Louie Latour asked:




A well known author named Theodore Sturgeon once said “Ninety Percent of Everything is crap.” This became known as Sturgeon’s law and is even quoted in the Oxford dictionary. Sturgeon’s law is alive and well when it comes to the Internet and the mortgage advice you find online is no exception. Here are several tips to help you separate the wheat from the chaff when it comes to online mortgage advice.

I recently read an article online offering suggestions on how one could save money when refinancing. The article suggested that you should concentrate your efforts on finding a mortgage broker that worked on a non-commission basis. The author stated that non-commission loan representatives are less likely to overcharge you and have your best interest at heart when refinancing. While this sounds like good advice, it’s actually complete rubbish. If a mortgage company or broker tells you they work on a non-commission basis, you are guaranteed to pay too much refinancing with that company. Calling someone a “Non-commission loan representative” is just a slick marketing trick to gain your misplaced trust.

Here’s what that author doesn’t understand about the mortgage industry. Mortgage loans are simply retail products, just like televisions. Just as an electronic store marks up the price of your TV, the mortgage company or broker marks up your interest rate without telling you. This is in fact, how mortgage companies and brokers make the majority of their profits. It’s not commission; they make money from retail markup. You’re already paying origination points to this company for the new loan, so why should you pay double?

Here’s a summary of how it works. You qualify for an interest rate based on your credit and the details of your application. That interest rate is not set by the mortgage company; it comes from the wholesale lender. The mortgage company receives a written guarantee of your rate from that wholesale lender. Your mortgage company turns around and provides you a separate written guarantee for a higher interest rate. This markup by the mortgage company is called Yield Spread Premium. Homeowners that learn to recognize Yield Spread Premium when refinancing their mortgage loans can avoid paying it.

Can you see how the advice this author gave in their article could result in overpaying for a new mortgage loan? To learn more about mortgage refinancing while avoiding bad advice, costly mistakes, and Sturgeon’s law, register for a free mortgage guidebook.

Jo

Louie Latour asked:




Nearly every non-FHA/VA mortgage includes the infamous paragraph seventeen, also known as the “Due on Sale” clause. The wording of this paragraph carries significant implications for homeowners with “non-assumable” mortgages. Here is what you need to know about paragraph seventeen, including how to assume a “non-assumable” mortgage.

If you’re not familiar with the due on sale clause included in most mortgage contracts, here is an excerpt.

“If all or any part of the home or an interest therein is sold or transferred by the borrower without the lender’s prior written consent…the lender may, at the lender’s option, declare all the sum secured by the mortgage to be due and immediately payable.”

There is nothing in the infamous paragraph seventeen that prevents you from selling your property without paying off the mortgage loan. This paragraph simply gives the lender the right to call in the loan if you transfer the loan without “Lender’s prior written consent.” Why would a mortgage lender agree to your request to assume an existing mortgage?

o If the seller has fallen behind on their payments and you agree to make the payments current.

o The interest rate on the existing loan equals or exceeds the current market rate. Mortgage lenders dislike “portfolio runoff” of their above market interest rate loans.

o The buyer/seller has a working relationship with the existing lender.

o The buyer/seller agrees to additional business with the existing lender.

There may be other reasons for a mortgage lender to allow the transfer, talk to a loan representative about the details of your situation. Sometimes the mortgage lender will say yes, sometimes they will say no; however, it never hurts to ask. Many homeowners ask the wrong question when contacting the lender; never come out and ask “Is the mortgage assumable.” The answer you will almost always get is “No, there is a Due on Sale” clause. Start by explaining the details of your individual situation and butter your lender up before asking the big question.

You an learn more about your mortgage options, including costly mistakes to avoid by registering for a free, six-part mortgage tutorial.

Julie