Showing posts with label bankruptcy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bankruptcy. Show all posts
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Top Ten Tips to Avoid Foreclosure
Watch How to Avoid Foreclosure - Top Ten Tips in How to Videos | View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com
Rob Alley, Realtor
The Avery Group at Roy Wheeler
540-250-3275
roballey@roywheeler.com
http://www.robsellscharlottesville.com/
http://www.forestlakesliving.com/
http://www.theaverygroup.com/
Top Ten Tips to Avoid Foreclosure
Watch How to Avoid Foreclosure - Top Ten Tips in How to Videos | View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com
Rob Alley, Realtor
The Avery Group at Roy Wheeler
540-250-3275
roballey@roywheeler.com
http://www.robsellscharlottesville.com/
http://www.forestlakesliving.com/
http://www.theaverygroup.com/
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Credit Scoring Part IV
Credit Scoring
Part IV: Credit Remediation
If you are in need of credit remediation, and especially if you live in an area where this is an overall problem within the population, you should seek to align yourself with a credible referral source for credit repair. While government web sites will suggest that self-help may be the best option, keep in mind that for the most part people lack discipline when it comes to spending and making payments. They are not likely to have the diligence to research and remedy their own credit problems.
The Federal Trade Commission regulates credit repair services, and they provide free information to help consumer’s spot, stop, and avoid businesses with fraudulent, deceptive, or unfair practices. Be familiar with the Credit Repair Organization Act http://www.ftc.gov/os/statutes/croa/croa.htm as you seek out a genuine ally in this area. Research their background and make sure this company will cast a good reflection on you when you refer your clients to them.
written by Leonard Winslow, a Mortgage Loan Officer, of Gateway Bank Mortgage, INC. for The Avery Group Real Estate Blog
Part IV: Credit Remediation
If you are in need of credit remediation, and especially if you live in an area where this is an overall problem within the population, you should seek to align yourself with a credible referral source for credit repair. While government web sites will suggest that self-help may be the best option, keep in mind that for the most part people lack discipline when it comes to spending and making payments. They are not likely to have the diligence to research and remedy their own credit problems.
The Federal Trade Commission regulates credit repair services, and they provide free information to help consumer’s spot, stop, and avoid businesses with fraudulent, deceptive, or unfair practices. Be familiar with the Credit Repair Organization Act http://www.ftc.gov/os/statutes/croa/croa.htm as you seek out a genuine ally in this area. Research their background and make sure this company will cast a good reflection on you when you refer your clients to them.
written by Leonard Winslow, a Mortgage Loan Officer, of Gateway Bank Mortgage, INC. for The Avery Group Real Estate Blog
Credit Scoring Part IV
Credit Scoring
Part IV: Credit Remediation
If you are in need of credit remediation, and especially if you live in an area where this is an overall problem within the population, you should seek to align yourself with a credible referral source for credit repair. While government web sites will suggest that self-help may be the best option, keep in mind that for the most part people lack discipline when it comes to spending and making payments. They are not likely to have the diligence to research and remedy their own credit problems.
The Federal Trade Commission regulates credit repair services, and they provide free information to help consumer’s spot, stop, and avoid businesses with fraudulent, deceptive, or unfair practices. Be familiar with the Credit Repair Organization Act http://www.ftc.gov/os/statutes/croa/croa.htm as you seek out a genuine ally in this area. Research their background and make sure this company will cast a good reflection on you when you refer your clients to them.
written by Leonard Winslow, a Mortgage Loan Officer, of Gateway Bank Mortgage, INC. for The Avery Group Real Estate Blog
Part IV: Credit Remediation
If you are in need of credit remediation, and especially if you live in an area where this is an overall problem within the population, you should seek to align yourself with a credible referral source for credit repair. While government web sites will suggest that self-help may be the best option, keep in mind that for the most part people lack discipline when it comes to spending and making payments. They are not likely to have the diligence to research and remedy their own credit problems.
The Federal Trade Commission regulates credit repair services, and they provide free information to help consumer’s spot, stop, and avoid businesses with fraudulent, deceptive, or unfair practices. Be familiar with the Credit Repair Organization Act http://www.ftc.gov/os/statutes/croa/croa.htm as you seek out a genuine ally in this area. Research their background and make sure this company will cast a good reflection on you when you refer your clients to them.
written by Leonard Winslow, a Mortgage Loan Officer, of Gateway Bank Mortgage, INC. for The Avery Group Real Estate Blog
A Lenders Response to the Bailout Rescue Plan
The Chinese have a proverb: "May you live in interesting times." And we are living through interesting times indeed.
Whatever the political posturing regarding the rescue plan, a plan needed to be passed. Credit markets are frozen and banks are going bust every day. This is not totally because of "toxic" mortgages. This has a lot to do with FASB 157, also known as "mark to market".
Each day, lenders must mark their assets to the marketplace. It's like you having to appraise your home everyday and, if your neighbor was under duress because she got very ill, divorced, lost her job and was forced to sell her home quickly, she may have sold it super cheap. Now, does that mean your house is worth that super cheap price, too? Clearly not. Why? Because you are not under duress. You have the time to sell your home and get a more normal price, which more accurately reflects true market conditions. But "mark to market" does not allow for this, which creates a vicious cycle.
