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Five-Year Mortgage Rate Freeze Looms
Wednesday December 5, 8:42 pm ET
By Martin Crutsinger and Alan Zibel, Associated Press Writers

Bush Mortgage Plan Will Freeze Certain Subprime Interest Rates for 5 Years WASHINGTON (AP) — The Bush administration has hammered out an agreement to freeze interest rates for certain subprime mortgages for five years to combat a soaring tide of foreclosures, congressional aides said Wednesday.

The aides, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the details have not yet been released, said the five-year moratorium represented a compromise between desires by banking regulators for a longer time frame of up to seven years and mortgage industry arguments that the freeze should last only one or two years.

Another person familiar with the matter said the rate-freeze plan would apply to borrowers with loans made at the start of 2005 through July 30 of this year with rates that are scheduled to rise between Jan. 1, 2008, and July 31, 2010.

The administration said President Bush will speak on the agreement at the White House on Thursday and the Treasury Department announced that Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and Housing and Urban Development Secretary Alphonso Jackson would hold a joint news conference Thursday afternoon with mortgage industry officials.

Treasury also announced there would be a technical briefing to explain more of the proposal’s details.

Paulson, who has been leading the effort to craft a plan, said on Monday that the program would only be available for owner-occupied homes — to ensure the break is not given to real estate speculators.

The plan emerged from talks between Paulson and other banking regulators and banks, mortgage investors and consumer groups trying to address an avalanche of foreclosures feared as an estimated 2 million subprime mortgages reset from lower introductory rates to higher rates.

In many cases, the higher rates will boost monthly payments by as much as 30 percent, making it very difficult for many people to keep current with their loans.

The plan is aimed at homeowners who are making payments on time at lower introductory mortgage rates but cannot afford a higher adjusted rate.

Through October, there were about 1.8 million foreclosure filings nationwide, compared with about 1.3 million in all of 2006, according to Irvine, Calif.-based RealtyTrac Inc. With home loan defaults still rising, the trend is expected to worsen next year.

The plan represents an about-face for Paulson, who until recently had insisted the mortgage crisis could be handled on a case-by-case basis. However, he and other administration officials became convinced the tide of foreclosures threatened by the mortgage resets represented such a severe threat that a more sweeping approach was needed. They opted for a proposal that was along the lines of a plan put forward in October by Sheila Bair, head of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.

Paulson and other federal regulators began holding talks with some of the country’s biggest mortgage lenders, mortgage service companies, investors who hold mortgage-backed securities and nonprofit groups that provide counseling for at-risk homeowners.

Under the typical subprime loan — those offered to borrowers with spotty credit histories — the rates for the first two years were at levels around 7 percent to 8 percent. But after two years, those rates were scheduled to reset to levels around 9 percent to 11 percent.

For a typical $1,200 monthly mortgage payment, the reset could add another $350 to the monthly payment, greatly raising the risks of loan defaults by homeowners struggling with the current payment.

The wave of mortgage foreclosures threatened to make the most severe slump in housing even worse by dumping more foreclosed properties onto an already glutted market, further depressing home prices and shaking consumer confidence.

The deepening housing slump has already roiled financial markets, starting in August, as investors grew increasingly concerned about billions of dollars of losses being suffered by banks, hedge funds and other investors.

The administration plan is designed to deal with the crisis by letting subprime borrowers who are living in their homes and are current on their payments to avoid a costly reset for five years. The hope is that by that time the housing downturn will have stabilized, clearing out the glut of unsold homes and halting the steep slide in prices that is hitting many parts of the country.

With sales and prices once again rising, the expectation is that homeowners will be able to renegotiate their current adjustable rate mortgages into a more affordable fixed-rate plan.

The housing crisis has become an issue in the presidential race with Democrats Hillary Rodham Clinton and John Edwards putting forward their own proposals this week that would go further than the administration.

Clinton said her own proposal that would impose a 90-day moratorium on foreclosures and freeze the rates for five years or until they had been converted to fixed-rate loans was a better approach that would help more people.

“Although the administration is finally giving the foreclosure crisis the attention it deserves, it seems that President Bush is going to give struggling homeowners far less than they need,” she said in a statement.

Mark Zandi, chief economist for Moody’s Economy.com, called the administration plan a good first step, but said the government eventually will have to go further given the problem’s size and the threat to the economy.

“This is the most serious housing downturn we have seen in the post World War II period,” Zandi said. “It is a threat to the broader economy. The risks of a recession are very high.”

Associated Press reporters Deb Reichmann and Nedra Pickler contributed to this report.

I get a lot of email. Some are linking requests. Some are spam that somehow get through GMAIL’s spam filter. Some are mortgage requests. Some are mortgage questions. Some are mortgage vendors trying to sell me something.

