John H. Drake asked:




As the editor of a popular home loan information site I am being asked a lot lately about how to get a home loan modified and for mortgage loan modification advice in general.

Well, it’s simply a fact of the times the mortgage industry has changed and stated income loans requirements simply don’t exist like they used to. In today’s mortgage market, you as the borrower will be required to present full documentation of your income and your assets and you will be forced to qualify based upon much stricter standards such as traditional debt to income ratio calculators.

It is these changes in the housing industry that have affected housing prices so dramatically in recent years, particularly in expensive areas such as Florida and California. It works like this; many people bought homes they couldn’t afford with adjustable rate mortgages and stated income loans. Many of those buyers have since gone in to foreclosure. This caused a collapse in the mortgage industry which then lead to stricter standards for getting home loans, and that in turn led to a lack of eligible buyers in markets where home prices have been artificially driven up because of the previously questionably approval process by mortgage lenders. This in turn is driving the price of home down.

If you are facing a foreclosure one thing you can do is to contact an attorney who specializes in foreclosures and loan modifications. But perhaps the best thing to do if you are facing foreclosure is to use a loan modification company. A loan modification company should have an attorney on staff and will know exactly what to do to help you avoid foreclosure – not to mention a ruined credit score. By getting a loan modification and reducing your interest rate to a level you are able to afford you may be able to stay in your home and in some instances even reduce your principle with a loan modification.

Sue

Louie Latour asked:




The mortgage marketplace is full of myths, half truths, and faulty interpretations that result in overpaying thousands of dollars. Doing your homework and researching mortgage offers will help you avoid most of the bad mortgage advice out there. Here is a short list of bad advice the supposed “experts” pass on to unsuspecting homeowners.

Supposed mortgage “experts” are everywhere. In mortgage books, articles on the Internet and in magazines, financial advisors, all have advice for the taking. The problem is, much of this advice bad and results in overpaying. The following list of “advice” you are likely to encounter is simply not true.

o Never prepay your mortgage if your investments accounts are earning a greater return than your mortgage interest rate. Put your cash in these investments to earn the higher rate of return.

o Never purchase a home unless you plan on living in it for at least five years.

o If you have poor credit you will always have to pay a higher mortgage rate.

o Most homeowners should choose a 30 year, fixed interest rate loan when mortgage refinancing.

o Interest rates have no where to go but up since we’re at historically low levels.

o Your lender will tell you which mortgage loan is right for your situation.

o Bankruptcy ruins your credit.

o Stay away from Adjustable Rate Mortgages (ARM) when refinancing your mortgage loan.

o Tell your loan rep: “You name the price, I’ll name the terms” when negotiating for a new mortgage loan.

You can learn more about mortgage refinancing while avoiding costly mortgage mistakes and bad advice with a free six part mortgage refinancing video tutorial.

Christian

Mary Ny asked:




Fannie Mae was chartered in 1938, as the Federal National Mortgage Association (FNMA), with the responsibility of creating a secondary market for home mortgages. It operated under direct federal control. In 1968, the Federal National Mortgage Association was partitioned into two separate entities- one wholly owned by the government and known as the Government National Mortgage Association (Ginnie Mae), and the other to retain the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) name. It was privatized by legislation enacted in 1968 and became fully private in 1970.

Fannie Mae (along with Freddie Mac) sets the limit each year on the size of a conforming loan based on the October to October changes in mean home price. Mortgages above this limit are considered jumbo and super jumbo loans because Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac only buy conforming loans to repackage into the secondary market, making the demand for non-conforming loans much less. Thus, interest rates for jumbo and super jumbo loans are higher than for conforming loans.

According to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), borrowers see mortgage rates 25-50 basis points lower because of what Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac do. This is reflected in lowered interest rates of up to a half percentage on each individual homebuyer’s mortgage, which translates to lower payments and increased consumer cash flow for other purposes. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac also were the agencies that recommended that FICO scores be used in mortgage lending. Now, FICO scores are the mortgage industry standard for originating conventional loans, adjustable rate mortgages (ARMs) based on various prime rate indices, jumbo loans and 2nd home purchases as well as the popular cash out mortgage refinance loans.

Today, Fair Isaac estimates that more than 75% of all mortgage originations in the U.S. involve the FICO credit score. FICO scores are being used in almost every sector of the nation’s economy, and largely determine whether or not you will be approved for credit (including mortgage loans), what interest rates you will pay and what loan terms are available to you. This is why it is important to maintain a high FICO. But, if you’re a homeowner who’s had credit issues in the past, a timely mortgage refinance or home equity loan (second mortgage) for debt consolidation can help raise your score substantially and save you a lot of money.

Pauline

Diannelogan asked:


With an extremely large crowd of lenders ready to provide you with a mortgage loan for your house, getting a mortgage nowadays proves to be hardly a problem for anyone. But getting a low interest rate, affordable mortgage with flexible repayment terms is still a major problem. Considering the fact that you can end up paying thousands of dollars extra if you land with a bad mortgage deal, here is a list of a few things that you need to know in order to negotiate the best mortgage loan deal:

1. There Are Two Main Types Of Mortgage Loans: Mortgage loans are broadly divided into two main types: fixed-rate mortgages (FRM) and adjustable rate mortgages (ARM). While you will find that the conditions for applying for an ARM loan are easier and they come with lower initial rates, a fixed rate mortgage is generally advised for people who are planning long term periods. This is because a fixed rate mortgage loan, which may cost more than an ARM initially, requires the payment of the same rate of interest starting from today onwards till a period of twenty to thirty years. On the other hand, an adjustable rate mortgage’s payments will vary every month based on a number of indices. However, an ARM will provide you with a lower rate of interest initially which might go up later on.

2. Your Credit History Matters: Your credit score is a major determinant nowadays of the kinds of interest, terms and conditions that you will get on your mortgage loan. If you have already taken out a number of loans which you have paid or are paying back on time, you have a higher chance of getting a low rate mortgage than someone who has never taken credit for a car or a house. Secondly, having a high credit score and a clean credit history can often slash back a number of points off your mortgage loan’s interest. Therefore, it is advised that you clean up your credit report as much as possible and get your highest possible score before you apply for a mortgage loan.

3. The Best Mortgage Loans Are Available Online: Not only are most reputable banks and lending institutions now providing loans over the internet, there are a number of new but reliable companies that are also dispensing mortgages online. Online loan companies get the advantage of garnering an extremely large market for a very small cost when compared to brick and mortar lenders. But the competition on the web is also higher than that in real space. As a result, most online lenders will not only provide you with lower interest rates, they will also charge you lower processing and other fees. So make sure that you do your research well and get quotes from online mortgage providers before you sign on the dotted line. While you compare interest rates and term periods, do not forget to compare all the fees that different lenders charge you for the same loan.



Chester