Archive for the Mortgages Category

What To Do If Facing a Possible Foreclosure

The recession officially started December 2007 and ended June of 2009, however many homeowners struggled to stay current on their mortgage before that time, and still do now. Those in the financial industry have been learning how to help people either avoid or survive foreclosure of their home, while at the same time the whole process evolved…. Read More »

Homeowner Who Foreclosed, Other Personal Finance Headlines

Interesting articles worth checking out: Homeowners qualifying for new mortgage after short sale. Auto purchasing and the various fine print costly add-ons. Estate planning: Naming a trustee for your trust, and living wills. Roth IRA escape hatch, for those that already converted, but now regret it. Buyers are Back After Foreclosure. They didn’t have to… Read More »

Home Mortgage Good News

I’ve talked to several people who have been having difficulty staying current on their mortgage, some just over the past year, and others that have been struggling for several years that have qualified for help recently, and they are able to stay in their homes.  Some have even been turned down for loan modifications and short-sales… Read More »

Wrongful Foreclosure Compensation Deadline Approaching

If you’re one of the millions of people who’ve faced losing your home through a wrongful foreclosure, you might get help, but you must act quickly. Homes that were foreclosed on in 2009 and 2010 should find out about the free Independent Foreclosure Review (IFR) process. The IFR process is by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency… Read More »

Lender Reduced Interest Rate to 1% for Veteran

I just spoke to a good friend and veteran in Columbus Ohio that has a mortgage with JP Morgan Chase for 30 years at just over 6%. Chase lowered their interest rate to 1% for 3 years, which made their monthly payment drop by about $400. They were told that this was a special program… Read More »

When to Pay off Your Mortgage

There is quite a bit of miss-information when it comes to whether someone should pay-off their mortgage. On one hand it is wise to have as a goal to someday have a mortgage free home, especially as one enters the retirement years, and minimizing of cash flow and simplification are goals. Many people wonder if… Read More »

Bank of America New Plan for Foreclosing Homes

The Wall Street Journal reported that BofA is initially offering in New York, Arizona and Nevada homeowners who are having difficulty making mortgage payments, to lease their home back to them, at market rates, in exchange for transferring the deed to the bank using a ‘deed-in-lieu of foreclosure.’ This could be a win for the… Read More »

Refinancing Mortgage Considerations

Should I refinance our mortgage to get a lower interest rate? The old rule of thumb was if you are going to stay in your home for a few years, and interest rates drop more than your current rate by 1%, then it will be worth your while to refinance. Meaning since there are closing… Read More »