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Posts Tagged ‘finance’

Will the Fed Rate Cut Change Mortgage rates?

Diana Olick from CNBC wrote an interesting article about this. Here’s the highlights:

• The 30 Year Fixed mortgage rate is NOT tied to short-term treasuries.
• Today’s cut will affect short term ARMS, but not by much.
• This rate cut will not stop the foreclosures that are about to happen.

Diana made a couple statements in addition to these facts, one I agree with and one that is just false. Read the rest of this entry »

According to a Countrywide bulletin this morning, the private mortgage insurance companies have raised the bar for 100% mortgage loans in Charlotte and the entire country. Now to qualify for a conforming conventional mortgage loan, you will need to have Read the rest of this entry »

Special Contribution Article

We see them all the time with these great lists of investment properties for sale. The prices appear to be good values and, hey - the seller will finance it for you. No credit check! All you need is a small down payment and the property is yours for 10% 12% or 14% interest.  And here is a real money saver - you don’t even need to pay for the closing costs because they are built in and THE APPRAISAL IS INCLUDED. Read the rest of this entry »

Special Contribution Article

Planning Your Mortgage and Seeking Pre-Approval

The Benefits of a Professional Consultant

Choosing a good lender is a key element in managing your mortgage.  A professional consultant won’t just provide a loan, they will help you select the one most beneficial to you and your long-term goals, and then, help you manage that debt over time. There are not many lenders out there who provide this type of personalized service. Read the rest of this entry »

One of the ways I want to help others is by keeping up to date with what is going on in the news. Especially news that is related to mortgage and finance. To do that, I recently changed my home page on my browser to Google and requested News to be posted on my home page.

It did not take long Read the rest of this entry »

In 2008, Fair Isaac Corp has announced that it will be changing the FICO credit scoring model. The new model, dubbed FICO 08, will make it easier on some and harder on others. Here are a few changes to expect:

• Bye Bye Authorized Users - In response to those that have charged up to $1,000 to add someone on their account to improve credit scores, authorized user accounts will no longer help boost credit scores. In fact, they could actually lower your score. No official word on this, but my expectation is that if MAJORITY of your credit is someone else’s credit, your score WILL reflect that. Also, if you are an authorized user on an account that is being sold for improving scores, expect to get hit hard! (again, no official word on that, but I expect this will be the case.)
• Occasional Slips Forgiven - So you have gone on forever making all your payments on time and then you have this one time late payment. Maybe it really got ”lost in the mail”, but the occasional random late may not hurt you quite as bad as it has recently. The word is that Fair Isaac is really trying to find out WHO is most likely to stop paying… the occasional late payment happens to most of us. But if most of your accounts are paid as agreed, the occasional late may not be such a big deal.
• Frequent Late Pays Hit Hardest - If you are late frequently, expect your score to be even worse that it was before. When this mew scoring model roles out, you will be penalized for constantly being late. The cure? Start making your payments EARLY and not waiting till the last minute.
• Variety is the Spice of Life (and now credit) - Those with a more diverse profile may see improvements. For example, someone with only 2 credit cards may not see the same gains as someone with a credit card, a loan, a car payment and a mortgage. I would still recommend credit cards for rebuilding as they do have a more instant impact on credit, however you will want to show more consitency across the board. One rule to remember… avoid Finance Companies if at all possible. They can still tend to hurt your score!

The bottom line is that lenders are more sensitive to risks right now and Fair Isaac is trying to help correct that. With other credit score models coming out, Fair Isaac wants to keep the FICO model on top of the market place. This new model will further seperate the good from the bad with little room in the middle.

If you do not understand how credit works, see a credit counselor immediately so that you can get yourself on top of things. Or, if you live in the Charlotte area, you can call me and I will try to help. If you are thinking about buying a home in Charlotte in the near future, start now by checking your credit profile and speak to a mortgage professional. You can never start that process too early!

Ed Nailor - dedicated to educating, inspiring and assisting in the American Dream! Apply for a Mortgage in Charlotte

Driving down the road today I heard the funniest commercial.

A local spa that offers body wraps claims that you can lose 7 inches in one visit. That is a tremendous claim to say the least. But what struck me as funny was the serious claim in their guarantee…

They absolutely guarantee that you will keep those 7 inches off! As long as you dont gain weight.

I just thought this was a funny thing and laughed for quite some time.  Is that where we are in “truth in advertising?” What can I offer in this fashion?

• The Foreclose-Free Guarantee: “The lender will never foreclose on your loan. (as long as you make your payments on time.)”
• 100% APPROVAL ON OUR SPECIAL ONE TIME PAYMENT MORTGAGE: “We offer 100% approval to all borrowers that will pay the mortgage loan off in 1 simple up front payment… Cash is preferred.”
• The 0% Interest Rate Mortgage: “You are guaranteed to pay NO INTEREST on your mortgage when you make one easy payment of 100% of the total balance on the day you buy or refinance your home.”

I know, these are all silly, but that one commercial made such a big deal of such an obvious truth. Does the general public really fall for that?

Personally I think the public is smarter than that. As such, I treat all my customers with the ultimate in respect for their intelligence. And when they may not be as educated on certain areas in regards to home loans, I take the time to inform them so they can make a solid decision.

No smoke and mirrors… after all… “when time and money really matters”… you want someone you can trust!

So folks, for real truth in marketing and in home finance, give the Carolina Mortgage Connection a call. 877-411-9327.

Ed

This week Inside the Money:

• Freddie Mac announces Higher Costs for Mortgages
• Rates remained relatively level
• Subprime is making strides
• It’s still a great time to buy or refinance!

