I’d like to think that my blog is unique, I don’t just blog about mortgages cause quite frankly mortgages isn’t the most exiting subject on the planet. Most mortgage brokers don’t blog (do they even know what a blog is?) so I thought blogging would separate me from the pack. Most of my traffic is derived via Google searches. When I started blogging I sent my url to my past clients, friends, etc. and over the past couple of months I’ve received links from other blogs and sites, but I still get more traffic from google than any other medium. It’s not even close.

Here are some of the search terms (in UPPER CASE) that were used to find my site:

  • NY PIZZA in DENVER: If there’s something I know, it’s NY Pizza. The site for Original New York Pizza is www.originalpizza.us and it’s located here: 1300 W Midway Blvd in Broomfield, CO 80020 to order a pie call (303) 469-9117. Pantaleone’s is another good NY Pizza joint despite the owners being from Soprano country (NJ) here’s their address: 2120 S Holly St # 6 Denver, CO 80222 and number (303) 757-3456.
  • My DENVER BLOG covers Denver real estate, Denver trends, Denver mortgages, and just about anything the gooey substance above my medulla oblongata comes up with.
  • TEDY BRUSCHI of the New England Patriots is one of my favorite NFL players because he plays the way the game should be played and yes, he’s HALF-FILIPINO and HALF-ITALIAN. DEAN CAIN and WILL FERRELL are not Filipino.
  • You can buy STARBURY SNEAKERS in DENVER, Colorado, you can go to Steve and Barry’s located at 8501 West Bowles Avenue in Littleton, CO 80123 call them at 303-904-7513 for directions.
  • FORECLOSURE is a hot topic in COLORADO and DENVER. Fellow Colorado bloggers have tried to minimize the problem. When 90% of the leads that I get from my websites is from Colorado Home Owners facing foreclosure, I’d say foreclosure is a problem. Any way you cut it, people don’t want to lose their homes and saying “sorry, I can’t help you” really sucks!
  • KOSI 101 plays CHRISTMAS MUSIC. Tune to 101.1 on your FM dial.
  • DENVER is not going through a HOUSING BUBBLE BURST. Denver may have flat lined in terms of property value over the past 4 to 5 years but Denver’s real estate hasn’t popped. Who in their right mind would want to move to a booming city that features 300 days of sunshine a year, skiing in our backyard, hiking, biking, great sports, light rail, international airport, great restaurants, and affordable housing? (sarcasm)
  • THE NEXT WASHINGTON PARK could very well be Stapleton, Lowry, Riverfront or anywhere near the Pedestrian Bridge. A realtor would probably be a better person to ask (now there’s an idea for a blog post) so if you need a realtor, just ask. I only work with realtors that won’t waste your time or mine.
  • The DIFFERENCE between a MORTGAGE PLANNER and a MORTGAGE BROKER: a mortgage planner actually gives a rats ass about you as a human being and your long term future. For the record, I consider myself a MORTGAGE PLANNER.
  • HGTV is scouting for new home buyers in the DENVER metro area for their show, MY FIRST PLACE. However, I think this train came and left.
  • REAL WORLD DENVER takes place in LoDo (Lower Downtown) and no I won’t be making any cameos on the show. I believe they filmed the show on Market Street a stone throw away from Coors Field. I’d actually like to see MTV show music videos like they did when I was a kid.
  • CASEY SERIN is facing FORECLOSURE and blogging (www.iamfacingforeclosure.com) about it. The guy is going through hell.
  • DENVER FIX and FLIP and FLIPPING HOUSES in DENVER, please refer to Casey Serin’s blog before you call me about a loan.
  • Yes, there are NY JETS FANS IN DENVER. I’m a die hard NY Jets fan but I don’t know what bar the NY Jets fans congregate. A few years ago it was the Sports Column but when I showed up in my Vinny Testaverde Jersey, there were more Pats fans in the house. Old Chicago on 14th and Market is always a good bet, they show all the games.
  • ALTUS HOME LOANS is not the most reputable mortgage company in Colorado. Their DECEIVING ADS are what they are that’s why they’re in trouble. What’s more concerning is that we want politicians to clean up the mortgage mess. What’s the difference between politicians and a mortgage company? They too make just about any promise necessary to get the deal (elected), then fall short of expectations time and time again.
  • You really need TITLE INSURANCE in Colorado it’s necessary and not a JUNK FEE.
  • WHAT IS WRONG WITH THE DENVER BRONCOS? I don’t have that line anywhere on any of my posts but here’s my answer is “Jake the Snake is not John Elway and neither is Jay Cutler!”