On Sunday, I received a well written argument from a reader who asked me to post his response to the Denver Post article NO MONEY DOWN: A HIGH RISK GAMBLE.

Phil,

I enjoy frequenting your blog, and wanted to be sure to share this with you. I am an independent Mortgage Broker with my own company Source Financial LLC, and I wrote an extended response to The Sunday Denver Post’s lead article from September 17, 2006 entitled “No Money Down: A High-Risk Gamble” [www.denverpost.com/ci_4347686].

I found the Denver Post article to be riddled with misrepresentations, one-sided accountings, and dangerous misinformation, all supporting a traditionalist approach to mortgages that has put two-thirds of all families into home ownership, but yet has led to a situation where the average fifty year-old American is worth negative $7000, only 5% of Americans retire at age 65 in financial dignity, and 9 out of 10 Americans die in debt.

In reference to my 2000 word response, Denver Post Business Editor Stephen Keating indicated that “I will take the time to read it and digest your observations, and discuss it with the rest of the reporting/editing team here.” Article author and Denver Post Business Writer Greg Grifffin wrote “This is a well-reasoned and well-supported argument. I don’t agree with everything you’ve said, but you’ve managed to get me thinking.” Unfortunately, checking today’s (September 24) Sunday Denver Post and www.denverpost.com, my response remained unpublished…

A Response to “No Money Down: A High-Risk Gamble” – The Sunday Denver Post, September 17, 2006 lead article [www.denverpost.com/ci_4347686]

As an independent Mortgage Broker that owns my own company, Source Financial LLC, in addition to being affiliated with a larger mortgage company that handles the processing and servicing of my loans, Lion Financial Corporation, I read the lead article “No Money Down: A High-Risk Gamble” with great interest. Knowing that a lot of folks along the Front Range turn to the Denver Post as an objective source for information, I was shocked and dismayed by much of the information and conclusions that were put forth on a topic that already invokes a fight or flight response among many home owners.

100% financing loans have been an amazing tool that has greatly contributed to the 5% increase over the last twenty years in percentage of homes occupied by the owner. But it is not the lack of equity that is putting these borrowers into jeopardy, it is a lack of a flexible asset base to deal with changes that has been increasing the risk of these folks defaulting. In general, people that utilize 100% financing for home purchases usually are lacking the liquid assets, emergency funds, and overall wiggle room to deal with financial hardship.

Of course lenders usually have guidelines concerning liquid asset reserves that must be held by the borrower in order to qualify for a loan, but often they only require enough to cover two to four months of mortgage payments. When people do face catastrophic events rightfully referenced by the Denver Post, “job loss, medical problems and divorce,” those reserves can often quickly disappear.

But having equity in one’s home when faced with these situations does not “give homeowners options when they face financial problems,” because it is precisely when folks are facing such dilemmas that they are quite often unable to qualify for refinancing, as at that point in time they are too high risk of a borrower for lenders to work with. As a Mortgage Broker I am deeply disturbed by this fact, but unfortunately it is a reality that we all must face when dealing with banks and lenders.

And probably the most misunderstood aspect of homeownership is the fact that equity is a ZERO PERCENT RETURN INVESTMENT. Yet two-thirds of Americans hold the majority of their wealth in home equity, which is a non-liquid asset that gives them absolutely zero return. Many people confuse appreciation, which is the increase in home value due to market trends, with getting some kind of return on their equity, but that is a common misconception. That is why it is so important for homeowners to separate their equity from their home via refinancing, and put those “cashed out” funds into investment vehicles that offer an actual rate of return. In doing so, homeowners increase their overall liquidity, improve their capacity to face emergencies, reduce their financial risk, increase their rate of return, improve their tax deductions, and diversify their investment portfolio.

Instead of spending their liquid asset base (savings) to finish their basement and send money to their parents, such as in the case of Jose Garcia and Maria Vanderhorst, borrowers with 100% financing have to exercise greater financial discipline. And putting money down and getting into a 30-year fixed would not have improved their situation, as then their down payment would be tied up as equity, which is a non-liquid asset, money that can only be accessed through refinancing or by selling their home.

100% finanacing loans are not dangerous, what is dangerous is borrowers not having a liquid asset base to deal with life’s contingencies. Unfortunately, these are the type of borrowers that tend towards 100% financing, as it really is their only option for home ownership. And tying up their wealth in the straightjacket known as equity is not part of the solution, it is part of the problem. An incredible means to access equity for the purpose of greater fiscal flexbility and all the other goods mentioned above, or “cashing out equity as one goes,” is the Option-ARM loan, which received quite a misguided slamming in the Denver Post article.

