Mortgage Rates & Trends

According to the National Association of Realtors, 180,000 home sales could fall apart if the $8000 first time home buyer tax credit closing date is not extended past the June 30th deadline. We have written about this topic extensively over the last several weeks, as amendments to extend the clos...

A bill that would have extended unemployment benefits, as well as extended the closing date for the first time home buyer tax credit to September 30th, and extended a variety of other tax credits, failed to garner enough votes to defeat a Republican-led filibuster in the Senate yesterday. The Dem...

With current mortgage interest rates near all-time lows, most home owners who can qualify for a mortgage refinance are either in the process of refinancing their mortgage or thinking about it. With all of the upheaval in the mortgage markets because of the credit crisis, many of the places where ...

Yesterday Fannie Mae announced a new set of policies designed to deal with strategic defaulters – those who have the means to pay their mortgage but choose not to pay because they are so far underwater it no longer makes financial sense to pay the mortgage. People who strategically default will b...

Learn about the mortgage refinance process in Connecticut. Refinancing in Connecticut is easier and costs less than in many states The refinance process in Connecticut is relatively simple: 1. Select a mortgage lender. 2. Submit your application 3. Lock in your interest rate 4. Select an attorney...

Another week, another gloomy housing report.  Today the National Association of Realtors reported that purchases of existing homes dropped unexpectedly 2.2 percent in May. The deceleration of the housing market can be largely attributed to the expiration of the first time home buyer tax credit on...

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...