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Tag Archives: Mortgage

3 Things Your Mortgage Broker Wishes You Knew

Posted on July 12, 2016 by joeglez

4 Things Your Mortgage Broker Wishes You KnewAs the mortgage market has become more competitive, it has become a more common choice for many people to choose a mortgage broker to assist them with the lending process. While it’s great to have someone to help you with the fine details, there are some important differences between what a mortgage broker does and what you might think they do, so here are some things to be aware of.

They Can’t Approve Your Mortgage

Many people think that having a mortgage broker is a surefire way to obtain a home loan, but because brokers are a separate entity from the bank, they do not have the authority to approve your application. Instead, a good broker will be able to give you information about the best loans for you and ensure all the guidelines for the application are met.

The Rules Of Down Payments

According to founder of Arcus Lending, Shashank Shekhar, “You can’t borrow a down payment it’s just not allowed.” Many people may not know this, but a down payment needs to be money that you’ve come up with on your own. If much of your down payment money was gifted to you, it’s important to let your broker know so this can be documented in your paperwork.

Financial Changes Can Impact Your Application

When you’re going through the process of getting a mortgage, it can be easy to forget to consult with your broker or let them know of any changes, but it’s very important to keep them in the loop so your approval isn’t impacted. A large expenditure or change in your finances can cause issues with your mortgage, so ensure that before you do anything big you contact your broker to determine how to proceed.

Utilizing a mortgage broker for a home purchase is becoming more popular with the competitiveness of the industry, but there are things you should know before reaching out to a professional. Contact your local mortgage specialists for more information.

Posted in Home Mortgage Tips | Tags: Home Mortgage Tips, Mortgage |

3 Things Your Mortgage Broker Wishes You Knew

Posted on July 12, 2016 by joeglez

4 Things Your Mortgage Broker Wishes You KnewAs the mortgage market has become more competitive, it has become a more common choice for many people to choose a mortgage broker to assist them with the lending process. While it’s great to have someone to help you with the fine details, there are some important differences between what a mortgage broker does and what you might think they do, so here are some things to be aware of.

They Can’t Approve Your Mortgage

Many people think that having a mortgage broker is a surefire way to obtain a home loan, but because brokers are a separate entity from the bank, they do not have the authority to approve your application. Instead, a good broker will be able to give you information about the best loans for you and ensure all the guidelines for the application are met.

The Rules Of Down Payments

According to founder of Arcus Lending, Shashank Shekhar, “You can’t borrow a down payment it’s just not allowed.” Many people may not know this, but a down payment needs to be money that you’ve come up with on your own. If much of your down payment money was gifted to you, it’s important to let your broker know so this can be documented in your paperwork.

Financial Changes Can Impact Your Application

When you’re going through the process of getting a mortgage, it can be easy to forget to consult with your broker or let them know of any changes, but it’s very important to keep them in the loop so your approval isn’t impacted. A large expenditure or change in your finances can cause issues with your mortgage, so ensure that before you do anything big you contact your broker to determine how to proceed.

Utilizing a mortgage broker for a home purchase is becoming more popular with the competitiveness of the industry, but there are things you should know before reaching out to a professional. Contact your local mortgage specialists for more information.

Posted in Home Mortgage Tips | Tags: Home Mortgage Tips, Mortgage |

4 Ways to Help Your Mortgage Transaction Close On Time

Posted on July 8, 2016 by joeglez

4 Ways to Help Your Mortgage Transaction Close On TimeWhen you’ve finally found the home you’re looking for at the right price, it’s easy to think that the hard part is over; however, there’s still a lot to do in order to ensure your purchase goes through without a hitch. If you’re tying up the loose ends on your home purchase, here are some things you should do to avoid any unnecessary delays.

Hire A Legal Professional

However much research you may have done in regards to buying a home, there’s still a lot of legal jargon in the closing documents that can be difficult for most people to understand. Instead of doing guesswork, you may want to use an attorney who will take the difficulty out of the documents for you so there will be no holdups with the paperwork.

Arrange A Home Inspection

A home inspection is a necessary step before the sale of a home, but this is an important one to get out of the way because it can seriously impact your home purchase. Because major problems can often be discovered during inspection, getting this out of the way and deciding if an item should be fixed or the total price knocked down will ensure there are no delays at the last minute.

Acquire Title Insurance

In order to make sure your property really belongs to you, it’s a good idea to have a title search completed to see if there are any claims to your future property that could invalidate your purchase. As this is a legal safeguard for your claim to your home, it will help you avoid unnecessary issues in the event of an unknown property claim.

Determine The Closing Costs

An escrow company is responsible for holding the funds until all aspects of a home sale are complete, but there are fees that go along with this service. Before you get to the end of the process, determine what exactly the company will be charging so that you can be prepared for the final total. While fees are legitimate, if you see a higher tally than expected, you may want to negotiate for a reduced cost.