Why is this so bad? Because, as lenders mark down their assets the amount that they have previously loaned becomes much riskier in relation to their assets. For example, say a bank has $1 million in assets and say they have $15 million in loans outstanding. Their ratio is an acceptable 15 to 1. But should they take a paper write down of $500 thousand due to "mark to market" requirements, their ratio suddenly changes to 30 to 1. This is because their assets are now only $500 thousand after taking the paper loss, while their loans outstanding are still $15 million. And at 30 to 1 this bank is viewed as a risky investment. So the stock price starts to get hit, it becomes harder to borrow, and most importantly harder to make money. The bank is then forced to sell some of its loans to reduce its ratio...at cheap prices.
And this makes the vicious cycle continue. And a quick look at the holdings of these loans show that 95% are problem free. Additionally, the Credit Default Swaps (CDS) that are used with the pools of mortgages are relatively safe. But this requires a bit of understanding. You see, when a pool of mortgage loans is put together it isn't just A paper or B paper etc. it's everything. It's got some A paper, B paper, C paper...and even what looks like toilet paper. An "A" investor buys the whole pool but because they are an "A" investor their safety is greater because they can avoid the first 20% (an example) of defaults. So they own the whole pool but are sheltered from the first batch of defaults, and for this they get the lowest rate of return. As you can figure from here the more risk investors want to take, the higher the return. So the investments are relatively safe, but the accounting rules currently place undue pressure on the banking institutions.
Now add to all this, the opportunistic "shorting" done on the financial stocks, much of it illegal because those shorts did not legitimately borrow shares (called naked shorting), and you exacerbate this whole problem. Thank goodness for the recent temporary ban on shorting in the financial sector. As for the plan, the government is the only one who can step in to do this. And they have to do this. And they will do this. The nauseating political posturing from both sides is just part of the process.
This is not easy to understand for the general public. In fact most politicians don't get this either. That's why it is a difficult yet critical bill for them to vote on.
Once this is done, it will take some time but the markets will stabilize. As for the real estate and mortgage industries, it will take a bit of time but we will make it through this. Rates will remain attractive and the influx of credit availability will help the housing market gradually improve. This ultimately will be the medicine needed to improve the situation overall.
As always – please keep in touch during these volatile times. I am here to help you and your clients in any way that I can.
Sincerely,
Leonard Winslow
Gateway Bank Mortgage
434-220-3409
leonardwinslow@gwfh.com
Whatever the political posturing regarding the rescue plan, a plan needed to be passed. Credit markets are frozen and banks are going bust every day. This is not totally because of "toxic" mortgages. This has a lot to do with FASB 157, also known as "mark to market".
Each day, lenders must mark their assets to the marketplace. It's like you having to appraise your home everyday and, if your neighbor was under duress because she got very ill, divorced, lost her job and was forced to sell her home quickly, she may have sold it super cheap. Now, does that mean your house is worth that super cheap price, too? Clearly not. Why? Because you are not under duress. You have the time to sell your home and get a more normal price, which more accurately reflects true market conditions. But "mark to market" does not allow for this, which creates a vicious cycle.
Why is this so bad? Because, as lenders mark down their assets the amount that they have previously loaned becomes much riskier in relation to their assets. For example, say a bank has $1 million in assets and say they have $15 million in loans outstanding. Their ratio is an acceptable 15 to 1. But should they take a paper write down of $500 thousand due to "mark to market" requirements, their ratio suddenly changes to 30 to 1. This is because their assets are now only $500 thousand after taking the paper loss, while their loans outstanding are still $15 million. And at 30 to 1 this bank is viewed as a risky investment. So the stock price starts to get hit, it becomes harder to borrow, and most importantly harder to make money. The bank is then forced to sell some of its loans to reduce its ratio...at cheap prices.
And this makes the vicious cycle continue. And a quick look at the holdings of these loans show that 95% are problem free. Additionally, the Credit Default Swaps (CDS) that are used with the pools of mortgages are relatively safe. But this requires a bit of understanding. You see, when a pool of mortgage loans is put together it isn't just A paper or B paper etc. it's everything. It's got some A paper, B paper, C paper...and even what looks like toilet paper. An "A" investor buys the whole pool but because they are an "A" investor their safety is greater because they can avoid the first 20% (an example) of defaults. So they own the whole pool but are sheltered from the first batch of defaults, and for this they get the lowest rate of return. As you can figure from here the more risk investors want to take, the higher the return. So the investments are relatively safe, but the accounting rules currently place undue pressure on the banking institutions.
Now add to all this, the opportunistic "shorting" done on the financial stocks, much of it illegal because those shorts did not legitimately borrow shares (called naked shorting), and you exacerbate this whole problem. Thank goodness for the recent temporary ban on shorting in the financial sector. As for the plan, the government is the only one who can step in to do this. And they have to do this. And they will do this. The nauseating political posturing from both sides is just part of the process.
This is not easy to understand for the general public. In fact most politicians don't get this either. That's why it is a difficult yet critical bill for them to vote on.
Once this is done, it will take some time but the markets will stabilize. As for the real estate and mortgage industries, it will take a bit of time but we will make it through this. Rates will remain attractive and the influx of credit availability will help the housing market gradually improve. This ultimately will be the medicine needed to improve the situation overall.
As always – please keep in touch during these volatile times. I am here to help you and your clients in any way that I can.