The Payment Option Loan gives the borrower four different payment options each and every month: they can make an Interest Only, 30-Year amortized, or 15-Year amortized payment based upon the fully indexed interest rate, or they can make the minimum payment that is based upon a very low “start rate” (usually between 1% and 4%), which involves deferring interest (a.k.a. negative amortization), or adding the difference between the Interest Only payment and the minimum payment onto the principal of the loan. Now while most lenders offer the Payment Option Loan with an adjustable fully indexed rate, one that starts adjusting as early as the first month, some lenders offer the Payment Option Loan with a fixed interest rate for the first five years.

The Payment Option Loan has proven to be a favorite of Real Estate Investors and Real Estate Agents, as it frees up extra cash flow on a monthly basis for much greater investment opportunities. Knowing that equity is a zero percent return investment is some powerful information to have.

The annecdote concerning Louis and India Harts conflated the fixed “start rate” with the adjustable “fully indexed rate”, such that readers were left with the impression that the Harts’ interest rate went from 2.6% to 8.1%. The start rate, which determines how much the minimum payment will be, is not a “teaser rate” that “quickly shoots up”. Some lenders do gradually increase the minimum payment itself (not its determining start rate) on an annual basis, usually somwhere in the range of 7.5% per year, to keep the borrower from deferring too much interest. But the start rates is always otherwise a fixed rate. It is the fully indexed rate, upon which the Interest Only, 30-Year amortized, or 15-Year amortized payments are based, that is adjustable is this case. And this fact is consistent with the numbers quoted in the article: the minimum payment of $919 the Harts are making would be the combination of $721 (2.6% start rate on a $180,000 loan) and $198 of escrowed Property Taxes and Hazard Insurance, which is approximately what they would be for such a home.

In the Harts’ particular case, they are going to have plenty of time to refinance before their loan starts to recast when the principal hits 115% (which would be $207,000 in their situation), as they will be well below that total when their three year prepayment penalty period is up. So the answer to Louis’ “I don’t know how we’re going to do it,” is that when those three years are up, they’ll refinance and get themselves into a loan that they feel more comfortable with and educated about. Though given their situation, if properly understood the Payment Option Loan really is their best option.

My question is how can mortgage products themselves be blamed for foreclosures? At best the article points towards a correlation, but demonstrating causation surely requires more than offhanded references to what some unnamed experts stated the next wave of defaults “may” come from. Beyond unpredictable catastrophic occurences like job loss and overwhelming medical bills, foreclosures occur because borrowers are getting into loans that they do not understand, and often they do not know that they do not understand the mortgage product. It is the responsibility of the Mortgage Broker to completely explain all the details of any mortgage product to the borrower. But it is also the responsibility of the borrower to be certain that they understand the terms of loan before signing off on it at closing. Vehicles and guns both kill in the range of 35,000 Americans each year, but it is the human misuse due to lack of education, ignorance or simple negligance that creates this reality, much like in the mortgage scenario.

Every different mortgage product serves its purpose, and what works for one borrower will not work for another given the specifics of their situation. To label certain categories of loans as “high-risk gambles” or as leaving “no room for slips” ignores the millions of families that are in these loans and find that they very much work for them. It is also a disservice to consumers to mislead them with such one-sided representations.

The true irony of the lead piece in September 17th Sunday Denver Post is that the conclusion that “Option-ARMs… could fuel a surge in foreclosures in the next few years” is the opposite of what we find is actually going on in the mortgage industry, as Payment Option Loans have proven to have the lowest foreclosure rate of any mortgage product currently on the market. World Savings is a bank that specializes in this product, which they refer to as the Pick-A-Pay Loan, as more than 90% of the loans they outfit borrowers with are of the Option-ARM variety. As a lender they have less than a 1% percent foreclosure rate! But World Savings, along with the independent Mortage Brokers like myself that they work with, take on the responsibility of educating the borrowers as to how to properly and smartly manage this incredibly powerful mortgage product.

A lot of mortgage brokers I know will not touch Payment Option loans, but I believe that is primarily because they are not all that interested in educating the consumer. Why not just throw them into a 30-year fixed APR mortgage? Everyone pretty much knows how that works. But that is also how banks make of the most money off of borrowers! The “list of higher-risk, alternative mortgages” the article refers to are not only not necessarily higher risk (Payment Option loan has the lowest risk, as discussed above), but they also provide the borrower the opportunity to increase their monthly cash flow by lowering their monthly mortgage payments by as much as 40%. In this way consumers are empowered to “become the bank” and grow their own investment portfolio, rather than falling into the trap of handing over their hard earned capital to the banks in the form of a large down payment or paying down principal so that they can have more of a zero percent return investment, equity.

