Archive for June, 2008

Try to pick a modest…

…home in a good neighborhood rather than a large, lavish home in a less desirable neighborhood.Remember, the properties in closest proximity to your home will play the largest role in the appreciation (or depreciation)of the property.

When you consolidate debt…

…using home equity it is important that you not continue to charge up the credit cards. Trading unsecured credit card debt into a debt secured by your home should only be done if you are confident the credit cards will not be charged back up. If poor spending habits persist and you squander your home […]

When you find a house you…

…like, take a look at it during different times to make sure you like the area. Check it out during a week day, an evening, a weekend, etc. If you want to find out if there are other families or children in the area, go in the afternoon around the time the busses go through.

After you have paid…

…off a credit card you do not want to stop using it entirely. One of the many factors involved in maintaining a high credit score is the ability to wisely us the credit you have been granted. In other words, if you spend $100 on a credit card each month and pay off the entire […]

You could also do a…

…debt consolidation refinance to pay off and eliminate your debt. There are many advantages to using the equity in your home to pay off your debt. Number one the interest of the mortgage will be tax deductible. The second advantage is that you will have a much lower total monthly expense expenditure each month. By […]

Make sure you research…

…the type of house you want. Do you have any health problems that would hinder you ability to climb stairs everyday? Do you prefer the low upkeep of brick homes? Things like this will matter to your long term happiness with the home you choose. Always let your Realtor know the key things that are […]

Another tip would be to…

…contact your credit card companies respectively and ask them to lower your interest rate. If you have a satisfactory history with these creditors, this should be fairly easy. Although some creditors will not budge on their rates, most will lower them for customers with good payment histories.

When you are shopping for a…

…new home, be sure to not go out and make any major purchases. Once you are reproved for a new home, the worst thing you could do is change you current situation. If you are also looking to purchase a new car, then wait until you have closed on the new home. Any major purchase, […]

One of the best ways…

…to eliminate debt is to systematically pay off each debt based on the interest rate. You pay off the account with the highest interest rate first. Once paid in full, you take the amount of the monthly payment you use to make on it and apply it to the card with the next highest interest […]

Compare the materials the…

…home is built from. A brick home will require less maintenance and generally be worth more then a wooden sided or vinyl sided home.

The most common reason that most…

…people are refinancing currently is to lower their monthly payments/expenditures. While rates have crept up, they remain at historically low levels. This means that you may still qualify for a very low interest rate on a home loan while being able to pay off credit cards or other higher interest rate loans (whose interest is […]

Get approved for a loan…

…prior to shopping for a home. Having your loan pre-approved increases your negotiating power.

In some cases, maintaining some…

…cash reserve fund is more important than lowering the monthly payment. If you have significant equity on your home and if you are uncertain about your future income, refinancing to cash out is not a bad option. This is not a long term solution, but it buys you time to correct the problem. Remember, when […]

Here are some basic…

…home-buying tips for every homebuyer no matter where you live or what your situation is. The first tip is to make sure you get pre-approved as a first step of the home buying process. Getting a pre-approval from a honest, professional and reliable mortgage advisor is crucial. This will let you know how much of […]

If credit card debt…

…is piling up, and you have some equity in your home, it is sometimes a good idea to consolidate that debt and roll it into your mortgage, if the payments make sense in the end.

One of the most important…

…things you will need is equity. Equity is the difference between what you owe on your home and your home’s current market value. Take a look at similar properties in your area that are listed for sale or have sold recently to get an idea of the current market value of your home.

One of the most common…

…reasons for refinancing a home is to lower your monthly payments. You may lower your payments by lowering your interest rate, extending the term of your mortgage or a combination of both.For example: You bought your home with a mortgage of $100,000 with an interest rate of 9% and a term of 30 years. Your […]

Many times, if you…

…have a strong income and some assets, you may still qualify for a Fannie Mae Expanded Approval or an FHA Loan. You will need to have your bankruptcy discharged for at least 2 years and a strong recent mortgage history.

Another reason to refinance…

…is to shorten your term. If you have been paying on your current mortgage and would like to save thousands of dollars off the remaining balance, shortening to a 20 or 15 year amortization may help.

A good time to refinance…

…is when you currently have an adjustable rate mortgage and the short term fixed rate is getting ready to adjust. For example if you have a 30 year mortgage on a 3/1 ARM that would mean that your interest rate will be fixed for the first 3 years of the mortgage loan. After the first […]

Getting a mortgage when…

…you have a low fico is easier if you take steps to improve your credit score. You should dispute and inaccuracies on your credit report, pay down your credit balances and make your payments on time to improve your credit score.

When exploring the possibility of…

…refinancing your mortgage, there are many good reasons why you may want to seriously consider. One reason is to pay-off high interest loans such as auto loans, personal loans, or credit cards that may be hurting your monthly cash flow. Paying off these debts can help shift non-taxable debt into your home at a low […]

If you have enough…

…equity in your home, you may be eligible for a Chapter 13 Bankruptcy Buyout. A Chapter 13 Bankruptcy Buyout has the potential to save you hundreds and hundreds of dollars each month by paying off your trustee with the equity in your home.

The best time to refinance…

…is when fixed rates are low and qualifying for a loan is easy. With rates increasing substantially every month for the past several quarters, and lenders making it tougher each day for borrowers to qualify for refinancing, now may be the best time to refinance, especially if you are in an ARM type adjustable rate […]

Mortgage brokers are the…

…only source when it comes to getting a mortgage after a bankruptcy. Mortgage brokers are able to sell sub prime loans to borrowers and many of the sub prime borrowers have bankruptcy mortgage programs. Many of these programs have tightened up recently so do not expect to get 100% financing one day out of chapter […]

The best time to refinance…

…is when you feel it will benefit you financially or improve the quality of your life. If used wisely, the equity in your home can be your best tool for “life improvement”.

You should also consider a method…

…known as piggybacking credit in order to re-establish a good strong credit history once again after a bankruptcy. This is a time tested and proven way to improve your credit scores, especially when you have a low fico score and a bankruptcy as well. When you piggyback off of someone else’s credit you are actually […]

One factor to consider is…

…the cost involved. If your closing costs on a refinance are high, and the amount you’re saving per month is low, it doesn’t make a lot of sense.

Getting a mortgage with…

…low fico and bankruptcy is possible, but will require you to do several things on your part to show lenders that your are trying to improve your financial and credit situation.

Rapid Rescore to fix…

…your fico score is pretty common in both the conforming and non-conforming markets. A lot of homeowners get upset when a discrepancy appears on one’s credit report months after it has been satisfied.