Purchasing a home is a significant investment full of hurdles you might not be aware of, but by acquiring title insurance and having a legal professional look through your documents, you can make your home purchase go a little smoother. If you’re planning on purchasing a new home soon, contact your local mortgage professional for more information.

Posted in Home Mortgage Tips | Tags: Closing Costs, Home Mortgage Tips, Mortgage |

4 Ways to Help Your Mortgage Transaction Close On Time

Posted on July 8, 2016 by joeglez

4 Ways to Help Your Mortgage Transaction Close On TimeWhen you’ve finally found the home you’re looking for at the right price, it’s easy to think that the hard part is over; however, there’s still a lot to do in order to ensure your purchase goes through without a hitch. If you’re tying up the loose ends on your home purchase, here are some things you should do to avoid any unnecessary delays.

Hire A Legal Professional

However much research you may have done in regards to buying a home, there’s still a lot of legal jargon in the closing documents that can be difficult for most people to understand. Instead of doing guesswork, you may want to use an attorney who will take the difficulty out of the documents for you so there will be no holdups with the paperwork.

Arrange A Home Inspection

A home inspection is a necessary step before the sale of a home, but this is an important one to get out of the way because it can seriously impact your home purchase. Because major problems can often be discovered during inspection, getting this out of the way and deciding if an item should be fixed or the total price knocked down will ensure there are no delays at the last minute.

Acquire Title Insurance

In order to make sure your property really belongs to you, it’s a good idea to have a title search completed to see if there are any claims to your future property that could invalidate your purchase. As this is a legal safeguard for your claim to your home, it will help you avoid unnecessary issues in the event of an unknown property claim.

Determine The Closing Costs

An escrow company is responsible for holding the funds until all aspects of a home sale are complete, but there are fees that go along with this service. Before you get to the end of the process, determine what exactly the company will be charging so that you can be prepared for the final total. While fees are legitimate, if you see a higher tally than expected, you may want to negotiate for a reduced cost.

Purchasing a home is a significant investment full of hurdles you might not be aware of, but by acquiring title insurance and having a legal professional look through your documents, you can make your home purchase go a little smoother. If you’re planning on purchasing a new home soon, contact your local mortgage professional for more information.

Posted in Home Mortgage Tips | Tags: Closing Costs, Home Mortgage Tips, Mortgage |

The 4 Most Common Mortgage Questions, Answered

Posted on July 6, 2016 by joeglez

The 4 Most Common Mortgage Questions, AnsweredMaking the decision to purchase a home is one of the most significant investments most people will make in their life, and this automatically means there are a lot of questions that need to be answered before putting any money down. If you’re considering making the leap, here are some insights into some of the common questions you might have.

How Much Should You Put Down?

While many homebuyers have the option of putting as little as 3% down in order to purchase a home, there are benefits to saving up for a down payment and putting in 15 or 20%. Because your interest rate will be higher on a lower down payment, putting more down can mean a lower overall price tag and monthly payment.

Fixed or Variable Rate Mortgage?

While a fixed rate mortgage can be good for homeowners who are new to the market due to its stability, a variable rate can be hard to rely on because it can change all of the time. Fixed rates can end up costing more than variable rates in the event of low interest rates, but it’s important to determine your comfort level with the market is before deciding on your mortgage type.

How Will The Lender Assess You?

There are a number of different factors that lenders will assess you on including your income, personal debt load, employment and credit history. While it’s important to be in the good books for these reasons, a lower credit score does not mean you will not be able to qualify for a mortgage; it simply means that you may need to provide a higher down payment.

What Will The Monthly Payment Be?

One of the conundrums of home ownership is being able to determine what you’ll actually be paying per month to purchase your home, but this number is dependent on the size of your mortgage, your interest rate, and the frequency of your payments. There are also many handy online tools you can use to provide some estimates but it’s best that you consult your mortgage specialist about this.

Most homeowners, particularly those that are new to home ownership, have many questions when it comes to purchasing a home, but by being aware of what a lender looks at and what you should put down, you’re well on your way to a healthy attitude towards ownership. If you’re currently considering buying a home, contact your local mortgage professional for more information.

Posted in Home Mortgage Tips | Tags: Home Mortgage Tips, Interest Rates, Mortgage |

The 4 Most Common Mortgage Questions, Answered

Posted on July 6, 2016 by joeglez

The 4 Most Common Mortgage Questions, AnsweredMaking the decision to purchase a home is one of the most significant investments most people will make in their life, and this automatically means there are a lot of questions that need to be answered before putting any money down. If you’re considering making the leap, here are some insights into some of the common questions you might have.

How Much Should You Put Down?