Sincerely,
Leonard Winslow
Gateway Bank Mortgage
434-220-3409
leonardwinslow@gwfh.com
A Lenders Response to the Bailout Rescue Plan
The Chinese have a proverb: "May you live in interesting times." And we are living through interesting times indeed.
Whatever the political posturing regarding the rescue plan, a plan needed to be passed. Credit markets are frozen and banks are going bust every day. This is not totally because of "toxic" mortgages. This has a lot to do with FASB 157, also known as "mark to market".
Each day, lenders must mark their assets to the marketplace. It's like you having to appraise your home everyday and, if your neighbor was under duress because she got very ill, divorced, lost her job and was forced to sell her home quickly, she may have sold it super cheap. Now, does that mean your house is worth that super cheap price, too? Clearly not. Why? Because you are not under duress. You have the time to sell your home and get a more normal price, which more accurately reflects true market conditions. But "mark to market" does not allow for this, which creates a vicious cycle.
Why is this so bad? Because, as lenders mark down their assets the amount that they have previously loaned becomes much riskier in relation to their assets. For example, say a bank has $1 million in assets and say they have $15 million in loans outstanding. Their ratio is an acceptable 15 to 1. But should they take a paper write down of $500 thousand due to "mark to market" requirements, their ratio suddenly changes to 30 to 1. This is because their assets are now only $500 thousand after taking the paper loss, while their loans outstanding are still $15 million. And at 30 to 1 this bank is viewed as a risky investment. So the stock price starts to get hit, it becomes harder to borrow, and most importantly harder to make money. The bank is then forced to sell some of its loans to reduce its ratio...at cheap prices.
And this makes the vicious cycle continue. And a quick look at the holdings of these loans show that 95% are problem free. Additionally, the Credit Default Swaps (CDS) that are used with the pools of mortgages are relatively safe. But this requires a bit of understanding. You see, when a pool of mortgage loans is put together it isn't just A paper or B paper etc. it's everything. It's got some A paper, B paper, C paper...and even what looks like toilet paper. An "A" investor buys the whole pool but because they are an "A" investor their safety is greater because they can avoid the first 20% (an example) of defaults. So they own the whole pool but are sheltered from the first batch of defaults, and for this they get the lowest rate of return. As you can figure from here the more risk investors want to take, the higher the return. So the investments are relatively safe, but the accounting rules currently place undue pressure on the banking institutions.
Now add to all this, the opportunistic "shorting" done on the financial stocks, much of it illegal because those shorts did not legitimately borrow shares (called naked shorting), and you exacerbate this whole problem. Thank goodness for the recent temporary ban on shorting in the financial sector. As for the plan, the government is the only one who can step in to do this. And they have to do this. And they will do this. The nauseating political posturing from both sides is just part of the process.
This is not easy to understand for the general public. In fact most politicians don't get this either. That's why it is a difficult yet critical bill for them to vote on.
Once this is done, it will take some time but the markets will stabilize. As for the real estate and mortgage industries, it will take a bit of time but we will make it through this. Rates will remain attractive and the influx of credit availability will help the housing market gradually improve. This ultimately will be the medicine needed to improve the situation overall.
As always – please keep in touch during these volatile times. I am here to help you and your clients in any way that I can.
Sincerely,
Leonard Winslow
Gateway Bank Mortgage
434-220-3409
leonardwinslow@gwfh.com
Whatever the political posturing regarding the rescue plan, a plan needed to be passed. Credit markets are frozen and banks are going bust every day. This is not totally because of "toxic" mortgages. This has a lot to do with FASB 157, also known as "mark to market".
Each day, lenders must mark their assets to the marketplace. It's like you having to appraise your home everyday and, if your neighbor was under duress because she got very ill, divorced, lost her job and was forced to sell her home quickly, she may have sold it super cheap. Now, does that mean your house is worth that super cheap price, too? Clearly not. Why? Because you are not under duress. You have the time to sell your home and get a more normal price, which more accurately reflects true market conditions. But "mark to market" does not allow for this, which creates a vicious cycle.
Why is this so bad? Because, as lenders mark down their assets the amount that they have previously loaned becomes much riskier in relation to their assets. For example, say a bank has $1 million in assets and say they have $15 million in loans outstanding. Their ratio is an acceptable 15 to 1. But should they take a paper write down of $500 thousand due to "mark to market" requirements, their ratio suddenly changes to 30 to 1. This is because their assets are now only $500 thousand after taking the paper loss, while their loans outstanding are still $15 million. And at 30 to 1 this bank is viewed as a risky investment. So the stock price starts to get hit, it becomes harder to borrow, and most importantly harder to make money. The bank is then forced to sell some of its loans to reduce its ratio...at cheap prices.
And this makes the vicious cycle continue. And a quick look at the holdings of these loans show that 95% are problem free. Additionally, the Credit Default Swaps (CDS) that are used with the pools of mortgages are relatively safe. But this requires a bit of understanding. You see, when a pool of mortgage loans is put together it isn't just A paper or B paper etc. it's everything. It's got some A paper, B paper, C paper...and even what looks like toilet paper. An "A" investor buys the whole pool but because they are an "A" investor their safety is greater because they can avoid the first 20% (an example) of defaults. So they own the whole pool but are sheltered from the first batch of defaults, and for this they get the lowest rate of return. As you can figure from here the more risk investors want to take, the higher the return. So the investments are relatively safe, but the accounting rules currently place undue pressure on the banking institutions.
