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 [...]
In a big surprise for the housing market, more American homeowners emerged from deeply underwater mortgages at the end of the year—about a million more than were even expected. During the course of 2013, 1.6 million homeowners moved away from being deeply underwater, which is when a home is worth at least 25 percent less [...]
The rising costs of mortgage insurance could make FHA loans a bad deal for many homebuyers. The Federal Housing Administration, or FHA, allows for low down payments for buyers even if that buyer has a low credit score, but it comes at a high cost. http://youtu.be/2i6Ir-kvImg Many buyers who need a mortgage to buy [...]
Buying a home is exciting, but it usually comes with a lot of questions—the biggest of which is usually “How much can I afford to spend on a mortgage?” In order to figure it out, you need to understand all of the expenses involved in owning a home. Scroll down for video Mortgage companies look [...]
Is the foreclosure crisis over? Home prices are rising, but there are still too many foreclosures to be a normal housing market. It depends on where you stand. Is this your reality? The housing market is on an upswing. Mortgage interest rates are still low, home prices are rising dramatically, and the stock prices of companies [...]
Homes are more affordable than they’ve been in decades, and mortgage interest rates are at historic lows. As a result, many first-time homebuyers feel that this is the perfect time to jump into the real estate market. Buying a home is exciting, but it can also come with unforeseen economic obstacles. If you are a [...]
Got the wrong address on your mortgage documents? Don't worry too much about a typo on your mortgage documents. Q: My mortgage documents list my property address incorrectly. It's a small typo. The lender misspelled the name of my street. Will this cause me problems when it comes time to sell my property? I can’t [...]
Home much home can I afford? Home buying can be stressful when you are concerned about the cost of your mortgage. Q: We are retired school teachers with an income of 51,000. We only have $100,000 saved but our teachers’ pension covers our monthly living expenses. My husband has wanted a small farm and put [...]
Many people wonder if they should prepay their mortgage. Prepaying a mortgage isn't the best thing for everyone and requires financial planning. Q: I enjoy your articles but I think you left out a couple of extremely important items in your questions to ask about taking out a mortgage loan. In some states, prepayment penalties [...]
The housing markets future predictions is a question many people have. Deciding if you should buy a home now or wait takes some consideration. Q: I am a married, 65-year old retiree. I spent 22 years in the military (with a pension), and then worked another 22 years (44 total) for corporate America. I want [...]
