Posts discussing Conforming Mortgages

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01Feb2012
Author
Dan Green
Filed Under
Conforming Mortgages
The First 100 Days Of HARP : Mortgage Rates, LTVs, Statistics And Figures Thumbnail

The First 100 Days Of HARP : Mortgage Rates, LTVs, Statistics And Figures

Statistics, geography, and demographics of the HARP Refinance Program's First 100 Days. Data tracked includes Median LTV, Median Interest Rate, and Average Loan-to-Value.

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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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27Dec2011
Author
Dan Green
Filed Under
Conforming Mortgages
2012 Conforming And Jumbo Loan Limits For Every U.S. County Thumbnail

2012 Conforming And Jumbo Loan Limits For Every U.S. County

For the 6th straight year, there will be no change to the national conforming mortgage loan limit. Loans below the limit can be conforming mortgages. Loans above the conforming loan limits are may be "jumbo".

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01Dec2011
Author
Dan Green
Filed Under
Conforming Mortgages
HARP Mortgage Applicants : Statistics, Demographics And Figures Thumbnail

HARP Mortgage Applicants : Statistics, Demographics And Figures

Statistics, geography, and demographics of the HARP Refinance Program's first applicant wave. Data includes Median LTV, Median Interest Rate, and Average Loan-to-Value.

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21Nov2011
Author
Dan Green
Filed Under
Conforming Mortgages
FHA Loan Limits Raised To $729,750; Conventional To Remain At $625,500 Thumbnail

FHA Loan Limits Raised To $729,750; Conventional To Remain At $625,500

FHA loan limits now exceed conventional loan limits in some high-cost areas. As of November 18, 2011, the FHA will insure up to $729,750. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac cap at $625,500.

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16Nov2011
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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31Oct2011
Author
Dan Green
Filed Under
Conforming Mortgages
The New HARP : Breaking Down The Revamped Program’s First Wave Of New Applicants Thumbnail

The New HARP : Breaking Down The Revamped Program’s First Wave Of New Applicants

The U.S. government revamped its HARP program. With charts and commentary, view an analysis of the first 500 would-be HARP participants. Data includes Median LTV, Median Interest Rate, and Average Loan-to-Value.

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19Oct2011
Author
Dan Green
Filed Under
Conforming Mortgages
What To Expect From The Revamped HARP Refinance Program Thumbnail

What To Expect From The Revamped HARP Refinance Program

The HARP mortgage program will be revamped soon, government officials say. A lot more homeowners will be HARP-eligible. Here's what you need to know about the upcoming changes.

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10Aug2011
Author
Dan Green
Filed Under
Conforming Mortgages
Get More Mortgage Approvals : The Income-Equity-Credit Triangle Thumbnail

Get More Mortgage Approvals : The Income-Equity-Credit Triangle

Mortgage underwriting is strict, but there's no magic formula for getting approved. Satisfy the Mortgage Income-Equity-Credit Triangle. That's it.

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22Jun2011
Author
Dan Green
Filed Under
Conforming Mortgages
The 2011 Refi Boom Begins : Should I Refinance My Mortgage? Thumbnail

The 2011 Refi Boom Begins : Should I Refinance My Mortgage?

You can't control mortgage rates, but you can control your closing costs. Make the most of this Refi Boom -- go zero-cost refi. Here's how.

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08Jun2011
Author
Dan Green
Filed Under
Conforming Mortgages
“Should I Refinance My Adjusting Adjustable-Rate Mortgage?” Thumbnail

“Should I Refinance My Adjusting Adjustable-Rate Mortgage?”

A lot of ARMs from 5 and 7 years ago are adjusting lower these days -- not higher. It's because ARM resets are math-based and the math is more favorable for borrowers than at any time in history.

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11May2011
Author
Dan Green
Filed Under
Conforming Mortgages
The (Forthcoming) End Of The $729,750 Conforming Loan Limit Thumbnail

The (Forthcoming) End Of The $729,750 Conforming Loan Limit

Temporary conforming loan limits in high-cost areas are expiring. After September 30, 2011, places like Loudoun County, Virginia; Potomac, Maryland; and Marin County, California will face new, lower conforming loan limit sizes.