Affiliates of Lion Financial Corporation, like myself through my company Source Financial LLC, do not shy away from the privilege or responsibility of educating our clients how to properly utilize alternative mortgage packages. And why is this? Because when families are taught smart mortgage product and equity management, they learn to utilize their mortgage as a financial tool for building wealth, which easily makes a $500,000 to $1,000,000 difference for the borrower over the next fifteen to twenty years. The affluent have always understood how to leverage their mortgage, pay as little down as possible, and keep very low monthly payments in order to increase cash flow for investment purposes. The American middle class is being transformed by engaging in these very same concepts and increasing their fiscal discipline, and I absolutely would not have it any other way.

Brent Ritzel
President/CEO, Source Financial LLC
Denver, Colorado, USA
An affiliate of Lion Financial Corporation
303-590-8999
Brent.Ritzel@lionfinance.com

While reading the Rocky Mountain News, I noticed the main mortgage/real estate article (Housing market shows signs of wear and tear) was by a NY Times writer. So I ventured over to the NY Times and noticed they had a slew of articles on mortgage and real estate that aren’t NY specific. To view these articles you will need a login and password.

• Sales Slow for Homes New and Old
  

  Selling a new home is getting harder and harder: just ask the builders who are being forced these days to entice potential buyers with expensive inducements like free swimming pools and fancy kitchen cabinets.

• Re-Refinancing, and Putting Off Mortgage Pain
  

  It is the latest twist in the gravity-defying world of the high housing prices and exotic low-rate mortgages: As monthly payments on adjustable-rate mortgages are starting to balloon, many Americans have found a way to put off the day of reckoning.

• Cashing In on Home Equity
  

  NEAR-RECORD numbers of owners are still cashing in on the increased value of their homes, and they continue to use that cash for purposes that raise eyebrows among financial advisers. Yet, because the housing market has been so strong in recent years, it is unlikely that the free spending will undermine most borrowers’ long-term financial health.

• Mortgage REIT’s Are Aloft, but Dangers Remain
  

  SOME investors who are new to the market of real estate investment trusts may not know that a small percentage of REIT’s don’t own any real estate. Instead, these companies hold the mortgage debt used to finance property or lend money themselves to owners and developers.

10 tips for using a mortgage as a financial tool

Here is a list of 10 tips to building and maintaining wealth, as well as the 10 most common myths about home equity, and the reality of each myth.1. Avoid the $25,000 mistake that ensnares millions of Americans. Myth: The best way to pay off a home early is to pay extra principal on your mortgages. Reality: No method of applying extra principal payments to your mortgages is the wisest or most cost-effective way of paying off your house. Strategy: Establish a liquid side fund to accumulate the funds required to pay off your mortgage, maintain flexibility, achieve substantial tax savings and accumulate excess cash.

The equity you have in your home can be a powerful tool in managing your overall financial situation. Your equity, the value of your home minus your existing mortgage, can serve as collateral for additional borrowing. While there are some risks with this strategy (as with any borrowing), home equity loans usually offer the attractions of lower rates, longer period to pay back, convenience and often tax benefits.

4. The return on equity is always zero no matter where your property is located. Myth: Home equity has a rate of return. Reality: Equity grows as a function of real estate appreciation and a mortgage reduction; however, equity has no rate of return. Strategy: Separate as much equity from your house as feasible in order to allow idle dollars to earn a rate of return.

9. Strategically refinance your home as often as feasible to increase your net worth. Myth: Equity in your home enhances your net worth. Reality: Equity in your home does not enhance your net worth at all. Separated from your home, however, it has the ability to dramatically enhance your net worth over time. Strategy: Set the stage to substantially increase your net worth. Refinance your home as often as feasible to separate equity and accelerate the process of accumulating the resources to cover all your debts.

10. Keep your mortgage balance high to sell your home more quickly and for a higher price. Myth: The amount of equity you have in your home has no bearing on how marketable it is. Reality: Your home may likely sell much more quickly and for a higher price if it has a high mortgage balance (low equity)—rather than a low mortgage or no mortgage balance (high equity)—especially in soft real estate markets. Strategy: Always maintain as high a mortgage with flexibility on your home as feasible to keep it marketable at the highest possible price should you want to sell the property.”

6. Use debt for positive leverage. Myth: Any and all debt is undesirable. Reality: Some debt, when managed wisely, can be desirable. Strategy: Use debt wisely as a positive lever for equity management purposes, conserving and compounding equity rather than consuming it.

2. Avoid expensive risks. Position yourself to act instead of reacting to market conditions you have no control over. Myth: Home equity is liquid. Reality: When you need it most, you may not have it. Home equity is usually not-liquid. Strategy: Separate as much equity from your property as is feasible, positioning it in financial instruments that will maintain liquidity in the event of emergencies and conservative investment opportunities.

