verifying Income, Job, And Credit

In a huge win for FHA homeowners, the FHA will exclude Streamline Refinances from its "Compare Ratios". In response, expect banks to open the FHA Streamline Refinance floodgates. You'll get a "true" FHA underwrite going forward -- no verification of income, job or credit required.

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08Feb2012
Author
Rob Chrisman
Filed Under
Mortgage News
Mortgage Insurers Give Fannie Mae Permission To Speed Up Short Sale Timelines Thumbnail

Mortgage Insurers Give Fannie Mae Permission To Speed Up Short Sale Timelines

Fannie Mae has been given the authority to proceed with a short sale or complete a deed in lieu of foreclosure by five mortgage insurers, without needing to secure their approval.

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07Feb2012
Author
Dan Green
Filed Under
Mortgage Strategy
The Cash-In Mortgage Refinance : Bring $1,000, Save $1,718 Thumbnail

The Cash-In Mortgage Refinance : Bring $1,000, Save $1,718

With Freddie Mac's published mortgage rates now sub-4 percent, homeowners are doing what it takes to refinance into today's low mortgage rates -- even if it means bringing some cash to closing.

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07Feb2012
Author
Rob Chrisman
Filed Under
Mortgage News
The FHA Has Programs For Homeowners In Need — But Will They Work? Thumbnail

The FHA Has Programs For Homeowners In Need — But Will They Work?

The FHA has many programs to offer lenders and borrowers, but many lawmakers and industry professionals are unsure if the FHA is up to yet another challenge of this scale.

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