Articles
Mortgage

The Mortgage SAFE Act: Safe, or an Act? Check Your Mortgage Expert Carefully

Granada Hills, CA - January 7, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) — Refinancing to the wrong residential loan could cost you your home, ruin your credit and disrupt family. In an attempt to combat faulty lending practices, earlier this year, lawmakers passed the Secure and Fair Enforcement Mortgage Licensing Act “SAFE Act.” It establishes a national standard mandating consumer protection against fraud and misleading lending practices. Crafted to abolish shoddy residential lending, SAFE primarily institutes a system for licensing and registering loan originators. California must comply with enact requirements by the end of 2010

Mortgage Lending Expert: Home Price Trends

Granada Hills, CA - December 23, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) — Where are home values going? Do real estate pros and economists have the inside scoop - and they just aren’t sharing? ………not quite.

A Loan on Half a House?

What if your client only owns half the house? And the other owner can’t sign – can you get them a loan? Granada Hills, CA - December 21, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) — Nancy was in just that bind. She inherited ½ of her aunt’s house - her brother inherited the other half. She needed to borrow money right away for repairs to the house-– the problem was that her brother was in the middle of a nasty divorce, and couldn’t sign anything.

Loan Dispute Mediation

Granada Hills, CA - November 18, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) — While opinions differ on the percentage of loan workouts that wind up in default, there’s no question that a large number of them do. Foreclosure often leads to disputes, which lead us to mediation. Mediation, which should not be confused with arbitration, (FN1) is simply a formalized attempt by the parties to resolve differences, with the assistance of a skilled third party negotiator. Mediation can be brought about by a contractual agreement (that originated prior to the dispute) or by mutual agreement when a dispute arises.

Commercial Real Estate Loans: Approaching the Commercial Lender

You’re searching for commercial real estate financing - what’s the best approach to take in contacting lenders? Granada Hills, CA - November 3, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) — Commercial lending is far less standardized than getting home financing, and has a whole language of its own. You and the commercial loan officer will generally discuss the tenancy and income or the property, if it is rented, and the property type, before getting into the borrower’s qualifications. The loan amount and terms you’ll obtain will vary greatly, depending on different property characteristics.

First Time Homebuyers: Why Some First Time Homebuyers Still Rent

September 7, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) — “We keep looking, but we still don’t have a house.” Like many potential first time homebuyers, Mark and Tara Carlson have been pre-approved for a loan and have looked at a number of homes. There’s just one thing missing - they haven’t bought a house. “Every time my husband and I find a great house, the monthly payment scares us away. We know we qualify - we just get scared.”

Answers for Homeowners with Freddie Mac Loans Previously Serviced by Taylor, Bean & Whitaker

My loan is with Taylor, Bean & Whitaker (TBW) and they have closed. What should I do? September 4, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) — Freddie Mac has arranged for several servicing companies to work directly with homeowners who had TBW-serviced mortgages. The new servicers have sent letters to homeowners with instructions for contacting them and making your monthly mortgage payments. In some cases, the new servicers have also made welcome phone calls

Avoiding the $475,000 Mistake – Entering the Credit

August 28, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) — Finally! The delays are over and your foreclosure is going to sale. The trustee asks for bidding instructions. The grand total owing on your loan (a first trust deed) is $575,000. The value of the property is $500,000. Would you open the bidding at $575,000? It could be a big mistake. Surprisingly, many otherwise sophisticated lenders and servicers, including large banks, are completely unaware of this problem.

Always Use Protection!

August 27, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) — “We may be able to work out an arrangement regarding your back payments. Can you bring in at least one payment by Friday?” In a two sentence discussion with the borrower, your loan servicing employee may have just planted the seeds of borrower litigation

Title Insurance Checklist

August 27, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) — The following is a review of certain, but not all of the title insurance issues which you may encounter in a loan transaction, and of procedures that may be considered in dealing with title insurance coverage or the general processing and closing of loan transactions. This is only a highlighting of certain steps to be taken, and may not be comprehensive