5. Make Uncle Sam your best partner. Mortgage interest is your friend, not your foe. Myth: Mortgage interest is an expense that should be eliminated as soon as possible. Reality: Eliminating mortgage interest expense through traditional methods eliminates one of your best partners in accumulating wealth and financial security. Strategy: Use the difference between preferred and non-preferred interest expense to make interest work for you instead of against you.

As you can see there are many ways you can put your equity to work for you. It might be a good idea to check with your online Mortgage Broker to see how you would be able to benefit from some of these strategies.

3. Separate home and equity to increase safety. Real properties with high equity and low mortgages get foreclosed on the soonest. Myth: Home equity is a safe investment. Reality: A home mortgaged to the hilt or totally free and clear provides the greatest safety for the homeowner. Strategy: Separate as much equity from your home as feasible to achieve greater safety of principle and reduce the risk of foreclosure.

7. Understand the cost of not borrowing compare deductible versus non-deductible costs. Myth: lower mortgages, resulting in lower payments, mean lower cost. Reality: If you take opportunity costs into consideration, low mortgage-to-home-value ratios create tremendous hidden costs that increase the time needed to pay off a mortgage. Strategy: Choose to incur deductible employment costs rather than non-deductible opportunity costs, since you have no choice but to incur one or the other.

8. Turbo charge your wealth growth rate by creating homemade wealth. Myth: Borrowing funds at a particular interest rate, then investing them at the same or lower interest rate, holds no potential growth returns. Reality: You can earn a tremendous pro fit regardless of the relative interest rates by positioning your money in a tax favored, interest-compounding investment that earns a rate of return greater than the real net cost of obtaining the money. Strategy: Learn to apply the fundamental principle that highly profitable financial institutions use to accumulate and create wealth arbitrage. Employ equity to earn a rate of return higher than the net cost of separating that equity. By doing so, you will create tremendous wealth and substantially enhance your net worth.

Nearly 6 in every 10 home owners has more home equity than stock, bond, treasury or other securities derived wealth. They key to maximizing one’s wealth is to utilize one’s home equity to invest in asset classes which on average return at a rate higher than the tax-deduction-adjusted interest rate of their mortgage. For example, if you have a 5% ARM your effective interest rate after deductions is roughly 3.75%. You should speak with your tax and investment professionals about finding a strategy which allows you to invest at a rate higher than this, and contact us for advice on how to get you the money to build your financial future.

Editors Note: Due to the mortgage and credit crunch, interest only mortgages are more difficult to obtain. If you’re in need of a Denver home loan contact us to discuss your mortgage options.

Paying interest only is a great way to minimize housing expenses per month. The concept of this type of payment structure is to allow you a set amount of time in which your payments will be based off of interest only. Every borrower should keep in mind that this loan will not pay down any of the principal balance during the interest only portion of the loan.

Why pay interest only - do you think you will ever really pay off your mortgage? How do you gain equity in your home? Is it from paying down your principal or more so from the market appreciation of your home? When you consider these things paying interest only and having the extra cash flow often makes good sense.

Examine every loan option with your mortgage broker before you decide on a interest only loan program. Your mortgage broker will be able to determine if the interest only option is a good fit for you. This will ensure that you are not frustrated by an uninformed decision years down the road.

Many lenders charge a small premium in order to have interest only premiums, usually 1/8th or 1/4p point. Make sure you discuss this with your mortgage broker as well.

With an interest only loan you will still build equity in your home even if you only make the interest only payments and never apply any extra payment towards the principal. This is achieved because your house is always going to appreciate and gain value (unless you live in a community with declining home values, which is not very common). Therefore, You can still gain equity in your home while freeing up cash to pay down other bills, invest, and/or just to simply put save for a rainy day.

Many people choose interest only loans to increase their cash flow and not be encumbered by such a huge mortgage payment.

With any type of interest only loan you can choose to make additional payments to reduce your principal balance. These type of loans work very well with borrowers whose income may fluctuate on a monthly basis or borrowers who know they will be receiving a pay increase in the future and want to minimize the monthly payment until they have a larger income.

Interest Only loans allow you to purchase a larger house without increasing your monthly mortgage expense and it gives you mortgage payment flexibility to better manage your monthly cash flow without deferring interest.

Paying interest only may free up needed cash flow to help make payments on an investment property you may want to purchase.

Often times a real estate investor will want an interest only loan. The low minimum payments help to increase cash flow for other purchases.

The use of interest-only loans was unheard of just a few years ago, but in the last year these loans have exploded, giving many home buyers leverage against escalating home prices and enabling them to buy homes. A recent Wells Fargo survey of American homeowners showed that the majority of homeowners do pay principal on interest-only loans when they are flush with cash. 73% pay both the principal and interest at least some of the time. Only 25% pay only interest all of the time. Interest-only options on home loans give the home buyer the flexibility to choose how much to pay on their mortgage each month - just the interest-only payment or a little extra to pay down that principal.