Freddie Mac announces Higher Costs for Mortgages

Freddie Mac announced that beginning March of 2008, it will impose “delivery fees” to lenders that write loans with credit scores below 680 and with loan to values over 70%. The fees will range from 0.75% to 2% of the loan amount on a sliding scale of credit score ranges. No word yet as to the ability to “roll” these fees into closing costs, or if the lender itself will just charge a higher rate to provide greater yeild to pay this fee. We will see as we get closer.

Rates remained relatively level

Rates over the past week have held fairly steady. The average 30 year fixed mortgages were hanging in the low to mid 6% range (including FHA). With recent announcements of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae losses, one can only expect that these rates may begin to move upward soon, however I would expect it to be a gradual move if this happens.

Subprime is making strides

Believe it or not, the lenders still in the subprime market are beginning to make strides. Rates are falling, although very slowly. And credit score requirements are beginning to come back down. For a while you needed to have a 680 score to get 90% with many subprime lenders, and then you were looking in the 9-10% range with many of them. Pricing is slowly coming back and minimum scores are being lowered, however most subprime lenders are still shying off from 95-100% loans. There are a few, but most of these buyers can also qualify for a Fannie Mae type loan and save money there.

It’s still a great time to buy or refinance!

Even with the “mortgage crisis” and the tightening of liquidity in the market, rates are still near record lows and holding fairly steady. There are a ton of mortgage products for nearly any buyer, although those with major credit issues may need some work before buying. And home selection could not be better. For anyone thinking about buying a home, now is the time to make your move. Opportunity is knocking very loudly.. don’t ignore it!

For more information on mortgage and home financing, or for help in the Charlotte NC area, please contact Ed Nailor with 1st Metropolitan Mortgage- your Mortgage Loan Specialist.

_________________________________________________

Ed Nailor
Home Loans in Charlotte

1st Metropolitan Mortgage
10801 Johnston Rd Suite 213
Charlotte, NC 28226

704-248-8694 Phone
visit http://carolinamortgageconnection.foundbydesign.net/

Get pre-approved to buy a home in Charlotte NC today

When applying for a mortgage loan, one of the major considerations is the value of the home. After all, a lender will not want to lend more money on a home than it is worth. So to establish its value, a licensed appraiser will be normally required to perform an appraisal of the property.

Typically, an appraiser will visit and inspect the property, take measurements and photos and then do research on similar homes in the area. What the appraiser is looking for are fairly recent sales of similar properties within a close proximity to your home (known as the “subject” property.) These homes that are used for comparison (known as “comparables” or “comps”) should be similar in design, function and size. Where there are discrepancies, the appraiser can determine the difference in value of such discrepancies.

When all the research is done, the appraiser should come to a conclusion as to the value of the property. Two things to keep in mind about this value:

1. It is an opinion and appraisers have the flexibility to interpret the market place as they understand it. A good appraisal should be within a reasonable range of value with another reputable appraiser and to be very solid should have few adjustments in value between the subject and the comps. (The adjustments in value are to account for the discrepancies between the subject and the comps.)
2. An appraisal is not to be considered a replacement for a qualified property inspection. While the appraiser does inspect the property, their inspection is limited and broad, typically seeking obvious defects that would affect overall value. Examples would be holes in the wall, missing fixtures, lack of flooring, etc. And inspector, however, will dig deeper into a property to uncover any defects they can find. They will find issues with wiring, HVAC, roof leaks (that are not so obvious), foundational and mechanical issues… and much more. And while they do inspect for issues, they can not assess value for the home.

Once an appraisal is completed, it is sent to the lender for review and approval. The lender will have many tools to validate the value of the appraisal. Some of these tools include a simple “desk” review in which someone looks over the appraisal report of red flags. A field review may be ordered in which someone would drive out to check out the home, but may not do a full review including measurements and inspection. And there are Automated Value Models (AVM’s for short) that use data from the Internet to help determine a range of value. If the lender has used their tools and determines the value is ok, then the loan can move forward.

However, if the lender sees a problem, they can request a second appraisal or even “cut back” the value of the appraisal to what they feel is reasonable. While this is not a common practice, it can happen.

In most cases, especially in regards to a purchase, an appraisal is not that big a deal. They normally come in as expected with the value that is needed. On a refinance, it could be hit or miss depending on what the expected value is.

Either way, an appraisal will typically be done on 99% of all loans originated today. It not only protects the bank, but it can protect you as well from making a bad financial decision.

For more information on the loan process, or to get pre-approved for a mortgage loan, call me at 704-248-8694.

ATTENTION 

I just got word that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are about to raise the cost of obtaining a mortgage! This is not a normal rate fluctuation we are talking about. What is being proposed and expected is that there will be a add-on “delivery fee” charged by Fannie and Freddie to accept a loan from the lender.

What I have been told to expect is that there may be a significant cost add on that would apply to any borrower that is borrowing over 70% of the property’s value and has a credit score below 680. The borrowers below this score with the higher LTV are in a class of borrowers that Fannie and Freddie are considering a bit more risky. When this becomes a reality it could change not only who can buy, but how much they can qualify for. It doesn’t matter what bank, lender or mortgage broker the loan is originated with, if it is your typical conforming (also known as Prime) mortgage loan, the delivery fee will apply.

In a letter posted on their website, Freddie Mac said they will be charging from .75% up to 2.0% depending on the borrower’s credit score for loans submitted with less than a 70% LTV and credit scores below 680.

The following table illustrates the rates and costs for a borrower with a loan amount of $300,000.

So the long and the short of it is, if you have anyone on the fence, tell them to make a move NOW! Rates and programs will stay as great as they have been only so long! It’s time to make a move and get into that home they are only thinking about!

I will do my best to keep you updated as more infomation becomes available.

Thanks,
Ed