Now add to all this, the opportunistic "shorting" done on the financial stocks, much of it illegal because those shorts did not legitimately borrow shares (called naked shorting), and you exacerbate this whole problem. Thank goodness for the recent temporary ban on shorting in the financial sector. As for the plan, the government is the only one who can step in to do this. And they have to do this. And they will do this. The nauseating political posturing from both sides is just part of the process.
This is not easy to understand for the general public. In fact most politicians don't get this either. That's why it is a difficult yet critical bill for them to vote on.
Once this is done, it will take some time but the markets will stabilize. As for the real estate and mortgage industries, it will take a bit of time but we will make it through this. Rates will remain attractive and the influx of credit availability will help the housing market gradually improve. This ultimately will be the medicine needed to improve the situation overall.
As always – please keep in touch during these volatile times. I am here to help you and your clients in any way that I can.
Sincerely,
Leonard Winslow
Gateway Bank Mortgage
434-220-3409
leonardwinslow@gwfh.com
700 Billion Dollar Bailout for who??
So Congress passes a seven hundred billion dollar bailout...but who is going to benefit from this "bailout"? It appears the bill is more designed to jumpstart a struggling world market and not individual homeowners. Foreclosures are rising, short sales are becoming more prominent, more homeowners are looking at ways to afford their payments and reduce their debt, and stocks continue to struggle. All in all, not good. What we are waiting for is a trickle down effect. We will probably see the government give money to banks to encourage lending between banks. This should increase confidence and make banks more willing to lend again. Hopefully, this extra capital will become available to people trying to make their payments, ease the burden, but only time will tell...
700 Billion Dollar Bailout for who??
So Congress passes a seven hundred billion dollar bailout...but who is going to benefit from this "bailout"? It appears the bill is more designed to jumpstart a struggling world market and not individual homeowners. Foreclosures are rising, short sales are becoming more prominent, more homeowners are looking at ways to afford their payments and reduce their debt, and stocks continue to struggle. All in all, not good. What we are waiting for is a trickle down effect. We will probably see the government give money to banks to encourage lending between banks. This should increase confidence and make banks more willing to lend again. Hopefully, this extra capital will become available to people trying to make their payments, ease the burden, but only time will tell...
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
To finance or not to finance....
Tuesday's bond market has well in negative territory following a stock rebound that has shifted funds back away from bonds. The stock markets are rebounding after yesterday's walloping with the Dow up 260 points and the Nasdaq up 30 points. This means that the major stock indexes have recovered approximately one-third of yesterday's losses. The bond market benefited form yesterday's stock sell-off but is suffering today as investors move funds back into stocks. The result is the bond market down 13/32 that will likely push this morning's mortgage rates higher by approximately .250 of a discount point.
Today's only economic news was September's Consumer Confidence Index (CCI). It showed a reading of 59.8 that was much higher than forecasts had called for. Analysts were expecting to see a reading of 55.0, meaning that consumers had more confidence in their own financial situation than was expected. This is considered bad news for bonds and mortgage rates because it indicates that consumers are more willing to make large purchases in the near future.
Tomorrow only relevant data is the Institute for Supply Management's (ISM) manufacturing index for September. This index gives us an indication of manufacturer sentiment. Analysts are expecting to see a 0.4 decline from last month's 49.9 reading. The 50.0 benchmark is extremely important because a reading below that level means more surveyed executives felt business worsened than those who said it had improved. This data is important not only because it measures manufacturer sentiment, but it is very recent data. Some economic releases track data that are 30-60 days old, but the ISM index is only a few weeks old. If we get a smaller than expected reading, I expect to see the bond market rally and mortgage rates fall tomorrow morning.
We need to keep an eye on the stock markets and Fed bailout attempt. I don't think we will see much come today as the markets take a breather, but we probably will see more volatility in stocks before the end of the week. This could affect bond prices and mortgage rates. Generally speaking, look for stock weakness to lead to bond gains and lower mortgage rates as investors move funds into the safety of bonds. If the stock markets continue to move higher, we should see bonds suffer and mortgage rates move higher.
If I were considering financing/refinancing a home, I would.... Lock if my closing was taking place within 7 days... Lock if my closing was taking place between 8 and 20 days... Lock if my closing was taking place between 21 and 60 days... Float if my closing was taking place over 60 days from now... This is only my opinion of what I would do if I were financing a home. It is only an opinion and cannot be guaranteed to be in the best interest of all/any other borrowers.
Today's only economic news was September's Consumer Confidence Index (CCI). It showed a reading of 59.8 that was much higher than forecasts had called for. Analysts were expecting to see a reading of 55.0, meaning that consumers had more confidence in their own financial situation than was expected. This is considered bad news for bonds and mortgage rates because it indicates that consumers are more willing to make large purchases in the near future.
Tomorrow only relevant data is the Institute for Supply Management's (ISM) manufacturing index for September. This index gives us an indication of manufacturer sentiment. Analysts are expecting to see a 0.4 decline from last month's 49.9 reading. The 50.0 benchmark is extremely important because a reading below that level means more surveyed executives felt business worsened than those who said it had improved. This data is important not only because it measures manufacturer sentiment, but it is very recent data. Some economic releases track data that are 30-60 days old, but the ISM index is only a few weeks old. If we get a smaller than expected reading, I expect to see the bond market rally and mortgage rates fall tomorrow morning.