Interest Only mortgages require monthly payment of “interest only” for a specified period, usually the initial 10 years of a 30 year loan term. At the end of the interest only period, the loan is re-amortized to pay off the mortgage in the remaining 20 years. The monthly payments will naturally be much higher compared to that of the interest only period. In practice, most homeowner refinance before the end of the interest only period. The disadvantage of Interest Only loans is in that the homeowner will not build equity during the interest only period. There is also the risk that the home has since lost value when it comes time to refinance.

Paying interest only may allow you to contribute to your 401k, or IRA retirement account, because of your new lower monthly payment.

Interest only loans can also be of value for borrower’s seeking to consolidate other debt carrying high interest rates like credit cards. By minimizing your mortgage payment, you can afford to pay down these other debts more quickly.

Your credit maybe considered bad and causing a low score for a number of reasons. While the are numerous reasons for bad credit some of the more common ones are as follows. You have numerous credit cards that are maxed out or close to the credit limit, you have unpaid judgments or collection accounts, you have 30 day lates showing on your payment history. All of these examples can cause severe drops in your credit score.

One area people overlook that can negatively impact their credit report is failing to honor mobile phone contracts. Cell phone companies give away free phones to customers who sign on with their services for a specified period of time, usually one to two years. Terminating subscription to the phone service before the expiration and failing to reimburse the phone carrier for the cost of the free phone is considered breaking the contract. Cell phone companies would then report to the credit bureaus and cause a blemish on the credit history. Such blemishes are not serious, but they nonetheless lower credit scores.

Credit scores generally range from about 350 to 850.

• 800+ = great credit
• 700-799 = good credit
• 600-699 = average credit
• 500-599 = bad credit
• under 500 = hard to get a loan at all

Your credit can be bad for a variety of reasons: Late payments High Account Balances Bankruptcy Collections Charge offs To minimize negative on your factors you will need to pay down balances, make payments on time, dispute incorrect information, and let the passing of time lessen the impact of past bad credit.

To many inquires at one time can affect your credit score.

If you credit score is low because of a high balance on a credit card transfer some of the balance to another card. Try not to open a new card because to do this can also reduce your score.

One reason why your credit may be bad is because of erroneous information reported on your credit report. This can happen to anyone and is actually quite common. This is one reason why you need to check your credit report out at least once per every 12 months. By checking you credit report for free you can keep an eye on your credit and make sure that you take care of any erroneous information when it happens, not when you are trying to apply for a loan and it comes as a surprise to everyone. Utilize your one free annual credit report each year to take a look over your credit to make sure everything looks well. There are many reasons as to why credit report errors can happen so make sure that if errors do happen to you that you rectify the situation immediately.

Maintaining high balances on your credit cards and other revolving debt negatively impacts your credit score. Paying down credit cards balances below the 70%, 50%, and 30% thresholds is a quick way to boost your credit score.

Paying down your credit card balances to around 30% will help your score. If you can, try to keep the balance at that level at all times. If you need to raise your score quickly, and don’t have the money to pay down your balances, you may request that your creditors increase your credit limit. This will in turn lower your balance in comparison to the limit. Only use this technique if you are responsible with your credit. Once your limit is increased, it may be tempting to go on a shopping spree. Know that if you do this, you will be in a much worse situation than when you started. Not only will you have more debt, but you will increase your ratio of balance to limit.

There are several ways to increase your credit. However the fundamental principle is the bills must be paid on time. This doesn’t mean by the due date. For the sake of your credit a payment must NEVER be more then 30 days late. If you are acquiring 30 day lates on your credit then your credit standing will deteriorate quickly. Judgments also hurt your credit even if you pay them.

It is also important to note that a credit score is a snapshot. Although it shows your payment history, length of credit, etc. having inaccurate (negative) information removed from your credit bureau report will immediately reflect an increase in your score.

If you do decide to pay off some of your credit cards, be sure to leave the cards open. The credit bureaus look favorably upon accounts that have been open for a substantial period of time, especially if they are showing a zero balance.

Remember that a credit score amounts to a prediction of how likely it will be that you go 60 days late or more on your mortgage in the next two years. One thing that will really lower this score is if you carry high balances on revolving debt and then start making a few of the payments late. This is the pattern of a consumer who is close to getting in trouble with debt.

Things that may go into a collection or judgment that will hurt you credit are; unpaid medical payments, unpaid utility payments, and unpaid cell phones or cable payments.

Unlimited cash out HELOC refinancing primary residence and second homes

HELOC stands for Home Equity Line of Credit.

Preferably a job where you can show W2’s and pay stubs.

Higher credit score individual’s can obtain “no-doc” HELOCS or fixed second mortgages.

