Mortgage Rates & Trends

See what credit scores you need to get a mortgage today So what credit score do you need to get the absolute lowest mortgage rates when you are refinancing? The answer depends on whether you are getting a loan from Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, FHA or from a jumbo portfolio mortgage lender. Your credi...

There is an increasing amount of opposition to the new home appraisal rules as many mortgage brokers and real estate agents are serving up criticism that the Home Valuation Code of Conduct (HVCC) guidelines adopted in 2009 are resulting in inaccurate and low-ball appraisals. The main argument amo...

Over the past week, we have heard from a great many people who signed a purchase agreement for a home prior to April 30th in order to claim the $8000 first-time home buyer tax credit. Many of you are also having difficulty closing on your house prior to June 30th, which is another requirement to ...

There was a tremendous response to a blog that I posted last week regarding the possible extension of the first time home buyer tax credit.  We received over 50 comments, most of them from potential home buyers who have a deal in place but are having difficulty closing on their home prior to June...

Learn How To Deal With Multiple Offers When Buying A Home A multiple offer situation can develop on almost any property in almost any market. While multiple offers are usually associated with seller's markets, home buyers should be prepared to compete with other buyers in any type of market. Why?...

An initiative was introduced in the Senate yesterday that would give home buyers attempting to claim the first-time home buyer tax credit an additional three months to close on their homes. In order to claim the tax credit, a potential buyer needed to sign a purchase agreement prior to April 30 a...

Tips for Avoiding Foreclosure If you're living in fear of foreclosure on your home, there are options available to help you avoid such a disastrous situation. If your problem is only temporary, there are three opportunities for relief: * Reinstatement * Forbearance * Repayment If your problem is ...

Learn When To Buy and Sell Your Home Buying a home is a just as much an investment as it is a lifestyle choice to own rather than rent. While we all want to buy low and sell high, personal factors may outweigh investment factors when buying and selling your primary residence. But if you have some...

Learn When To Buy and Sell Your Home Buying a home is a just as much an investment as it is a lifestyle choice to own rather than rent. While we all want to buy low and sell high, personal factors may outweigh investment factors when buying and selling your primary residence. But if you ha...

Getting a home-equity loan Not knowing if your loan has a pre-payment penalty clause. If you are getting a "NO FEE" home-equity loan, chances are there's a hefty pre-payment penalty included. You'll want to avoid such a loan if you are planning to sell or refinance in the next three to five years...