The Denver Post three articles devoted to real estate and mortgage fraud:

  • 3 men named in real estate scam
  • The indictment claims the men solicited investments in duplex projects in Colorado, Texas and Florida that were never built.

  • Big profits oil the wheel of loan fraud
  • Former prosecutor Anthony Accetta cleaned up mortgage fraud 34 years ago - or at least, he tried.

    Accetta said nobody in the lending industry cares about mortgage fraud, because nobody in the lending industry suffers when a loan goes bad. The mortgage industry is a financial game where all of the players are covered against losses.

  • FHA program key in surge of foreclosures
  • A key factor in the state’s record-setting wave of foreclosures, critics say, is an FHA program that allows people to borrow more than their houses are worth with little or no money down.

    Created to extend the dream of homeownership to first-time buyers, the so-called FHA gift program instead has led to rampant foreclosures. Nearly 6,000 FHA loans have wound up in foreclosure in Colorado in the past two years, and during that time the program allowed more than 25 percent of FHA buyers to use gifts as down payments.

To read more about mortgage and real estate fraud check out these two blogs:

  1. Flipping Frenzy
  2. Mortgage Fraud Blog

Consumers interested in purchasing or refinancing a home will pay an interest rate based on current market conditions and their ability to pay back the loan. The borrower’s income and debt ratios are taken into consideration by the lender, as well as the predictability factor provided by credit scoring. It’s important to have a mortgage professional in your corner that has a keen eye for solutions to improving credit scores in an effort to get the best interest rate possible.

Interest rates associated with various loan programs are broken down into schedules based on credit score ratings. While each lender has its own guidelines, it’s safe to assume that as the consumer’s credit score goes down, interest rates will go up.

A borrower with an outstanding credit rating will get what is called an A-paper loan. This type of borrower is rewarded with a lower interest rate because they have a proven track record of using credit sensibly and paying their bills on time.

Loans designed for consumers with less-than-perfect credit – sometimes referred to as “sub-prime” – can range anywhere from A-minus, B-paper, C-paper or D-paper loans.

If you have already taken out a mortgage loan with a higher interest rate because your credit score was a little under par, you will really appreciate the value in doing a little work to improve your credit score. Refinancing from a D-paper loan to a B-paper classification can save literally thousands of dollars in financing fees over time, even though the B-paper loan is still considered sub-prime.

A qualified mortgage consultant will guide you through the nuances of the process of improving your credit score to refinance and save money. First and foremost, he or she will want to review the terms of the existing mortgage loan to determine if you have a pre-payment penalty clause written into your contract. In general terms, that means that if you sell the home or try to refinance before the pre-payment penalty expires and you have not already paid off 20 percent of the original loan amount, you will most likely have to pay a 3 percent fee back to the lender to compensate for the high risk and high costs incurred to provide that financing.

Next, you should obtain free copies of your credit reports from www.annualcreditreport.com and start working on improving the credit score six months prior to the expiration date on your existing pre-payment penalty.

There are five factors that make up the credit score and your mortgage consultant can coach you through some basic strategies to improve your credit score. This means very conservative use of credit cards, paying off debt as much as possible and not applying for additional credit cards unless you will benefit from such action. You will want to verify that negative items you have paid off are being removed from your credit report, and that good credit history is being reported to all three bureaus. You’ll also want to dispute any errors that appear on your credit reports and seek to have those removed entirely.

Once your credit score improves, it’s time to refinance at a better interest rate. Your mortgage professional should look for a program that carries no more than a two-year prepayment penalty so you can continue to refinance as your credit score increases. You can repeat this process until you reach A-paper status and secure the best interest rate available.

This is a strategy that also works well for first time home buyers who do not have enough credit history under their belt to get an A-paper loan at the time of purchase. The important thing is to work with a mortgage consultant who can give you a road map to follow and a strategy for success in building personal wealth.

Editors Note: Due to the mortgage and credit crunchy, zero down home loans are no longer available. If you’re in need Denver Home Mortgage, we can discuss your mortgage situation.]