Many times you can take advantage of a “no cost” HELOC or Fixed rate second. Ask your Loan Officer if this option is available to you.

If you need to borrow money, home equity lines may be one useful source of credit. Initially at least, they may provide you with large amounts of cash at relatively low interest rates. And they may provide you with certain tax advantages unavailable with other kinds of loans. (Check with your tax adviser for details.) At the same time, home equity lines of credit require you to use your home as collateral for the loan. This may put your home at risk if you are late or cannot make your monthly payments. Those loans with a large final (balloon) payment may lead you to borrow more money to pay off this debt, or they may put your home in jeopardy if you cannot qualify for refinancing. And, if you sell your home, most plans require you to pay off your credit line at that time. In addition, because home equity loans give you relatively easy access to cash, you might find you borrow money more freely. Remember too, there are other ways to borrow money from a lending institution. For example, you may want to explore second mortgage installment loans. Although these plans also place an additional mortgage on your home, second mortgage money usually is loaned in a lump sum, rather than in a series of advances made available by writing checks on an account. Also, second mortgages usually have fixed interest rates and fixed payment amounts

Ask about our special low monthly payment programs for unlimited cash out and debt consolidation refinance. Pay off those high interest bills.

You still need to have a job to qualify.

Is there anything else I can do to help? I understand a cash-out refinance is a difficult decision and I want to thank you for reading the information above. If you would like to continue this conversation than please contact me so you and I can discuss your financial situation. Please read more valuable information and when you feel comfortable I would like you to contact me.

Unlimited cash out’s may also be available as a reduced or no documentation type of program.

Editors Note: Due to the mortgage and credit crunch, option arm loans are more difficult to get. If you’re in need of a Denver home loans/mortgages contact us to discuss your mortgage options.

Pay option ARMS are not for every borrower but there are a few borrowers that can benefit from the Pay Option ARM mortgage programs available today. Self-Employed and Commissioned workers- With the flexible options in the Pay option programs these borrowers can adjust their monthly payments according to their monthly earnings. Borrower’s with high consumer debt– By lowering their mortgage payment these borrowers are able to pay of higher interest debt faster.

When considering whether to refinance into a Pay Option ARM, always keep in mind that Pay Option ARM can create negative amortization. Negative amortization occurs when a home owner makes the minimum monthly payments, which is less than the interest incurred, and end up owing more than what the homeowner owed originally. Most Pay Option ARM programs re-adjust the payments every year so that the loan balance would not be too much more than the original loan amount.

Ask your mortgage broker to review your situation and see if you could benefit from the pay option ARM programs. If a pay option ARM is not for you there may be better programs based on your situation.

Option Arms are a good choice for:-Increased cash flow on investment properties-Areas with high appreciation-Lower payments in order to invest and payoff debt-People who have unpredictable incomes.

Pay Option ARM’s are generally not meant to be programs that one stays with for long periods of time, such as 10 years or more. Pay Option ARM’s can incur negative amortization which means instead of your mortgage balance going down it actually increases. Most Pay Option ARM’s have a cap that will not allow the balance of your loan to increase higher than 115% of the appraised value of your home. Most also have a rate cap that states the rate can’t increase any higher than 9.95%. These numbers may vary slightly so check with your mortgage broker on the exact details of your loan program.

The Pay Option ARM gives you 4 “options” to make your payment.(1) The minimum payment.(2) Interest only payment.(3) 30 year fully amortizing payment.(4) 15 year fully amortizing payment

The pay option arm is also a great tool for seasonal workers. If you are a painter, and know that the majority of your income comes from the summer months, then you could adjust your payments to those months. You would be able to pay more on your mortgage while you are making more money, and pay less during the months that are typically slower for you. This would leave more cash in your hands during those slow months.

A Pay Option ARM is also a great tool for property investors. It gives you flexible payments that can help in months when the property is vacant, or in the event repairs are needed it can be used to offset the cost of repairs rather than using cash out of pocket.

If your household, like many in the US today, seems never to have enough cash every month and you find yourself constantly turning to credit cards or other expensive debt, this loan may be quite helpful. The Pay Option ARM can free up needed cash every month and help you avoid the other, more expensive kind of debt.

The Pay Option ARM is also a great way to pay down credit card debt, without laying out additional cash on a monthly basis. This method of managing your mortgage provides interest savings as well as it will usually provide some sizeable Tax savings.

A mortgage that has rights subordinate to a first mortgage or in second position.

Many current homeowners use a 2nd mortgage to pay off credit card balances. Interest rates on second mortgages are often lower than that of high interest bearing credit card accounts. Interests paid on second mortgages may also be tax deductible for some homeowners. As always, check with a Certified Public Accountant before taking such deductions.