We need to keep an eye on the stock markets and Fed bailout attempt. I don't think we will see much come today as the markets take a breather, but we probably will see more volatility in stocks before the end of the week. This could affect bond prices and mortgage rates. Generally speaking, look for stock weakness to lead to bond gains and lower mortgage rates as investors move funds into the safety of bonds. If the stock markets continue to move higher, we should see bonds suffer and mortgage rates move higher.
If I were considering financing/refinancing a home, I would.... Lock if my closing was taking place within 7 days... Lock if my closing was taking place between 8 and 20 days... Lock if my closing was taking place between 21 and 60 days... Float if my closing was taking place over 60 days from now... This is only my opinion of what I would do if I were financing a home. It is only an opinion and cannot be guaranteed to be in the best interest of all/any other borrowers.
To finance or not to finance....
Tuesday's bond market has well in negative territory following a stock rebound that has shifted funds back away from bonds. The stock markets are rebounding after yesterday's walloping with the Dow up 260 points and the Nasdaq up 30 points. This means that the major stock indexes have recovered approximately one-third of yesterday's losses. The bond market benefited form yesterday's stock sell-off but is suffering today as investors move funds back into stocks. The result is the bond market down 13/32 that will likely push this morning's mortgage rates higher by approximately .250 of a discount point.
Today's only economic news was September's Consumer Confidence Index (CCI). It showed a reading of 59.8 that was much higher than forecasts had called for. Analysts were expecting to see a reading of 55.0, meaning that consumers had more confidence in their own financial situation than was expected. This is considered bad news for bonds and mortgage rates because it indicates that consumers are more willing to make large purchases in the near future.
Tomorrow only relevant data is the Institute for Supply Management's (ISM) manufacturing index for September. This index gives us an indication of manufacturer sentiment. Analysts are expecting to see a 0.4 decline from last month's 49.9 reading. The 50.0 benchmark is extremely important because a reading below that level means more surveyed executives felt business worsened than those who said it had improved. This data is important not only because it measures manufacturer sentiment, but it is very recent data. Some economic releases track data that are 30-60 days old, but the ISM index is only a few weeks old. If we get a smaller than expected reading, I expect to see the bond market rally and mortgage rates fall tomorrow morning.
We need to keep an eye on the stock markets and Fed bailout attempt. I don't think we will see much come today as the markets take a breather, but we probably will see more volatility in stocks before the end of the week. This could affect bond prices and mortgage rates. Generally speaking, look for stock weakness to lead to bond gains and lower mortgage rates as investors move funds into the safety of bonds. If the stock markets continue to move higher, we should see bonds suffer and mortgage rates move higher.
If I were considering financing/refinancing a home, I would.... Lock if my closing was taking place within 7 days... Lock if my closing was taking place between 8 and 20 days... Lock if my closing was taking place between 21 and 60 days... Float if my closing was taking place over 60 days from now... This is only my opinion of what I would do if I were financing a home. It is only an opinion and cannot be guaranteed to be in the best interest of all/any other borrowers.
Today's only economic news was September's Consumer Confidence Index (CCI). It showed a reading of 59.8 that was much higher than forecasts had called for. Analysts were expecting to see a reading of 55.0, meaning that consumers had more confidence in their own financial situation than was expected. This is considered bad news for bonds and mortgage rates because it indicates that consumers are more willing to make large purchases in the near future.
Tomorrow only relevant data is the Institute for Supply Management's (ISM) manufacturing index for September. This index gives us an indication of manufacturer sentiment. Analysts are expecting to see a 0.4 decline from last month's 49.9 reading. The 50.0 benchmark is extremely important because a reading below that level means more surveyed executives felt business worsened than those who said it had improved. This data is important not only because it measures manufacturer sentiment, but it is very recent data. Some economic releases track data that are 30-60 days old, but the ISM index is only a few weeks old. If we get a smaller than expected reading, I expect to see the bond market rally and mortgage rates fall tomorrow morning.
We need to keep an eye on the stock markets and Fed bailout attempt. I don't think we will see much come today as the markets take a breather, but we probably will see more volatility in stocks before the end of the week. This could affect bond prices and mortgage rates. Generally speaking, look for stock weakness to lead to bond gains and lower mortgage rates as investors move funds into the safety of bonds. If the stock markets continue to move higher, we should see bonds suffer and mortgage rates move higher.
If I were considering financing/refinancing a home, I would.... Lock if my closing was taking place within 7 days... Lock if my closing was taking place between 8 and 20 days... Lock if my closing was taking place between 21 and 60 days... Float if my closing was taking place over 60 days from now... This is only my opinion of what I would do if I were financing a home. It is only an opinion and cannot be guaranteed to be in the best interest of all/any other borrowers.
Credit Scoring Part III: Dealing with Challenges
Part III: Dealing with Challenges
Typically, a person with a low credit score is in this position because they lack structure in his or her life. There are, of course, cases where unplanned health or employment complications are to blame, but for the most part, these are individuals who lack the discipline to pay their bills on time or curb their spending.
