“Spend less, save more.” It’s the third most popular new year’s resolution behind getting organized and losing weight, according to a Journal of Clinical Psychology study on resolutions. While I can’t help much with resolutions one and two (though it is helpful to apply the same principles to thinning your waistline as thinning your budget), the third one is [...]
It’s selling season and buyers are excited to take advantage of the incredible low interest rates out there. But before you start shopping for a mortgage, you should check your credit score. You need to know where your credit stands to be able to work towards the house of your dreams. FICO credit scores start at 300 [...]
When you’re shopping for a mortgage, it can be hard to decide what the best option is for you. Should you take the lower interest rate of an adjustable rate mortgage (ARM), or is it better to lock in your rate for 30 years? The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) suggests seven things to keep [...]
Home financing regulations have become a little more clear. New federal rules—which are intended to prevent the risky loans that sank the housing market—went into effect Jan. 10, and consumers may need to do a bit more work to get a mortgage. The QM rule is designed to ensure that lenders only make loans to [...]
The best mortgage rates are offered to those with the highest credit scores. This is true now more than ever. Since the housing market crashed, lenders only offer good mortgage rates if homebuyers have good credit scores. [VIDEO] If a borrower’s credit score is too low, the loan may not be approved at all. People [...]
Being prequalified or preapproved for a mortgage can help you determine how much home you can afford. If you are a potential homebuyer hoping to secure a new home that is within your family’s budget, get prequalified or preapproved for a home loan and determine the mortgage payments you can afford for your dream home. [...]
QM, or the qualified mortgage rule, kicks in Jan. 10. That means that mortgage lending is about to change somewhat as lenders deal with QM changes and work to meet all the rules they must follow to make a qualified mortgage. If you’re feeling confused—it is a tricky subject—this QM Q&A should clear some things [...]
When I started in the tax field, working with the IRS on installment agreements and Offers in Compromise was like standing in quicksand. The IRS made obscure rules and changed them arbitrarily. It acted as an utter tyrant. Then, in the 1980s, there were a series of Senate hearings about the problems, and what emerged [...]
A major cause of the housing crash in 2006 and 2007 was poorly documented mortgages that should not have been approved. Many of these mortgages ended in default and contributed to the four million foreclosures that cost families their homes and lowered home values by 50 percent or more in some communities. Mortgage lenders that [...]
Wondering if your lender allows mortgage prepayment? Most lenders today have stopped carrying out mortgage prepayment penalties. Q: You recently answered a question about a rental property owner deciding whether to refinance into a 15-year vs. a 30-year loan. I bought my house in 1976 for $70,000 with a 30-year loan where the mortgage payment [...]