Unfortunately, some borrowers interpret a payment-reduction consolidation second mortgage as a license to take on more non-mortgage debt. A few years later, they look to consolidate again. If their house has appreciated enough, they may be able to, but sooner or later they run out of equity.

A Second Mortgage uses your home as collateral. Your home equity is the part of your home that you actually own and this is the guarantee for your loan.

Some second mortgage loans may extend for as long as 15 or 20 years; others may require repayment in one year. You will need to discuss the repayment terms with the individual mortgage company and select one that offers terms that best suit your needs. For example, if you need to borrow $20,000 to make repairs on your home, you may not want a loan that requires you to repay the entire amount in one or two years because the monthly payments may be too high

Sometimes referred to as a Junior Loan, Second mortgages in all their varieties can be powerful tools to consolidate debts, make home improvements, or avoid paying mortgage insurance. For more information, contact one of our mortgage professionals today.

Be sure to ask if a no closing cost second mortgage is available to you!

When a borrower cannot qualify for 100% financing with their current credit score, they may be able to qualify using an 80/20 combo. The borrower actually gets two loans, one for 80% of the sales price, and the second mortgage for 20%. This allows the borrower to get into the home at 100% financing with a lower credit score than what is required for 100% one loan.

A 2nd loan, on the same property, that is in a junior lien or subordinate position.

Sometimes a second mortgage is helpful in that it allows a borrower to maximize the cash out available without having to pay private mortgage insurance on one loan with a loan amount over 80% of the home’s value.

If you would like to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of any 80/20 versus a 100% loan, please feel free to contact me. I will be more than happy to run through both scenarios for you, to see which option will benefit you the most.

Usually the 20% loan will have a higher interest rate than the 80% loan. However with the first loan only being 80% loan to value it will generally carry a better interest rate than a 100% loan. If you qualify for a 100% loan and an 80/20 chances are that the 80/20 will have a lower combined monthly payment.

Speak to your mortgage professional to see how getting a second mortgage can save you money every month on your bills.

Second Mortgages are generally available in two varieties, a Fixed Rate Second or a Home Equity Line of Credit or HELOC. A fixed rate second mortgage generally have much higher rates and are for a shorter term 15 to 25 years. A HELOC is also a shorter term but has lower rates that are adjustable and usually tied to PRIME. A HELOC works similarly to other lines of credit or credit cards. You have a total available balance and make payments on the amount of balance you owe. The repayment of a HELOC is also split into two time periods, a draw time, and a repayment time. During the draw period you can use the available equity and pay it back at will and an interest only monthly payment is due on the balance. During the repayment period the remaining balance is fully amortized and a principal and interest payment is made.

To really understand the benefits of these scenarios you will want to contact a mortgage professional and let them evaluate your current situation. You will need to express to them what your goals are for the near and long term future. These are important factors in determining what loan program is right for you.

You used to have had to put at least 20% down on homes. Today, there are many programs that don’t require you to save money for a down payment.

There are many programs available that help you with your down payments. These programs are called Down Payment Assistant programs. Many cities also have grant money available if you meet the specific guidelines.

FHA insured loans only require 3% down payment and are very flexible about the source of your 3% down payment. Some FHA lenders will allow grant programs for the 3% down.

A gift of funds from a family member can often be used for the down payment. Both the borrower and the family member must provide evidence that the funds are a gift and no repayment is required. They must also show that the family member had the funds to give and they were not borrowed.

Saving for a down payment may be unnecessary with the many loan programs being offered today. However, a down payment may save you money in the long run because lenders associate higher risks to borrowers that have little equity in their home. The lender usually sets rates higher as the loan to value increases or they require PMI which is costly. So, a having a down payment may mean more money upfront but may save you thousands of dollars in the long run.

There are many different strategies you can follow to save money. A simple one to start with is to shop around for insurance or some other monthly bill. Try and cut down on those monthly expenses then whatever money you would be saving by the changes you make put into a savings account. A similar plan can be used when you get a raise. What ever the difference is increase is in your paycheck, have automatically deposited into a different savings account.

You can use up to $10,000 from an IRA for a down payment penalty free or most employers will allow you to borrow against a 401k plan if you do not have the necessary funds to put down on a mortgage but you may not need any money down if you have a satisfactory credit history or rent history. Please call to discuss your options.

Another option for young couples to utilize for a down payment for a new home together is to set-up a savings account and add it to your bridal registry. Make sure you keep a record of who contributes to the savings account, you will can include this as a gift fund for most mortgage programs, you will just need to show that no one who contributed has anything to gain by the purchase of the property, (the people who contribute can’t be the seller, the mortgage broker, the realtors, etc.)

If you have never purchased a home before you can withdraw your 401k for the down-payment. You will not be penalized.

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