You would think if things are difficult, expensive, etc. you would find the biggest mortgage lender out there if you were shopping for a loan right now. Bigger is better right? But that is not what’s happening. One, some of the biggest lenders out there are leaving the market. In an article in CNBC, of […]

Mortgage rates are up, applications are down, and lenders are laying people off left and right. Doesn’t sound like anything to get too excited about for 2014. But maybe it’s not something we should get “excited” about. We don’t have to do cartwheels or high five strangers because the real estate market has catapulted itself […]

If you’re looking for mortgage rates on the web, it can be pretty confusing. I decided to take a look at a couple of the big names out there and explain what they are posting and how they get that information. First let’s look at the types of rates you will see posted on not […]

Most people only look at the home price, which then determines the loan amount. And the interest rate, which then determines the monthly payment. But there are other factors that can take a huge chunk out of your monthly mortgage expense. Here are some tips to keep yours as low as possible and avoid any […]

I just read this article showing the dollar amount lost by homeowners because of the recession. We have all seen stories about the percentage of property values lost but I guess it is still very sobering for me to see an actual dollar amount. This probably won’t be a shock to you but California is […]

Pro Teck Valuation Services released its Home Value Forecast for November and in it they talk about judicial and non-judicial foreclosures and how that is impacting home values. It was bad for California a couple of years ago. Massive amount of foreclosures flooded the market but because it is a non judicial state, the banks […]

Force Placed Insurance is a homeowner’s insurance policy put into place by the servicer of your mortgage when you have let the policy lapse, do not have sufficient coverage, or the servicer does not have proof of coverage. And you will be responsible for paying the premium. Why is Force Placed Insurance Bad? It’s much […]

Whether you are buying or refinancing, you will have to pay an application fee or an appraisal fee upfront. This comes as quite a shock to some people and they are not sure what exactly it is for. Number Five Complaint Paying an Application/Appraisal Fee The application fee or appraisal fee is usually around $400 […]

Deciding if you are getting a good rate on your mortgage and then locking in that rate can be terrifying. First, you are not sure if you are getting the best rate since mortgage rates are splashed everywhere and they are always lower than the ones being quoted to you! And then, when to lock. […]