Watch out for investor scams

Imagine yourself, a homeowner, arrested for mortgage fraud that you did not commit. Can this happen? It can and it has. How do we identify when this is happening to us?

How to steal a house

As the mass of unqualified real estate agents and loan officers are desperately trying to get business the ethics have flown out the window and the dredge of society is showing up in larger numbers. Con artists are taking advantage of homeowners and desperate agents / loan...

Real estate scams on the rise

With any hot market comes the leaches that will attach themselves to anything that is left unprotected. The real estate market is no different. The past 5 years has attracted so many new agents and loan officers riding the wave that industry ethics and the qualifications of...

Bank of England Raises UK Rates to 5.25%

What an exciting day. The Bank of England's MPC surprised the markets with a 25bp point interest rate hike to 5.25%, something which the market has not expected at all. The BOE noted that despite Pound's decline and lower oil prices, inflation risks had increased since the......

The 4 sure fire ways to destroy your credit

There are some very valuable information that many consumers seem to be missing. Too many borrowers are not aware what affects their credit scores. This puts these borrowers in an uncomfortable position when they apply for credit and find a score lower than they expected....

What is a blended rate?

The rate you are paying on your overall investment when combining all mortgages is your blended rate. The formula to determining your blended rate is simple. You will need 3 numbers to make this calculation:Balance on each mortgage individually Balance of mortgages combined...

Preparing for refinancing out of an ARM

A vast majority of home loans established between 2002 and 2006 were some type of adjustable rate mortgage with limited fixed rate period of between 2 and 5 years. Too many borrowers wait until the notice arrives indicating the increase in payment which is substantial in most...

What to do if you are facing foreclosure

Too often, those facing foreclosure do nothing. That just aggravates the problem. What should be done and who do you contact to help? Here is a good checklist for someone facing foreclosure.

Foreclosures rising for subprime borrowers

There has been a steady increase in the number of homeowners with a subprime mortgage who lose their homes to foreclosure and this will increase over the next few years, according to a recent study.

Surviving the real estate bust

With California expected to see an average of 4-5% decline in value each of the next 2 years many are asking what the best method is to preserve their investment. If you were lucky enough to make your purchase prior to 2004 then you likely have seen enough appreciation to...

Trump tries to pull wool over publics eyes

Back in April of 2006 Donald Trump announced that he was launching Trump Mortgage to inject integrity back into the mortgage industry. Yet within the first 6 months there are allegations of false claims by E.J. Ridings, the selected head of Trump Mortgage.

Could housing bust derail economy?

A survey of 279 corporate chief financial officers in early December found 30 percent were “quite” to “very” concerned about recession next year, almost twice as many as were worried about inflation. And 59 percent of those surveyed described...

Mortgage rates spike as bonds fall

With more resilient home sales data the bonds are dropping hard for a second straight day. Mortgage interest rates are closely related to the 10 year treasury bond which fell again pushing interest rates up sharply.

Recession clouds darken 2007 outlook

Most economists expect slower growth and no downturn, but some recent signals are flashing red. Warning signs are flashing as the chances of a recession have risen significantly. Economists raise the odds from 25% to 35% in just a few months. What is causing this?

Proper documentation for a self employed borrower

If you own your own business there are certain documents that will be requested when applying for a home mortgage. The extent to which you can document your income will dictate what rate you get.