Zero down mortgage financing is available to many people. It is very possible for a large number of consumers to qualify for a home purchase without putting any money down. This has become a very competitive market for lenders competing for this business and the number of homeowners who obtain loans with no money down is growing each year.

It is important to realize that while it may be the only way a borrower can purchase a home, a zero down mortgage does carry a higher interest rate. Ultimately the borrower’s goal should be to refinance when there is enough equity to achieve an 80% Loan to Value (LTV).

One option for high credit score borrowers who have minimal disposable cash is to use a 103% loan. This loan allows you to borrow up to 3% in addition to the purchase price to help with closing costs. Ask your preferred mortgage professional if you qualify for a 103 LTV program.

Some conforming zero down programs do require you to contribute at least $500 to the purchase. Your earnest money counts as money towards purchase. You may also be required to pay your hazard insurance out of closing so that will be another out of pocket cost. Ask your mortgage broker for details on the programs they offer.

The most common way mortgage brokers structure “Zero Down” financing is to break the loan amount into a first and a second mortgage, with the first mortgage consisting of 80% of the loan amount needed and the second mortgage being 20%.

Zero down mortgages are a great tool to use, even if you have saved up for a down payment. By choosing the zero down mortgage, your down payment money can now be used for closing costs associated with the loan, moving expenses, new furniture, or any other expenses that you may have when you move into your new home.

If you cannot afford a down payment for your home, there are many down payment assistance programs and grants that may be able to help you purchase your new home. Often these programs are limited to first time home buyers or those with low income. However, there are often no limitations. Call me at and I may be able to find a program that will work for you.

Obtaining a true zero down mortgage is when you will not have to come to closing with any funds of your own. In order to achieve this you will need to either have a no closing cost mortgage which can get expensive, or you can have the sellers pay closing costs. Traditional conforming lenders will generally let the sellers pay up to 3% of your closing costs, while most Alt A and subprime lenders will allow up to 6% in closing costs paid by the seller.

Often times zero down payment programs are available to first time homebuyers. If you need a stated income program you may be able to obtain a stated zero down program with an Alt A or subprime lender.

In 2005, 43% of first time home buyers used zero down programs. You may qualify for one of these programs. Call me now!

Here are some reasons why you would use a mortgage broker:

There are many reasons that you should use a mortgage broker and many advantages to using a mortgage broker. One reason to use a mortgage broker is because a mortgage broker has access to all kinds of different home loan programs.

A mortgage broker’s job is to assess your situation and then shop your loan via 100 different lenders in order to find you the most beneficial loan for your situation. We have access to over 1200 different loan programs and are able to obtain wholesale rates which can save you $100,000 plus over the life of your loan.

Here’s something to keep in mind. As a mortgage broker, I’m completely independent. I’m not employed by or work for any bank or lending institution. I work for my clients. The bank is going to look out for its best interests, isn’t it nice to have someone working for you, the borrower, and looking out for your best interests?

Many mortgage brokers have expertise in certain types of loans, such a construction-to-permanent loans, poor credit loans, or reverse mortgages. If your situation has special obstacles a mortgage broker may be the best answer.

A mortgage broker is an individual or firm that acts as an independent agent for both the borrower and the lender of a mortgage loan. Mortgage brokers are the middle man between you and the lending institution, which can be a bank, trust company, credit union, mortgage corporation, finance company or even an individual private investor. A mortgage broker will analyze your financial situation to determine which lender is the best fit for your loan needs.

Mortgage brokers have the advantage of being able to access dozens of rates quickly for similar loan programs from different lenders. Although banks have similar programs, their rates can vary widely. Mortgage brokers, through experience and through searching rates, can find which lenders are offering the lowest rates at any given moment.

Mortgage brokers have more options than banks. For example. if you have poor credit and need a sub-prime loan, your bank may have access to one option. A mortgage broker would have access to dozens. Other situations where mortgage brokers would be able to provide you with more options than a bank include manufactured homes, rural properties, commercial properties, first time home buyers, and special credit situations, such as bankruptcies and foreclosures.

Working with a mortgage broker has many benefits. Just to name a few: we discuss and explain the programs that are available to you in your particular situation. We inform you in writing that you loan interest rate is locked and wont change. We explain all the documents in plain English so you understand what you are signing. We explain all the costs involved in closing the loan. We give you a time-line of the loan process. We provide you with a good faith estimate. We also coordinate the final closing of your loan.