Let's take a look at some examples that can help to quickly improve less-than-perfect credit scores for the potential homebuyer:
Let's say we have a borrower with a credit score of 664. She has a concentration of credit card debt on one card; let's say $17,000 on a card with a $20,000 limit. At the same time, she has four or five additional credit cards, all with a zero balance. I would advise the borrower to distribute the debt over a number of her cards. Remember, a borrower's credit to debt ratio represents 30% of his or her overall score. By simply changing the ratio of available credit to debt, the borrower in this example could possibly increase her credit score to something closer to 700, saving thousands of dollars on her mortgage.
Another thing to take into consideration in a case like this is what percentage each of the five factors measure in the resulting credit score. Let's say we have a borrower with a "credit high" (the maximum debt allowance on all cards, combined) of $20,000. He has one card that is used for business purposes that is pushing the limit. I would advise the client to get two new cards and, once again, spread the debt out over all of his cards, leaving at least 30% available credit on each card. This will positively affect his overall score, based on the five elements of the FICO scoring model.
Conversely, the borrower should be advised not to close any existing credit card accounts, even if they are at a zero balance. Some people think they are doing themselves a favor by having fewer cards, but they lose out on the credit history factor. Even if the borrower does not have a good rate on an old credit card, they are rewarded for having the long-term credit history, and from time to time they should make a small purchase to keep the account in an active status.
These are just a few examples of what borrowers can do to improve their credit scores when they consider buying a home. If you are disappointed by the fact that you cannot get the most desirable loan up front, monitor your payment history and in time your school will rise so that you can purchase a home or refinance at a more favorable rate.
Stay tuned for Credit Scoring, Part IV: Credit Remediation
written by Leonard Winslow, a Mortgage Loan Officer, of Gateway Bank Mortgage, INC. for The Avery Group Real Estate BlogCredit Scoring Part III: Dealing with Challenges
Part III: Dealing with Challenges
Typically, a person with a low credit score is in this position because they lack structure in his or her life. There are, of course, cases where unplanned health or employment complications are to blame, but for the most part, these are individuals who lack the discipline to pay their bills on time or curb their spending.
Let's take a look at some examples that can help to quickly improve less-than-perfect credit scores for the potential homebuyer:
Let's say we have a borrower with a credit score of 664. She has a concentration of credit card debt on one card; let's say $17,000 on a card with a $20,000 limit. At the same time, she has four or five additional credit cards, all with a zero balance. I would advise the borrower to distribute the debt over a number of her cards. Remember, a borrower's credit to debt ratio represents 30% of his or her overall score. By simply changing the ratio of available credit to debt, the borrower in this example could possibly increase her credit score to something closer to 700, saving thousands of dollars on her mortgage.
Another thing to take into consideration in a case like this is what percentage each of the five factors measure in the resulting credit score. Let's say we have a borrower with a "credit high" (the maximum debt allowance on all cards, combined) of $20,000. He has one card that is used for business purposes that is pushing the limit. I would advise the client to get two new cards and, once again, spread the debt out over all of his cards, leaving at least 30% available credit on each card. This will positively affect his overall score, based on the five elements of the FICO scoring model.
Conversely, the borrower should be advised not to close any existing credit card accounts, even if they are at a zero balance. Some people think they are doing themselves a favor by having fewer cards, but they lose out on the credit history factor. Even if the borrower does not have a good rate on an old credit card, they are rewarded for having the long-term credit history, and from time to time they should make a small purchase to keep the account in an active status.
These are just a few examples of what borrowers can do to improve their credit scores when they consider buying a home. If you are disappointed by the fact that you cannot get the most desirable loan up front, monitor your payment history and in time your school will rise so that you can purchase a home or refinance at a more favorable rate.
Stay tuned for Credit Scoring, Part IV: Credit Remediation
written by Leonard Winslow, a Mortgage Loan Officer, of Gateway Bank Mortgage, INC. for The Avery Group Real Estate BlogTuesday, September 9, 2008
A Lender's Views on the Short Sale, Foreclosure
I was speaking with a mortgage loan officer today about the short sale, foreclosure, and mortgage "crisis" and his point of view was so interesting, I got him to put it in writing so I could share it. Here it goes:
FANNIE MAE AND FREDIE MAC TAKE OVER:
"The government is spending our dollars again"
"The mortgage companies have caused this debacle"
"The loan officer is a cheat and thief"
"My Realtor made me do it"
"It wasn’t explained to me"
"ITS NOT MY FAULT"-----------BALONEY
Lets put the blame where it truly belongs. It was and is the general public who is at fault. More specifically all those poor little folks who are having their homes taken from them because they can’t make their payments because they bought more than they should have, never paid their bills on time and want to have everything handed to them on a silver platter. SORRY you have been screwed blued and tattooed. In other words you deserve what you got or are getting. Grow up. Learn to pay your bills on time; learn to be honest about how much income you make, disclose the proper income on your tax returns... In my 20 years I have never seen more people think they deserve to have a home and therefore it should be handed to them. How any times have you wondered how your friend who has all the expensive toys yet works with so you know what they make, yet they can buy the 500,000 home. Guess what they don’t have that home now do they. And guess again who is paying for it one way or the other. That’s right, YOU ARE. Whose fault is it? Not mine. It comes down to Greed. Greed of the homeowner for wanting the mansion, GREED of the Realtor for wanting the commission, GREED of the loan officer for making the sub prime loan for the commission, Greed of the investors you wanted more income and GREED of the bond traders that gave the loan officers the guidelines.
