Neil Coleman Mortgage Matters

Last week’s economic data supported recent reports indicating that housing markets are slowing, The National Association of Home builders/Wells Fargo Home Builders Index (HBI) dropped by 10 points to a reading of 46 for February. Home builder confidence dropped to its lowest reading in nine month...

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the Consumer Price Index (CPI) in January rose by 0.1%, which was below the 0.2% expected. The Core CPI rate, which strips out volatile food and energy, was inline at 0.1%. Looking at the year-over-year numbers, the headline CPI rose to 1.6% from 1.5%,...

Home equity is the difference between what your home can sell for and what you owe on it. Generally, the longer you own your home, the more equity you build.  More equity is a good thing. Equity also equates to money you can use before you sell your home through a home equity loan. Use Your Home ...

Economic news was abundant today, mostly dominated by housing related data. The Commerce Department reported that Housing Starts in January declined by 16% to an annual rate of 888,000 revised from the higher December number of 1.048 million, as harsh winter weather continues to impact the sector...

Before an owner can market a property to buyers that want to use a FHA loan, he will want to familiarize himself with the FHA’s standards. FHA won’t insure loans on just any property. While their standards aren’t as stringent as they used to be, a home needs to be in relatively good condition to ...

When you are purchasing a home, your realtor may recommend you obtain a mortgage pre-approval before you find the home of your dreams. There are benefits to being pre-approved before you find a home, but oftentimes, people confuse pre-qualifications with pre-approvals. So the question many buyers...

In your imagination it seems like a great idea – you purchase an older run-down property and you have the chance to fix it up and turn it into the home of your dreams. To Renovate, Or Not To Renovate However, the renovation project that is simply a quick montage in your imagination will actually ...

Oftentimes, when you are searching for a new home, it may seem obtaining a pre-approval for your mortgage loan is a waste of time and energy. However, there are some significant benefits to a pre-approval which should not be overlooked. In many cases, buyers can use a pre-approval for leverage wh...

Like credit cards or car loans, some mortgages allow borrowers to have co-signers on the loan with them, enhancing their loan application. What Is A Mortgage Co-Signer? A mortgage co-signer is a person that isn’t an owner-occupant of the house. Typically, a co-signer is a family member or close f...

Getting a mortgage can be tough. The key is to understand what lenders want to see and give it to them. Before applying for a mortgage, borrowers need to build a plan for how they are going to manage their credit both going into the mortgage process and as they navigate through it. Lenders like t...