While many homebuyers have the option of putting as little as 3% down in order to purchase a home, there are benefits to saving up for a down payment and putting in 15 or 20%. Because your interest rate will be higher on a lower down payment, putting more down can mean a lower overall price tag and monthly payment.

Fixed or Variable Rate Mortgage?

While a fixed rate mortgage can be good for homeowners who are new to the market due to its stability, a variable rate can be hard to rely on because it can change all of the time. Fixed rates can end up costing more than variable rates in the event of low interest rates, but it’s important to determine your comfort level with the market is before deciding on your mortgage type.

How Will The Lender Assess You?

There are a number of different factors that lenders will assess you on including your income, personal debt load, employment and credit history. While it’s important to be in the good books for these reasons, a lower credit score does not mean you will not be able to qualify for a mortgage; it simply means that you may need to provide a higher down payment.

What Will The Monthly Payment Be?

One of the conundrums of home ownership is being able to determine what you’ll actually be paying per month to purchase your home, but this number is dependent on the size of your mortgage, your interest rate, and the frequency of your payments. There are also many handy online tools you can use to provide some estimates but it’s best that you consult your mortgage specialist about this.

Most homeowners, particularly those that are new to home ownership, have many questions when it comes to purchasing a home, but by being aware of what a lender looks at and what you should put down, you’re well on your way to a healthy attitude towards ownership. If you’re currently considering buying a home, contact your local mortgage professional for more information.

Posted in Home Mortgage Tips | Tags: Home Mortgage Tips, Interest Rates, Mortgage |

Pay Off Your Home Faster with These Mortgage Tips

Posted on July 1, 2016 by joeglez

Pay Off Your Home Faster with These Mortgage TipsThe monthly mortgage payment that goes into purchasing a home is frequently the most expensive cost per month that most people will incur, and that means that it can be helpful to know the tricks of the trade in squaring away this payment more quickly. If you’re looking for some simple tips to get your mortgage paid off a little sooner, here are some pointers that will help you get to this goal.

Make Bi-Weekly Payments

It may seems like enough of an expenditure to pay your mortgage once a month, but making payments every two weeks can actually greatly reduce the amount of interest you’ll end up paying. For example, if your monthly payment happens to be $400, this would equate to $4800.00 in payments for the year. However, if you pay bi-weekly, this will actually increase your payment per year to $5200.00. While it may not seem like a significant difference, this can break down the principal and save you a lot of money on interest

Pay It Off With Extra Funds

It can be so easy to get used to the standard payment schedule that putting extra money down just seems like a burden, but if you receive an inheritance, a raise or get a bonus at work, you may want to consider putting this extra money towards your mortgage instead of a splurge! While smaller monthly payments will decrease your mortgage over time, a lump sum can help you see the difference in your monthly payment right away, which is a boon for paying it down further.

Keep Up-To-Date On Your Mortgage Options

Many people would rather forget about their mortgage and stick to what they’ve worked out when all’s said and done, but it’s a good idea to keep abreast of what’s happening on the market in case it can positively impact your mortgage. By keeping up to date on interest rates and more recent mortgage options, you may be able to negotiate a better deal or at least stay on top of your monthly payments in the event of an interest rate increase.

The monthly mortgage payment schedule can be a bit of a burden for many people, but there are ways to pay off your mortgage more quickly that can easily improve your sense of financial wellbeing. Contact your local mortgage professional for more information.

Posted in Home Mortgage Tips | Tags: Home Mortgage Tips, Mortgage |

Pay Off Your Home Faster with These Mortgage Tips

Posted on July 1, 2016 by joeglez

Pay Off Your Home Faster with These Mortgage TipsThe monthly mortgage payment that goes into purchasing a home is frequently the most expensive cost per month that most people will incur, and that means that it can be helpful to know the tricks of the trade in squaring away this payment more quickly. If you’re looking for some simple tips to get your mortgage paid off a little sooner, here are some pointers that will help you get to this goal.

Make Bi-Weekly Payments

It may seems like enough of an expenditure to pay your mortgage once a month, but making payments every two weeks can actually greatly reduce the amount of interest you’ll end up paying. For example, if your monthly payment happens to be $400, this would equate to $4800.00 in payments for the year. However, if you pay bi-weekly, this will actually increase your payment per year to $5200.00. While it may not seem like a significant difference, this can break down the principal and save you a lot of money on interest

Pay It Off With Extra Funds

It can be so easy to get used to the standard payment schedule that putting extra money down just seems like a burden, but if you receive an inheritance, a raise or get a bonus at work, you may want to consider putting this extra money towards your mortgage instead of a splurge! While smaller monthly payments will decrease your mortgage over time, a lump sum can help you see the difference in your monthly payment right away, which is a boon for paying it down further.

