Jason Hulott asked:




The internet holds a huge amount of resources for those who are seeking mortgage advice. There is so much more to consider when taking out a loan than the rate of interest. A lot of thought has to be given to the additional fees that can be attached to a mortgage and of course the type.

By using the internet you can amass all the advice needed to choose the right product. You can also find information relating to the different types of mortgages that are available. You can also find out what to look for when it comes to comparing quotes and how to get the best quotes. If you need help when it comes to the technical terms that often describe interest rates and loans then a specialist website will make this available in plain English.

The best way to get advice in getting the quotes is with a specialist. A specialist will allow you to gather together several quotes on one site. This means it is so much easier when it comes to comparing them as usually the key facts will come attached with the quotes.

You can benefit greatly by taking mortgage advice when it comes to the key facts. This is where you can find any additional costs which could boost up the cost of the loan considerably. People often overlook the importance of checking the small print only to find that the extra costs boost up what they thought was a cheap mortgage. Additional costs such as early redemption fees, valuation fees and set up fees for the loan can all be included and they can vary greatly.

You can also benefit from taking advice when it comes to the type of offer. The fixed rate and the variable rate are the most common and both have their good and bad points. The advantages of the fixed rate are that you can benefit from a very low rate of interest if you can repay the mortgage back fairly quickly. The rate of interest will be fixed over a period of time and will then revert to the current rate of interest. The downside is that if the rate of interest drops during the fixed period then you will lose out. It also means that after the fixed period the monthly repayments can suddenly shoot up.

The variable rate is good again over the short period especially if the interest rate is at an all time low. However the rate of interest can fluctuate over the terms of the mortgage. With the variable you cannot be sure how much the monthly repayments will be over a long period of time and so it is not good for those who like to budget.

Getting as much mortgage advice before signing on the dotted line for the loan is essential when it comes to getting the best deal. A specialist website will offer this advice freely which means that you can start off on the best possible footing.

Willie

Kris Mathews asked:




When it comes to applying for a home mortgage you have many different options that are available. Traditionally, most people get full documentation loans which require you to prove your income, your assets, and provide a list of all your creditors to the lender. This is to ensure that they have a detailed idea of how eligible you are for a mortgage loan. Some non-traditional loans actually offered people a chance to own a home without have to prove their income. These loans are called no doc mortgage loans.

Just like the name suggest, no documentation loans meant that the borrower didn’t have to prove his or her income in the application. These loans were used quite often by people who were self-employed or contractors because they usually found it difficult to gather all the necessary documents for the loans. These loans use the borrower’s credit rating first and foremost when it comes to determine their eligibility for the loan. This flexibility meant that a lot of people who were self-employed were able to get approval for low doc loans.

As mentioned before, the borrower’s credit rating is the most important factors that lenders look at when approving these loans. No doc mortgage loan lenders will ensure that the borrower has no previous default on their record. They will also ensure that the borrower has been making their previous loan payments on time. Another factor that many lenders consider when looking at these loans is the borrower’s debt to income ratio. This ratio helps lenders determine the borrower’s ability to repay the loan.

Dawn

Mark Greggs asked:




Planning for your retirement should start in your earlier years; however life unfortunately doesn’t always go to plan!

Here we discuss the merits of the niche interest only mortgage product; the Halifax Retirement Home Plan which is becoming an increasingly popular way of providing mortgages for pensioners.

Since writing my original article on the Halifax Equity Release plan, interest has certainly been escalating. The main reason being that people in retirement are unaware of their mortgage options once they finish work. But life must go on.

What is the history of the scheme?

Established in 1984, the Halifax Retirement Home Plan was initially available through the Halifax branch network and was developed to provide low cost mortgage finance for the retired & elderly.

However, under the Financial Services Authority review of the lifetime mortgage market in 2006, Halifax withdrew the branch license to offer lifetime mortgage advice.

Therefore, the responsibility for providing advice on the Halifax Retirement Home Plan was left completely with lifetime mortgage qualified advisers including independent specialists Equity Release Supermarket.

So what is the Halifax Retirement Home Plan?

In simple terms the scheme is an interest only mortgage for people who are retired & facilitates the release of equity tied up in the property. The release of funds can be for almost any purpose including:-

· debt consolidation including paying off credit cards/loans or mortgages
· holidays including cruises or just day trips
· replacement car or caravan
· home improvements
· gifts to the children providing a deposit for house purchase
· supporting your lifestyle through retirement.

Qualification for the Halifax equity release scheme is based on income. Halifax will only accept non-earned income & this must be in the form of: -

· Occupational pensions
· Private pensions such as personal pensions or retirement annuities
· State pensions
· State benefits including pension credits & disability benefits

The minimum age for the Halifax Retirement Home Plan is 65. However, as long as there is no earned income & justification for the size of the mortgage can be based solely on the above income, then ages lower than 65 can be achieved.

How much can be released?

The minimum release on the Halifax Retirement Home Plan is only £15,000. However, to establish the maximum release possible would require the use of an affordability calculator.

Halifax does not base the size of release on a multiple of income, but whether the interest only mortgage can be afforded through retirement.