Mortgage brokers have access to wholesale rates, where as your local bank only has access to the rates that they offer. This can save you money on your monthly payment, especially if you have a unique situation that your bank will not be able to handle.

Mortgage brokers are also familiar with the area in which they operate. Using someone local has big advantages. With so much mortgage information online, it’s hard to know who to choose. If something goes wrong along the way with your loan, it is easier to deal with if you have a loan officer you can meet with face to face rather than a website or 800 number.

A mortgage broker is also able to move your file to another lender should a better deal appear. Or if there is a problem with your file in underwriting your mortgage broker can switch lenders within minutes and ensure you meet your close date. Local banks cannot do this.

Who is Eligible for a First Time Buyer Loan? First time home buyer programs are designed to help borrowers who may not have enough money to pay the full cost of the down payment or the closing costs on a mortgage. These programs make obtaining a mortgage more cost effective. There are even programs specifically for residents of each state. First time home buyer programs are available to those who have not owned a home for the past three years.

A large amount of first time home buyer programs are FHA. Be prepared to spend a few hours in class so you can get a certificate stating your eligible.

Some First Time Buyers Programs require as little as 3% down.

Many other first time home buyer programs require that you either take a course or do a self study program with a workbook to learn about the responsibilities and financial obligations involved with owning a home. Even if these programs are not required by your lender or broker if is a good idea to do them anyway. Talk to your broker they can get you the information about when the classes are or provide you with a work book. Many of these courses and workbooks are provided through a PMI Company

A first time home buyer is considered somebody who has not owned a home in the last three years.

First time home buyers may also have other advantages such as discounted transfer tax. Check your local and state regulations to see what benefits you may qualify for, make sure your mortgage professional is aware that you are a first time home buyer. Some of the advantages define a first time home buyer as a borrower who has not owned a home in the past three years, others require that the borrower has never had any interest in any property.

Some local First Time Home Buyer programs offer down payment assistance. To be eligible, applicants’ household incomes must not exceed an amount set by the program administrators. These income limits are usually calculated by multiplying the Area Median Income with a percentage (e. g. 110% of the AMI). The program administrator may place a lien on the home to prevent the homeowner selling the property for profit shortly after settlement. Such liens usually dissipate after 5 to 10 years.

You may find that there are some mortgage loan programs, usually ones that the lender has a higher perception of risk, that are not available to first time home buyers.

Generally the programs will have a step by step guide to get you thru the process of home ownership.

While many borrowers are concerned with what they need to do in order to qualify for a mortgage, there are also a number of things that borrowers should not do once approved for a loan.

In addition it’s a good idea to give yourself a couple of extra days if possible to schedule movers, landscaping companies or and other repairs for the new house. This will give you extra time to get the closing completed and the transaction funded. If you schedule movers or other companies the same day as closing or even the day after you might be in for a stressful situation if for any reason the closing is delayed.

Always consult with your mortgage professional when there is a question regarding any of this because it can cost you your home loan.

After applying for a mortgage do not let anyone pull your credit or apply for any new credit at all. Try to keep everything the same as far as credit goes as when you where initially pre-approved unless told different by your loan officer.

Do not ignore to tell your mortgage broker about any material changes in the purchase agreement you and the seller come to agree upon after the mortgage process has begun. A slightly lower sale price can alter the loan-to-value ratio and requires re-submission of loan documents. Your mortgage broker and lender have to be made aware if any addendum is later attached to the purchase contract.

After applying for a mortgage be sure to advise your loan officer to any changes in your marital status or name changes. This will help you avoid problems with the final closing documents and/or title problems.

Be certain not to lease a car or allow a car dealer to “pre-qualify” you for a car lease or loan. It doesn’t matter whether or not the car is new or used, because either way this would fall under the category of taking on new debt, and is a very common reason for individuals, particularly those making purchases for the first time, run into complications with their mortgage application process after the fact. If you have any need to make any further applications for substantial credit, please give us a call.

