Archive for December, 2007

Remember that there is a…

…three day right of recession with any refinance. So you will not be walking away from the table with a check made out to you. It is in your best interest to plan ahead for this. If you need the cash by a certain date, be sure to apply with you mortgage professional as soon […]

How much do credit inquiries…

…really affect my credit score? Credit inquires account for 10% of your total credit score. That 10% can make a big difference when you are looking to purchase a new home or refinance your existing one. It is in your best interest to shop for the items that you need (house, car, new credit cards) […]

If you do need cash…

…for a project or something of that nature, then using your home’s equity is a great idea. If you were to borrow against a 401k program, you would more than likely have to pay some sort of penalty. With the cash-out refi, there are more tax advantages to acquiring the money needed. In some cases, […]

I paid off my credit cards…

…and checked my credit and nothing changed on my credit report The credit reporting companies can sometimes be a month or two behind the actual account activity so you may need to give it a little time to catch up. They also update on the 15th of every month so you need to check your […]

Cashing Out the equity in…

…your home to pay off high interest credit cards could potentially save you hundreds of dollars each month.

Why do I have 3 different…

…credit scores and why is there such a big difference between the 3 scores? You have 3 different credit scores because there are 3 main credit bureaus, or 3 main credit repositories. There is TransUnion, Equifax, and Experian. Your credit scores are different between the 3, because each one of them has their own different […]

There are loan programs were…

…you can accept a slightly higher rate in order to avoid having to pay PMI.

Why credit inquiries from several…

…mortgage companies hurt my credit score? Credit inquiries within the same industry within a 30 day period count as 1 inquiry. You are not punished for shopping for the best mortgage loan.

If the Cash-out Loan Amount…

…is less than 70% of the homes value (70% LTV) most banks will give you a better interest rate. If the LTV exceeds 70% you will usually have a higher interest rate, or pay up front in the form of points, or additional origination costs.

Credit FAQ When I checked…

…my credit scores online I had higher scores, what happened? There are different scoring models, for instance: consumer, auto, mortgage.I heard pulling your own credit lowers your score. Will it hurt if I look at my own? No. The inquires that impact your score are for credit pursuit inquiries. Others, such as pre-employment, tenant, insurance, […]

The downsides are that the…

…cash you take comes directly from your equity, and if your financed amount exceeds 80% of your home’s appraised value you’ll wind-up paying PMI.

If we are unable to…

…find financing for your property and you do have enough equity in the home we may go through a hard money lender which only looks at the equity in your home.

The upsides to a cash out…

…refi are cash-in-hand and that the interest on the mortgage is tax-deductible, specifically that the cash-out interest portion of the refinance is deductible, whereas credit card debt is not.

With sub 500 scores you…

…are going to be limited to very low Loan-to-value or LTV - meaning you will probably only get 60-65% ltv loan on your home. You will need quite a bit of equity to be able to finance.

Cash out refinance, or refi…

…can be a useful tool to pay down credit card or other non-deductible debt. Be cautious spending the cash out frivolously because it ultimately must be repaid.

There are many lenders out…

…there that will lend on credit scores below 500. The value of your property in relation to what you owe is an extremely large compensating factor with these lenders.

A cash-out refinance is…

…like a regular refinance except that the total amount of the loan is greater than your current mortgage balance, and you walk away from the closing table with the difference in the form of a check made out to you, which could be used to pay off high-interest credit card debt, auto loans, or for […]

I have a lot of debt…

…but I have a good mortgage history. Is there any options to consolidate this debt into my mortgage at a lower rate of interest? When is this a good thing? And when is this a bad thing?

Banks underwrite mortgage applications…

…base on three major criteria, credit scores, capability to repay the mortgage, and equity in the property. With credit scores below 500, a loan applicant must have positive compensating factors in other areas. In other words, he needs to prove that he has high income relative to his debts and that he has a bigger […]

Yes! There are several debt…

…consolidation programs available to take your high interest credit cards and car loans and consolidate them into one lower interest and possibly tax deductible loan.

Applicants with credit scores…

…below 500 may still qualify for a mortgage if they have enough equity or a large down payment. The lender will usually base their approval on the value of the collateral.

When choosing a credit…

…repair company, make sure you find out if they have a limit to the number of accounts or bureaus they target per month. You may be surprised to find out they only go after 1 bureau per month and up to 5 late payments or other negative items on your credit per letter. These services […]

Absolutely. not only will…

…it give you fast results, but you can also reapply your savings and become completely debt free in as little as 5-7 years.

Many people believe that zero…

…percent or no payment financing, such as that offered by electronics and furniture stores, is an excellent buying opportunity, however these types of financing can be very bad for your credit. This is because one your credit, these deals look like you have a maxed out line of credit, and are making no payments on […]

Generally you will have a…

…hard time finding financing above 70% of your homes value if your score is below 500. This means that, if your home is worth $100,000, you will only be able to get a loan for $70,000. This is a severe limitation for most people. For that reason, it is usually best to try to bring […]

Keep in mind that debts…

…such as credit cards carry compounded interest. Interest is compounded and increases if the balance is not paid in full, making it difficult to manage your finances.

Credit repair companies charge…

…fee’s that range from hundreds to thousands of dollars. You will want to make sure you choose a company that not only charges fair fee’s but one that can offer references and show past performance. Your mortgage broker should be able to refer you to a good credit repair service.

It’s not so much about…

…eliminating debt as it is about managing debt. Large corporations do it, municipalities and governments do it and it is also important that individual households do it. Merging high interest, non tax deductible debt into lower interest, deductible mortgage debt often makes tremendous sense for a homeowner.

Something that I would…

…advise anyone with a credit score under 500 to consider would be legitimate, professional credit repair. Good credit repair companies can often find flaws in the way derogatory information is documented and reported and can often get it removed. Consult with me for a more detailed description on what type of professional service you need […]

Zero interest credit cards are a…

…nice alternative to refinancing, but keep in mind that most zero percent offers only last 6-12 months. After the introductory period your interest rate will go back to the high interest rate.