C21AGVoices

For today’s home buyers and homeowners that can manage the higher monthly payments, 15-year fixed rate mortgage rates look attractive as compared to comparable 30-year products. The 15-year/30-year interest rate spread is near its 5-year high. As a result, the savings afforded by the 15 year mortgage is at its 5 year high also. Despite […]

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Image via Wikipedia The First Time Home Buyer’s Tax Credit has had a great impact on the housing market this year. In the industry we have watched the market get better every quarter this year, due in large part to the numbers of first time home buyers that came into the market to get their […]

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The Federal Open Market Committee voted to leave the Fed Funds Rate within its target range of 0.000-0.250 percent. It also reiterated plans to support the mortgage market to the tune of $1.5 trillion. In its press release, the FOMC noted that the U.S. economy is “leveling off” and that financial markets continue to improve. The […]

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The above video was created by the Federal trade Commission to help people understand that dangers they face when the stress of their situation allows them to fall prey to people who would take advantage of them. Thanks to Jay Thompson at ThePhoenixRealEstateGuy for the tip!

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Sometimes, saving money on your mortgage is as simple as picking a better closing date. It’s all about Rate Lock Commitments. A Rate Lock Commitment is a bank’s promise to honor a specific mortgage rate for a specific period of time.  They are a lender’s prediction of what mortgage markets will look like at some […]

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Monday, mortgage markets improved with news of new Swine Flu cases.  It’s a classic example of Safe Haven buying and today’s rate shoppers will see the benefits. Mortgage rates improved about 0.125 percent Monday. It’s not an official term, but “Safe Haven buying” describes the trading patterns in which large numbers of investors move money […]

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Since 2007, foreclosures have dominated real estate news.  You can’t turn on the news or open a paper without some foreclosure-related story. But for all of the discussion, foreclosures continue to be geographically concentrated. Adding up the latest stats from RealtyTrac.com, more than half of the country’s foreclosure actions from March occurred in just 3 states — California, Florida […]

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Image by mary hodder via Flickr Congratulations! Your loan modification is almost done. Here are just a few tips to wrap up the process. You’ll receive a loan modification packet from your bank that looks very similar to loan documents. Review them to ensure the following terms are what you agreed to: Interest rate Interest […]

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Image by TheTruthAbout… via Flickr If you’ve gotten this far, congratulations! It means you’ve been approved as a loan modification candidate and the bank has or will be making you an offer very soon. This post will cover some ways to negotiate with your lender to get the best possible modified terms for your new […]

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Image by TheTruthAbout… via Flickr So far we’ve discussed the basics as it relates to getting a loan modification. Now we’ll talk about a few tips that will help you qualify for a loan modification. These tips are centered around your hardship letter and the monthly expense worksheet. The hardship letter Called an LOE in […]

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