The data Halifax requires for this calculation includes income, credit status, number of applicants & credit commitments outstanding after the new mortgage commences.

This procedure can be carried out by qualified advisers such as Equity Release Supermarket & is an accurate assessment of the potential borrowings on this scheme.

The overall maximum release available can never be more than 75% of the valuation of the property. Therefore, should the affordability calculator show a figure greater than this, it will still be capped at 75% of the property value.

Does Halifax require a repayment vehicle?

The answer to this is NO.

As the Halifax Retirement Home Plan is an interest only mortgage for pensioners, no form of repayment is required.

In contrast, the mainstream mortgage market is actually tightening its grip on new interest only mortgages, whereas the Halifax equity release scheme will still accept repayment by virtue of the eventual sale of the property. This would be on death of the surviving partner, moving into long term care or earlier property sale.

The term allocated to the Halifax home retirement plan is 40 years which should provide ample time for it to run for the rest of one’s life! This removes any concern about having to find the funds to pay off the Halifax scheme during your lifetime.

Most mortgage providers will only accept a mortgage term up to age 70-75 or in rare instances age 85. However, this only buys time as eventual repayment would be required. However, this scenario may still be suitable should one be downsizing at a predetermined date in the future.

The Halifax Retirement Home Plan therefore removes any element of capital repayment risk.

So what interest rates & products are available?

Dependent upon whether you are a new or existing Halifax customer will determine the interest rates & products applicable.

Currently, the better deals are offered to new customers as they have access to the whole mainstream Halifax product range. This is a great advantage, as there is full access to current low rate tracker & fixed rate products.

These include deals such as the current 2 year tracker rate at just 2.59%. Based on borrowing £50,000 this currently would only cost £107.92pm (3.6% APR).

Additionally, if remortgaging from another lender then there is the benefit of a free valuation & free standard legal fees, which reduces the set up costs significantly. I have experienced clients who have just £800 outstanding on a mortgage or even documents kept in deed store that qualified for this free remortgage package!

What if I already have a Halifax mortgage?

The good news is you can still apply for the Halifax Retirement Home Plan. However, the situation here requires completely different advice & procedure. Should you wish to merely transfer onto the Retirement Home Plan then you can port over your existing rate which can be good news if on a standard variable rate. However, if you wish for additional borrowing then the process becomes a little more complicated.

The product range for existing Halifax customers is rather sparse & with the best deals starting currently at 4.99% fixed, hence there is a distinct advantage for new customers.

Such applications will be paper based & therefore processed manually which involves more human input. Experience has shown this results in a different underwriting approach to the process undertaken on new applications.

Can I pay off the Halifax Retirement mortgage early?

The simple answer to this is YES.

Unlike equity release plans where penalties can potentially apply for the rest of your life, the Halifax interest only mortgage will only have early repayment charges for the initial product term. Therefore, should you have opted for the 2.59% 2 year tracker product discussed previously, the penalties would only apply for the first 2 years. After, this 2 year period the mortgage would then revert to the Halifax standard variable rate, currently 3.5%.

However, before the initial rate expires you will have the option to take out a new product from the Halifax mortgage range available at that time.

So what is the advantage of the Halifax Retirement Home Plan over an equity release scheme?

The obvious answer to this is the fact that the Halifax mortgage is interest only & therefore requires a monthly payment of interest. The balance will always remain the same throughout the term of the plan. E.g. borrowing £50,000 today, will result in £50,000 requiring repayment once the house is sold.

In contrast, equity release schemes do not require any monthly repayment & therefore the balance will increase over time. Roughly speaking the balance of equity release schemes will double every 11/12 years.

From a beneficiary’s point of view, the Halifax interest only mortgage will guarantee an inheritance, as the final balance of the mortgage will always be known. This would be favourable for people who want to ensure the children definitely receive an entitlement to their parent’s inheritance.

With all this information & options available it is more important than ever to receive specialist advice to obtain the best deal for your personal circumstances.

Evelyn

Susan V. Gregory asked:




What, a mortgage loan modification is easy? I know, it may sound hard to believe, especially with all of the ads and hype about how you need an attorney or loan mod company to help you-but the fact is that getting a mortgage loan modification is getting easier than ever. The average homeowner can successfully modify their loan themselves if they spend just a little bit of time and effort to learn the basics. Did you know that the Obama plan has a standard 4 step formula that all lenders must use to determine which homeowners qualify? In fact, you can learn this very same formula and use it to prepare your own acceptable loan workout proposal.

It’s easy to feel intimidated or overwhelmed about the prospect of dealing with your bank yourself-after all you owe these people a lot of money. If you are behind in your payments you may even be getting some not-so-nice phone calls demanding payment or else. Here’s a little secret that the professionals know about mortgage loan modifications-you don’t have to talk to those people! That’s right, hang up and only speak with the loss mitigation department. That is the only department that can help you to modify your loan. The collections department gets paid to get your very last dime, the loss mitigation department gets paid to find a loan workout solution for you.