I may sound harsh and unfeeling, it some ways I am, but in others I want to show the compassion to the hard working folks that have worked for what they have and take pride in that. Those hardworking folks that are having there homes taken because of the dishonesty of others should be helped, those people that are having there homes taken due to a loss of job or medical reasons should be helped, but the greedy home owners, they have gotten what they deserve.
Leonard Winslow, Mortgage Loan Officer
Gateway Bank Mortgage, INC.
Wow, those are some powerful words. Let us know what you think by posting comments!
Charlottesville Real Estate
Avery Group
Forest Lakes Real Estate
Charlottesville Real Estate Blog
FANNIE MAE AND FREDIE MAC TAKE OVER:
"The government is spending our dollars again"
"The mortgage companies have caused this debacle"
"The loan officer is a cheat and thief"
"My Realtor made me do it"
"It wasn’t explained to me"
"ITS NOT MY FAULT"-----------BALONEY
Lets put the blame where it truly belongs. It was and is the general public who is at fault. More specifically all those poor little folks who are having their homes taken from them because they can’t make their payments because they bought more than they should have, never paid their bills on time and want to have everything handed to them on a silver platter. SORRY you have been screwed blued and tattooed. In other words you deserve what you got or are getting. Grow up. Learn to pay your bills on time; learn to be honest about how much income you make, disclose the proper income on your tax returns... In my 20 years I have never seen more people think they deserve to have a home and therefore it should be handed to them. How any times have you wondered how your friend who has all the expensive toys yet works with so you know what they make, yet they can buy the 500,000 home. Guess what they don’t have that home now do they. And guess again who is paying for it one way or the other. That’s right, YOU ARE. Whose fault is it? Not mine. It comes down to Greed. Greed of the homeowner for wanting the mansion, GREED of the Realtor for wanting the commission, GREED of the loan officer for making the sub prime loan for the commission, Greed of the investors you wanted more income and GREED of the bond traders that gave the loan officers the guidelines.
I may sound harsh and unfeeling, it some ways I am, but in others I want to show the compassion to the hard working folks that have worked for what they have and take pride in that. Those hardworking folks that are having there homes taken because of the dishonesty of others should be helped, those people that are having there homes taken due to a loss of job or medical reasons should be helped, but the greedy home owners, they have gotten what they deserve.
Leonard Winslow, Mortgage Loan Officer
Gateway Bank Mortgage, INC.
Wow, those are some powerful words. Let us know what you think by posting comments!
Charlottesville Real Estate
Avery Group
Forest Lakes Real Estate
Charlottesville Real Estate Blog
A Lender's Views on the Short Sale, Foreclosure
I was speaking with a mortgage loan officer today about the short sale, foreclosure, and mortgage "crisis" and his point of view was so interesting, I got him to put it in writing so I could share it. Here it goes:
FANNIE MAE AND FREDIE MAC TAKE OVER:
"The government is spending our dollars again"
"The mortgage companies have caused this debacle"
"The loan officer is a cheat and thief"
"My Realtor made me do it"
"It wasn’t explained to me"
"ITS NOT MY FAULT"-----------BALONEY
Lets put the blame where it truly belongs. It was and is the general public who is at fault. More specifically all those poor little folks who are having their homes taken from them because they can’t make their payments because they bought more than they should have, never paid their bills on time and want to have everything handed to them on a silver platter. SORRY you have been screwed blued and tattooed. In other words you deserve what you got or are getting. Grow up. Learn to pay your bills on time; learn to be honest about how much income you make, disclose the proper income on your tax returns... In my 20 years I have never seen more people think they deserve to have a home and therefore it should be handed to them. How any times have you wondered how your friend who has all the expensive toys yet works with so you know what they make, yet they can buy the 500,000 home. Guess what they don’t have that home now do they. And guess again who is paying for it one way or the other. That’s right, YOU ARE. Whose fault is it? Not mine. It comes down to Greed. Greed of the homeowner for wanting the mansion, GREED of the Realtor for wanting the commission, GREED of the loan officer for making the sub prime loan for the commission, Greed of the investors you wanted more income and GREED of the bond traders that gave the loan officers the guidelines.
I may sound harsh and unfeeling, it some ways I am, but in others I want to show the compassion to the hard working folks that have worked for what they have and take pride in that. Those hardworking folks that are having there homes taken because of the dishonesty of others should be helped, those people that are having there homes taken due to a loss of job or medical reasons should be helped, but the greedy home owners, they have gotten what they deserve.
Leonard Winslow, Mortgage Loan Officer
Gateway Bank Mortgage, INC.
Wow, those are some powerful words. Let us know what you think by posting comments!