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22Mar2011
Author
Dan Green
Filed Under
Conforming Mortgages
Explaining Loan-Level Pricing Adjustments (Featuring An Online Calculator) Thumbnail

Explaining Loan-Level Pricing Adjustments (Featuring An Online Calculator)

Loan-level pricing adjustments are government-mandated closing costs. And they're rising April 1, 2011. See how LLPAs work and run your loan scenario against this online calculator. Maybe *your* loan will trigger new fees, too.

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10Dec2010
Author
Dan Green
Filed Under
Conforming Mortgages
Winter 2011 : “Cheat Sheet” For The New Fannie Mae Guidelines Thumbnail

Winter 2011 : “Cheat Sheet” For The New Fannie Mae Guidelines

In Winter 2011, Fannie Mae changed its mortgage guidelines to favor personal income over personal assets. Check the "Cheat Sheet" to see how you'll be affected.

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30Nov2010
Author
Dan Green
Filed Under
Conforming Mortgages
2011 Conforming Mortgage Loan Limits By County, Including “Normal” and “High-Cost” Areas Thumbnail

2011 Conforming Mortgage Loan Limits By County, Including “Normal” and “High-Cost” Areas

In 2011 -- for the 6th consecutive year -- the single-family conforming mortgage loan limit will be $417,000. The "high-cost" area program is extended, too.

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10Nov2010
Author
Dan Green
Filed Under
Conforming Mortgages
Banks : We’re Careful In Underwriting, And We’re Scrutinizing You Thumbnail

Banks : We’re Careful In Underwriting, And We’re Scrutinizing You

Low mortgage rates don’t matter if you can’t qualify for them. And banks are still tightening. Here's what to do.

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29Sep2009
Author
Dan Green
Filed Under
Conforming Mortgages
Fannie Mae To Get Tougher On Mortgage Insurance, Income Levels and Credit Scores Thumbnail

Fannie Mae To Get Tougher On Mortgage Insurance, Income Levels and Credit Scores

For the second time in 10 weeks, Fannie Mae is toughening its mortgage guidelines again. Again. According to an internal Fannie Mae document, a review of the group's current "risk appetite, eligibility requirements, mortgage insurance options, and pricing" spawned changes spanning credit scoring, income requirements, loan-level pricing adjustments.

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26Aug2009
Author
Dan Green
Filed Under
Conforming Mortgages
Have You Given Your Application Yet? In 5 Days, New Mortgage Guidelines Go Into Effect And They’re Harsh. Thumbnail

Have You Given Your Application Yet? In 5 Days, New Mortgage Guidelines Go Into Effect And They’re Harsh.

Effective Tuesday, September 1, conforming mortgage approvals are due to toughen up again. Fannie Mae is imposing strict new lending guidelines that should slow down purchase and refinance activity in Cincinnati and parts elsewhere. It's the first major conforming mortgage guideline change since April and this one is a big one -- 15 separate underwriting areas are affected.

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18Aug2009
Author
Dan Green
Filed Under
Conforming Mortgages
Signs The Recession May Be Ending : Banks Get Semi Mortgage-Friendly Thumbnail

Signs The Recession May Be Ending : Banks Get Semi Mortgage-Friendly

Since May, just one-fifth of the Fed's responding banks said mortgage guidelines had tightened. This number is dramatically less than last quarter's results when the survey posted a 50 percent figure. It's just one more sign that banks are warming to the economy and that may portend the end of the recession.

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20Jul2009
Author
Dan Green
Filed Under
Conforming Mortgages
Fannie Mae Toughens Guidelines On 2-Unit Homes, Trailing Spouses And Retirement Portfolios Thumbnail

Fannie Mae Toughens Guidelines On 2-Unit Homes, Trailing Spouses And Retirement Portfolios

Mortgage approvals are getting more difficult. Again. After reviewing recent unemployment data and market fluctuations, plus patterns of mortgage fraud, Fannie Mae is making major mortgage guideline changes for the first time in more than 6 months. The changes are broad, impacting 15 separate areas of the mortgage approval process. The most impactful change may be Fannie Mae's new restrictions on mortgages for 2-unit properties.

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