To get a mortgage loan modification is easy-if you know the basics. Fortunately, learning the basics is easy too-this isn’t rocket science-all you have to do is invest a few hours of your time to learn a few important steps to success. You do not have to be an expert to get the results you want. You do not have to pay thousands of dollars to get the results you need either. That’s just the truth-what you do need is motivation and persistence. Are you willing to dedicate a few hours to save your home?

A mortgage loan modification is getting easier than ever-why? The Federal modification programs offer a standardized plan for all qualified homeowners. If you can meet the approval criteria you get a standard loan workout-no negotiating involved. No expertise needed-you just need to know how to complete your application so that it meets those approval guidelines. Again, you can learn this in just a few hours and be able to prepare your own application correctly. Follow the same 4 step formula your bank will use and you will have the inside edge you need to make sure you have the best chance of approval.

If you are unsure about this 4 step formula or do not know how to figure your debt ratio, new target payment, disposable income or asset ratio, then you can use a software program that does all these calculations for you automatically. Just input your own monthly income and expenses and you will see immediately if you may need to make some adjustments to your monthly budget in order to meet the Obama approval guidelines. Save hours of frustration, confusion and avoid mistakes.

It’s time to get serious about saving your home-no one is going to work harder than you will-you have the most to lose and the most to gain. You can be successful with a do it yourself mortgage loan modification. Get started today to learn, prepare and then work with your lender to get the lower payment you need. Thousands of homeowners just like you have already gotten the help they needed-you can too!

Julie

jazcy asked:


As an experience Loan Officers, what advice can you give to me about your profession? I am very interested in working as a Loan Processor but I am also curious of what “real skills” does it take to work in a Mortgage Loan Office. Whom should you build a close working relationship with? I know the essential people would include a Mortgage Broker license, underwriter, loan consultant, document drawer, etc. but what else is needed besides a large capital.

“real skills” = things that are not included in the job description

Tracy

madsmom_99 asked:


My husband and I have found ourselves in the unfortunate situation of having a lien put on our home due to past child support. We are in the process of having this straightened out but are concerned that the lien will affect my parents who are co-signers on the loan for our home.

My husband recently finished his bachelor’s degree, and we had been making small but monthly payments to two different agencies. We received notice last August that one agency was increasing his payment, making it a little over double what we had been paying to both. I mistakenly believed that the payments had been combined and started making only one monthly payment. We have since realized that this was not the case, and are making arrangements to rectify the situation. Our main concern is for my parents. We are worried that our mistake is going to affect their credit. Any advise is greatly appreciated.

Hazel

prizice24 asked:


I’m about to buy my first home (condo) and do not plan on living there more than 7 years. I decided to buy because I’m sick and tired of throwing money away renting.

I have narrowed my loan choices down to either a 30 year fixed and a 7 year interest only. The 7 year interest only mortgage is $120 less per month than the 30 year fixed, which is a lot of money for me.

I am also aware that I’d be able to write off a greater amount in taxes by going with the interest only mortgage, yet most people are still advising me to go with the 30 year fixed instead.

Please help.

Thanks

Javier

whitesoxfaninla asked:


I am getting ready to file for bankruptcy due to an ARM mortgage loan. I bank with WaMu and my lawyer advised me to take my money out and put it into a different account. He said WaMu usually closes account of people that file for bankruptcy. Where can I open a checking account where it won’t be closed after bankruptcy.
Thanks in advance.
Any good banks in Los Angeles, California specifically near South Gate, CA.

Philip

Walter Sigmore asked:


ne of the million who’s missed a few payments on a mortgage and want to avoid your loan going into default? The new federal mortgage loan modification plan can help those out who are in desperate need of a little assistance and get some necessary modifications on their mortgage loan so that it’s affordable again.

To have the ability to qualify for this modification plan you will need to have a first mortgage that is worth less than $729,500 that was completed and signed before the beginning of 2009.

When you are applying for a loan modification most people forget that they must live in the home at the time of application to have the chance of approval. If you do not live in the home the lenders will not see the point in giving you a loan modification as you are not currently residing there. Most people don’t realize this until they are applying for the loan modification and get turned down.

Alongside these two things you will also have to take the time to write out a hardship letter. They advise that you handwrite this piece as it’s more personalized and has a legal signature on the bottom. With this document you are explaining the entire situation as to why you are unable to make the necessary payments and how you plan on getting back on track.

This document could either make or break you when it comes to getting approved and if you don’t take the time to answer all the personal questions the lender may not consider you for a loan modification.

You don’t want to find yourself struggling drastically financially when there are many companies out there willing to help you. Your mortgage broker may have the opportunity for you to get a loan modification yet you’ve never inquired about it. All you need to do is ask your mortgage broker if they are offering such a thing and they may be able to assist you.

With the new federal mortgage modification plan you could find yourself getting out of the red zone in no time. When you are approved for this modification plan you can finally get your life back on track and finally have yourself stabilized financially. A mortgage loan modification can be quite useful for anyone needing to get out of a financial struggle.

Nicholas

defyance24 asked:


I want to start improving my credit rating so I can buy a house. I won’t have a problem making the mortgage payments, but my credit is not very good. What should I do? Are there any home loans out there for people how’s credit isn’t so great?

Jay