Do not take on new debt. The temptation is strong. There are so many big purchases that people want to make in connection with a move: appliances, window treatments, furniture, etc. When you add to this the fact that, today, everyone offers easy terms and no money down—well, why not just do it? Answer: because you will change what the mortgage industry calls your “debt-to-income ratios” (the relationship of your income to your debt).

Do not change jobs. If at all possible, try not to make a career move during the time between your mortgage application and the closing on the home you are purchasing. But, you ask, “What if it’s a BETTER job, for MORE money, in a DIFFERENT field?” Still, try and wait until AFTER closing. One of the factors mortgage companies consider is length of present employment; they are partial to stability. At the very least, changing jobs initiates the need for more paperwork, and may delay your closing.

Do not pack too soon. Well, go ahead and pack your clothes and dishes. But do not pack your bank statements, tax returns, or other important paperwork. Most especially, do not pack your checkbook! More than one buyer has had closing delayed while a friend or relative hurried over with additional funds because the checkbook was in the moving van.

Do not lease a new car. This should go under the general heading of “no new debt.” It is highlighted here because, for some strange reason, many buyers do run right out and lease a new car during the time between mortgage application and closing! As with any debt, this will change your “debt-to-income ratios” and may cause you not to qualify for your mortgage.

Do not stop making your regular monthly payments after applying for a mortgage. Borrowers refinancing their home to payoff other debts sometimes stop making their regular monthly payments because they are going to payoff the debt. This can cause problems during the loan process because not making payments on time may hurt your credit rating. Lower credit scores may cause your interest rate to go up or result in you being denied credit.

Once you apply for a mortgage to refinance or for a home purchase your job is not done. Be involved, don’t just wait for the call to schedule the closing. Check with your mortgage broker, find out what is going on with your loan, talk to your realtor make sure everything you want done is getting done. Be proactive not reactive, don’t wait for a problem then rush to solve it, work to prevent any issues form happening in the first place.

Do not pay off any old collection accounts on your credit report unless you were specifically told to do so by your mortgage professional. Paying off old collection debt will often signal to the credit reporting agencies that there is new activity on an negative entry and actually lower your credit score.

Before lenders lend money, they need to be assured that the funds will be repaid. In other words, is the prospective borrower creditworthy? To find out, they ask for various types of information.

Sub-prime lenders understand you may have come upon some hard times in the past and will look at your more recent credit history.

Lenders look at the risk that you will default on the loan, based on several factors. Those include credit score, history of paying your mortgage or rent on time, debt-to-income ratio, occupancy type (primary residence, second home or investment property), property type (single-family, 2-unit, condo), percentage of the property’s value you want to borrow (60%, 70% 80% 100%), and work history, among others.

Lenders will look at an applicants past credit history, income and the value of collateral being used to secure the mortgage. The lenders will compare this information to their guidelines to determine if the applicant is a good credit risk.

With regards to repayment capability, most banks prefer that a borrower has total debt obligations of less than 45% of gross income. Total debt include any monthly obligations the borrower has, including the proposed mortgage payment, property tax, homeowner insurance, automobile financing, credit card installments, alimony, etc. Utility and food costs are not considered debts and are not included in the Debt-to-Income ratio. Some non-prime mortgage lenders allow a Debt-to-Income ratio of up to 55%.

Lenders will look for job stability, credit worthiness, disposable income, liquid assets, debt to income ratios and loan to value ratios among many other things. Sometimes a borrower can be deficient or weak in one of the above mentioned areas but make up for it in others to still be considered for the financing desired. Lenders don’t typically want to see a lot of job changing or career changing happening. Also, obviously the better the credit the better the chance the lender will be repaid on the debt. Disposable income is how much income is left over after you have paid all of your monthly obligations. Debt to income is a ratio that is calculated based off of how much you make divided by how much your obligations are and LTV (loan to value is simply how much of a mortgage you are borrowing compared to how much your home is valued at. These are all very important items that a lender looks at as a part of your whole package.

Reserves is another factor that lenders want to see. Reserves are simply how much liquid cash you have in the bank to make payments with. If you are a first time home buyer the reserves can be anywhere from 2 -6 months worth of PITI (Principle, Interest, Taxes and Insurance). Various lenders will have different guidelines so be sure to ask your Mortgage Professional how much cash you will need to have in reserves.

Your credit worthiness will affect the interest rate and the number of programs that are available to you.