Charlottesville Real Estate
Avery Group
Forest Lakes Real Estate
Charlottesville Real Estate Blog
FANNIE MAE AND FREDIE MAC TAKE OVER:
"The government is spending our dollars again"
"The mortgage companies have caused this debacle"
"The loan officer is a cheat and thief"
"My Realtor made me do it"
"It wasn’t explained to me"
"ITS NOT MY FAULT"-----------BALONEY
Lets put the blame where it truly belongs. It was and is the general public who is at fault. More specifically all those poor little folks who are having their homes taken from them because they can’t make their payments because they bought more than they should have, never paid their bills on time and want to have everything handed to them on a silver platter. SORRY you have been screwed blued and tattooed. In other words you deserve what you got or are getting. Grow up. Learn to pay your bills on time; learn to be honest about how much income you make, disclose the proper income on your tax returns... In my 20 years I have never seen more people think they deserve to have a home and therefore it should be handed to them. How any times have you wondered how your friend who has all the expensive toys yet works with so you know what they make, yet they can buy the 500,000 home. Guess what they don’t have that home now do they. And guess again who is paying for it one way or the other. That’s right, YOU ARE. Whose fault is it? Not mine. It comes down to Greed. Greed of the homeowner for wanting the mansion, GREED of the Realtor for wanting the commission, GREED of the loan officer for making the sub prime loan for the commission, Greed of the investors you wanted more income and GREED of the bond traders that gave the loan officers the guidelines.
I may sound harsh and unfeeling, it some ways I am, but in others I want to show the compassion to the hard working folks that have worked for what they have and take pride in that. Those hardworking folks that are having there homes taken because of the dishonesty of others should be helped, those people that are having there homes taken due to a loss of job or medical reasons should be helped, but the greedy home owners, they have gotten what they deserve.
Leonard Winslow, Mortgage Loan Officer
Gateway Bank Mortgage, INC.
Wow, those are some powerful words. Let us know what you think by posting comments!
Charlottesville Real Estate
Avery Group
Forest Lakes Real Estate
Charlottesville Real Estate Blog
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Short Sale in Charlottesville
Not too long ago, we took a listing for a woman, for confidentiality we will call her "A". She had a home in the city of Charlottesville and was falling behind on her payments. We took her listing and proceeded with a short sale. Come to find out, her loan was for $90,000 more than the market value of the home. There is no way this house every got an appraisal for that much over what the home was worth, especially since it didn't have a HEAT SOURCE!!! By the way, homes without a heat source should never approve for a mortgage, especially a mortgage with a value greater than the market value. Anyway, we were able to sell her house, prevent foreclosure, save her credit AND get a great deal to an investor.
What's the point you ask? Well, there are a couple. One - there are options out there for people looking to prevent foreclosure. Two - in my opinion, any time you help people you are doing a service for the community. In this case, we helped one lady save her ability to follow the American Dream and borrow money when needed. We also got an investor, whose plans for the house will be great for the neighborhood as a whole, the right price to move in.
What's the point you ask? Well, there are a couple. One - there are options out there for people looking to prevent foreclosure. Two - in my opinion, any time you help people you are doing a service for the community. In this case, we helped one lady save her ability to follow the American Dream and borrow money when needed. We also got an investor, whose plans for the house will be great for the neighborhood as a whole, the right price to move in.
Short Sale in Charlottesville
Not too long ago, we took a listing for a woman, for confidentiality we will call her "A". She had a home in the city of Charlottesville and was falling behind on her payments. We took her listing and proceeded with a short sale. Come to find out, her loan was for $90,000 more than the market value of the home. There is no way this house every got an appraisal for that much over what the home was worth, especially since it didn't have a HEAT SOURCE!!! By the way, homes without a heat source should never approve for a mortgage, especially a mortgage with a value greater than the market value. Anyway, we were able to sell her house, prevent foreclosure, save her credit AND get a great deal to an investor.
What's the point you ask? Well, there are a couple. One - there are options out there for people looking to prevent foreclosure. Two - in my opinion, any time you help people you are doing a service for the community. In this case, we helped one lady save her ability to follow the American Dream and borrow money when needed. We also got an investor, whose plans for the house will be great for the neighborhood as a whole, the right price to move in.
What's the point you ask? Well, there are a couple. One - there are options out there for people looking to prevent foreclosure. Two - in my opinion, any time you help people you are doing a service for the community. In this case, we helped one lady save her ability to follow the American Dream and borrow money when needed. We also got an investor, whose plans for the house will be great for the neighborhood as a whole, the right price to move in.
Short Sales Becoming Common in Charlottesville
Myself and my group (the Avery Group) have been working short sales for a while now. We have successfully closed 5 short sales this year, have two more under contract, and have three more being listed. Most of them have been in Albemarle County. Despite what people think, or because they can only find 8 or 9 of them in the MLS, foreclosures and short sales are becoming more and more prevalent in our area. Even the Daily Progress has had a couple of articles about them in the newspaper. A short sale is a method of preventing foreclosure. With the exception of loan modification, it is usually the best option. 95% of the time you see a short sale, there is a foreclosure looming. Don't be fooled by terminology. Also, look for key terms in the MLS. For example, "subject to bank approval" is usually a good one to look for if you are looking for a possible foreclosure or short sale.
Short Sales Becoming Common in Charlottesville
Myself and my group (the Avery Group) have been working short sales for a while now. We have successfully closed 5 short sales this year, have two more under contract, and have three more being listed. Most of them have been in Albemarle County. Despite what people think, or because they can only find 8 or 9 of them in the MLS, foreclosures and short sales are becoming more and more prevalent in our area. Even the Daily Progress has had a couple of articles about them in the newspaper. A short sale is a method of preventing foreclosure. With the exception of loan modification, it is usually the best option. 95% of the time you see a short sale, there is a foreclosure looming. Don't be fooled by terminology. Also, look for key terms in the MLS. For example, "subject to bank approval" is usually a good one to look for if you are looking for a possible foreclosure or short sale.
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