Archive for April, 2008

When purchasing a home as a…

…first time home buyer, another example of a home financing option is to use government sponsored down payment assistance programs. An application is required and your mortgage professional can explain to you the what programs you fit under.

Try not to apply for…

…every credit card you see at the University bookstore, in the student union, anywhere else on campus, at concerts, at sporting events, the malls and anywhere else you see them offering a free gift with a credit card application. By always applying for credit and having numerous credit inquiries all of the time this can […]

Home financing options are numerous….

…Whether you are buying your first home, refinancing your home, or buying an investment property, there is a loan that is right for your unique situation. Consulting a competent mortgage professional to discuss home financing options available to you is highly recommended.

If you have trouble obtaining a…

…credit card, you can apply for a small personal loan at your bank. You can get a loan for $500 or $1,000 and leave the money in an account and ask you bank to automatically withdraw the money for you on a monthly basis. This way you will know that the money is in the […]

If you decide you would…

…like to open a credit card for credit-building purposes, consider getting a secured credit card.

Many people think of…

…pulling equity from their home as making a withdrawal from a savings account. This isn’t an accurate analogy. Although the equity in your home is yours, if you take out an equity loan, it is a loan against the equity of your home. You will have to pay interest on the amount that you take […]

You can access the equity…

…in your home in a variety of ways. First off you can refinance your 1st mortgage and pay off some outstanding debts you may have or just simply take some of the equity our of your home as cash. Second you can take out a second mortgage to access the equity in your home. Again […]

Investigate your options before…

…deciding to open too many credit cards, if you are a college or university student. Many financing and student loans are available with much lower, or even diverted payment schedules.

Remember that your equity is…

…based on 2 things. 1. The amount your home sells for. 2. The amount your home appraises for.Most people use the equity based off how much their home appraises for.

Read the fine print…

…on the back of the credit card application. What you should be looking for: Initial credit limitOne time activation fees Annual feesIntroductory interest rate and how long it lastsChange in rate after introductory period endsDifference in interest rate charges on purchases and cash withdrawalsIncrease in interest rate if late on a paymentGrace periodHow a late […]

Credit cards can also…

…be used as a tool for building higher credit scores.If you are always on time with your payments and financially savvy enough not to max out your cards,you should request a credit limit increase every 6 months. Your Preferred Mortgage Professional can explain to you in detail how higher limits with low balances can put […]

It is very common to…

…access the equity in your home with a home equity (fixed) loan or a home equity line of credit, or HELOC. A HELOC allows you to draw money out of your equity balance up to your limit and make payments on the outstanding balance.

College students are targeted by…

…credit card companies! Multiple applications or actual credit cards arrive in their mailboxes weekly. Since college students are typically strapped for money, just signing on the dotted line and getting credit is such a strong temptation that far too often common sense just fly

Be careful about using…

…your equity as if its your own personal ATM. Home Equity is not the same as cash because its value can fluctuate. Any cash taken out of your home’s equity should be spent adding value to the house (pool, deck, guest house, etc) or to pay off high interest consumer debt (credit cards, car loans, […]

Your home is the largest…

…savings account that you probably have. If you need to take some cash-out to make improvements, a major purchase, or pay off all of your credit card debt, you should use the equity in your home wisely.

Lenders use a Trimerge credit…

…report to assist in evaluating your credit worthiness. A fico score is just one of three scores available from a Trimerge report. The other two score are usually from Experian and TransUnion. Most mortgage lenders will take the middle score of the three for loan qualifying.

Also keep in mind that…

…Credit inquiries count for 10% of your total credit score. When applying for a new mortgage, every point on your credit report can make a big difference. So, do not start shopping for your mortgage until you are ready to act.

Home Equity can help you…

…qualify for asset based mortgages and larger loan amounts, because substantial home equity (35% or more) reduces the overall risk which a lender is exposed to when lending you money.

Fair Isaac and Company…

…issuer of FICO scores, will also provide your broker with a list of reasons why your score is not higher based on the snapshot fed into the computerized scoring model. Each of the credit bureaus determine how important those reasons are, so even identical information from each of the credit reporting agencies can result in […]

Home equity is your…

…interest in the home after all liabilities have been paid off. Home equity is equal to market value minus liabilities.

If you have 1 or more…

…credit scores which are significantly disparate from your other score(s), you can check to see if each credit bureau is reporting all of your updated credit information. Many times, 1 bureau will have updated a previously delinquent account while the other bureaus have not.

Home Equity is the…

…difference between what you owe and its fair market value. This equity can be used as collateral to borrow against. Many homeowners use equity loans to consolidate high interest debts, for home improvements or to purchase big ticket items. The equity loans come with lower interest rates than personal loans and are tax deductible.

Most of the time a tri-merge…

…score credit report is more highly recommended than a single score credit report. A tri-merge score credit report will give you the most detail about everything that is reporting to your credit and you will also be able to see any discrepancies or differences between the 3 credit bureaus between what is and what is […]

Home equity loans are most…

…commonly second position liens (second trust deed), although they can be held in first or, less commonly, third position. Most home equity loans require good to excellent credit history, and reasonable loan-to-value and combined loan-to-value ratios. Home equity loans come in two types, closed end and open end.

A single score credit…

…report is good to give you a general overview of your credit. But keep in mind not all companies report to all three credit bureaus so by only obtaining a single score you could be missing some accounts or information that you would see on a tri merge report.

Just remember that the equity…

…in one’s home has a zero rate of return. Your home will appreciate whether or not you have a large amount of equity or a small amount. Though it is not a good idea to use equity for non-preferred debt, it is a good idea to use it to gain greater returns on your money.

Each of the three credit…

…bureaus comes up with a different score to reflect your credit profile. A tri-merge score reports all three scores and the middle score is used. A single score FICO is not as accurate because it may be higher or lower than the tri-merge middle score.

Home equity is the difference…

…between how much is owed on a mortgage and what the value of your home is. If you have a home that is worth $500,000 and your the amount you owe on your mortgage is $350,000, then you have $150,000 worth of equity in your home.

A tri merge credit report…

…will show scores from all 3 credit bureaus. If you are applying for a mortgage then the mortgage lender will use your middle score to determine rate and terms of your loan.

When refinancing your home to…

…consolidate your debts, one mistake borrowers make is thinking they can stop making the payments on the debts they are going to pay off. If for some reason the mortgage doesn’t close on time and you haven’t made the debt payments, they could fall 30 days late which could impact your credit scores negatively. Some […]