Editors Note: Due to the mortgage and credit crunch, Alternative Documentation loans are no longer be available. If you’re in need of a refinancing your mortgage in Denver, CO contact us to discuss your mortgage options.

Alternative Documentation is expedited and simpler documentation requirements designed to speed up the loan approval process. Instead of verifying employment with the applicants employer and bank deposits with the applicants bank, the lender will accept paycheck stubs, W-2s, and the borrowers original bank statements.

Alternative Documentation (Alt Doc) loans differ from Full Documentation (Full Doc) loans in that Alt Doc loan programs do not require the usual income and assets verifications from a third party (the applicant’s employer or the depository bank where the loan applicant keeps the down payment funds). Full Doc loans often require such third party verifications and therefore the underwriting process takes longer.

It is now possible to obtain an alternative credit report accredited by the National Credit Reporting Association (NCRA).

Fannie Mae’s “My Community” program was designed for first time home buyers with limited credit depth. This program will allow up to 100% financing with little or no credit. You will still have to show at least 4 alternative tradelines but your interest rate is much better than going with a subprime lender.

The usefulness of this documentation type is obvious; it allows the borrower to speed up the process for underwriting. While you may ask your loan agent for this type of documentation, certain restrictions may apply in order to qualify.

Alternative documentation types can allow borrowers with non traditional sources of income to qualify for loans.

A good example of a borrower who would need to use alternative documentation would be a plumber who works a regular 40 hour per week job but also works after hours and weekends doing “side” jobs. Many such folks earn a significant portion of their overall income this way and would have a difficult time proving this income with traditional methods.

Another option to consider if it is difficult or impossible to verify your income, employment and assets is to No-Doc. A No-Doc loan requires No Documentation of income, employment or assets. You do need a good credit score to go No-Doc and will pay a slightly higher interest rate in some cases but if verification of income, assets and employment is a problem, consider going No-Doc.

Any alternative credit accounts you use must have a good payment history and be open for a minimum of 12 months. Canceled rent checks can also be used for an alternative credit account.

Alt A and subprime lenders also allow other documentation types such as bank statements, business bank statements, and/or verification of employment to satisfy income documentation requirements. Check with your broker to see what programs will work best for you.

Only in recent years have we as mortgage professionals been able to work with alt doc type loans. In the past you had to put down 20%, provide proof of everything and have great credit to buy a home. Now we have to ability to pick from multiple loans programs that fit just about anyone’s profile.

An ARM loan is where the interest rate is fixed for a specified period of time and then adjusts according to the terms of the loan and the index associated with the loan.

Adjustable Rate Mortgages are excellent choices for our customers with growing families, as the often outgrow their houses much before the fixed period of the mortgage expires.

One of the biggest advantages of an ARM loan is that when interest rates fall, the borrower can take advantage of those lower rates without having to go to the expense of refinancing.

An arm loan typically starts out w/ a lower rate than a fixed rate loan and can give you several years of reduced payments compared to a higher fixed rate mortgage.

The most common ARMs are 6 month, 1 yr, 2 yr, 3 yr, 5 yr, 7 yr and 10 yr.

ARM loans offer way more flexibility than your standard fixed rate mortgage. With ARM loans you can do fixed terms of usually 1, 3, 5,7 or 10 years. Most of these programs also give you an interest only option to lower your payments even more. Even though it has some negative aspects, the Pay Option ARM ( aka Pick a Payment, Cash flow ARM, Neg Am) is my favorite loan. This ARM gives you 3 or 4 monthly payment choices. The interest rate does fluctuate every month, but the minimum payment adjusts once a year and is usually based on paying only 1% of the interest due. This is ideal for investment properties, first time homebuyers, or borrowers savvy enough to divert the savings into other investments. Make sure to discuss all of the options with your mortgage broker.

ARM loans are typically best for people who know that they will either refinance or move within a few years. Because rates tend to be lower on ARM loans, this can be a very good choice. However, if you have no intention of moving within the next few years, you may be better off to go with a fixed rate mortgage. This is something you will want to discuss with your broker.

One of the myths in the mortgage business is that ARM loans are for those who don’t qualify for a fixed rate mortgage. The fact of the matter is that most ARM borrowers could also qualify for a fixed rate loan but choose an ARM because of the lower payments and other advantages that the ARM product offers.

Next Page →