Keep Up-To-Date On Your Mortgage Options

Many people would rather forget about their mortgage and stick to what they’ve worked out when all’s said and done, but it’s a good idea to keep abreast of what’s happening on the market in case it can positively impact your mortgage. By keeping up to date on interest rates and more recent mortgage options, you may be able to negotiate a better deal or at least stay on top of your monthly payments in the event of an interest rate increase.

The monthly mortgage payment schedule can be a bit of a burden for many people, but there are ways to pay off your mortgage more quickly that can easily improve your sense of financial wellbeing. Contact your local mortgage professional for more information.

Posted in Home Mortgage Tips | Tags: Home Mortgage Tips, Mortgage |

Separation Anxiety: How to Deal with a Joint Mortgage Loan in the Event of a Divorce

Posted on August 21, 2014 by joeglez

Separation Anxiety: How to Deal with a Joint Mortgage Loan in the Event of a DivorceDuring the course of a marriage, it is common for the couple to acquire property together. This is what is referred to as joint or community property.

When a couple divorces, it is up to the parties involved to determine what happens to this joint property or let a judge use applicable law to determine how property is to be split.

What Happens To The House?

A couple of options are available when deciding what to do with a house where both partners are listed on the mortgage. First, the couple may decide to simply sell the home and split the proceeds from the sale.

Another option would be for one person to give the other person the house as part of the divorce settlement.

Technically, the house is sold or transferred and whoever gets the home is now the sole person listed on the mortgage.

Beware Of The Tax Implications

Typically, the person who gets the house should be the person who is in the lower tax bracket. This is because capital gains taxes may be lower or non-existent for those who are in the 10 or 15 percent tax bracket.

If the house is sold and the proceeds are split, capital gains taxes are exempted on the first $250,000 of profit made on the sale. For a married couple, the exemption is $500,000. Therefore, it may be worthwhile to sell the house before the marriage is over.

What If Children Are Involved?

In the event that the divorcing couple has a child, the best interest of the child must be considered. Typically, a judge will award a principal residence to the parent who will raise the child after the divorce is finalized.

To help the custodial parent afford any payments on the house, the other parent may be asked to help make payments as part of a child support or alimony agreement. This may be beneficial to the noncustodial parent as payments that are considered alimony are tax deductible.

When a couple divorces, they have a lot to think about. As this may be an emotional time, figuring out what to do with a home where both parties are on the mortgage can be difficult. However, those who are divorcing amicably or who want what is best for their children can come to an agreement without a lot of stress or drama.

Posted in Home Mortgage Tips | Tags: Mortgage, Mortgage Financing, Mortgage Tips |

Scam Alert! Three Mortgage Modification Scams to Watch out for (And How to Avoid Them)

Posted on August 19, 2014 by joeglez

Scam Alert! Three Mortgage Modification Scams to Watch out for (And How to Avoid Them)As if homeowners who are facing foreclosure don’t have enough to worry about, a multitude of loan modification scam artists have invaded the internet, public files and even foreclosure notices in newspapers in hopes of targeting their next victim. By identifying the top three modification scams and learning how to avoid them, at-risk homeowners can protect themselves (and their homes).

Never Pay For Mortgage Modification Assistance

Many desperate homeowners fall victim to scam artists who offer to provide them with assistance in the loan modification process for an exorbitant fee. Many times the scam artist who promises to provide assistance will require that the homeowner pay the fee upfront, after which they will provide very little assistance or simply take the money and run. Consumers should be aware that assistance and counseling services are offered for free through a number of reputable HUD approved counseling agencies.

Avoid Transferring The Deed

One popular scam that at-risk homeowners often face is the property deed scam in which scam artists promise to purchase the home in question, agreeing to let the desperate homeowner rent it out. They suggest that turning over the deed to a borrower with a better credit rating will offer additional financing opportunities, thus preventing the loss of the home. The scammer often promises to sell the home back to the homeowner, but in reality has no intention of doing so.

Many times the scam artist will sell the home to another buyer. In some instances, the crook will collect any processing fees, take the title to the home and any equity, and then leave the home to default. It is a good idea for consumers who are approached with a property deed scam to report it to the FTC.

Ignore Unrealistic Promises

Mortgage modification scammers often make promises to do such things as negotiate a solution to the foreclosure more quickly, process mortgage payments for the consumer while the negotiation is being worked out, or even guarantee a loan modification. Since the actual lender is the only one who can agree to a loan modification, and this solution requires additional processing time, overnight fixes are almost always scams. Additionally, consumers should never make mortgage payments to anyone other than their lender.

For additional information about mortgage modification scams and how to avoid them, or to receive assistance with working out a solution to avoid foreclosure, at-risk homeowners should contact their mortgage professional.

Posted in Home Mortgage Tips | Tags: Mortgage, Mortgage Modification, Mortgage Tips |

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