Thursday, October 15th, 2009 at
9:29 am
The popularity of adjustable-rate mortgages means that nearly 25% of all outstanding US mortgage debt is due for an interest-rate reset within the next two years, according to Economy.com, a Web site run by Moody`s Corp. Some $400 billion in loans will get a new rate this year, and another…
Thursday, October 15th, 2009 at
2:31 am
www.freebankruptcyevaluation.comBankruptcy Attorney Jamie Ryke of the Second Start Bankruptcy Law Firm talks about the Truth about Bankruptcy. Find out how we can help you get out of debt and get a fresh start by filing either a chapter 7 or chapter 13 bankruptcy. … bankruptcy msnbc mike stuckey medical bills fresh start financial distress lawyers michigan attorneys illinois. Health insurance
Wednesday, October 14th, 2009 at
8:16 pm
What do you need to get one of these deals where you assume the mortgage on a house for sale?
Wednesday, October 14th, 2009 at
12:43 pm
David Kellermann, the acting chief financial officer of mortgage giant Freddie Mac, was found dead at his home in Reston, Va. in what police said was an apparent suicide. (April 22)
Wednesday, October 14th, 2009 at
9:37 am
Once you have decided to protect your family’s future by purchasing mortgage protection coverage, the next thing you will have to do is find the best mortgage protection insurance policy for your needs. There are many different mortgage protection choices, with widely varying premiums and benefits. Before you select a mortgage protection policy, be sure to thoroughly research each option available to you.
Mortgage Protection Available From Lender
Many banks and other mortgage lenders offer home loan protection policies to their customers. When you are purchasing or refinancing your home, it is likely that the lender who handles your loan will provide you with information about policies available through his or her company.
Many times, homeowners decide to purchase policies available through their lender without researching other options. In some cases, they do not even realize that there are other mortgage protection choices available to them. It is a fact that many insurance companies offer various types of mortgage protection coverage. If you go with the fist policy that is presented to you, you may find yourself paying too much for what might not be the best available coverage.
Do not automatically eliminate the coverage that your lender offers from consideration. It is possible that the mortgage protection available through your lender really is the best choice for you. However, you have no way of making an educated decision without first researching various mortgage protection coverage options. Before choosing a policy, find out how much they cost, how funds are disbursed to beneficiaries, how stable the underwriter is, and any other relevant details.
Mortgage Protection from Primary Insurance Company
Before you can investigate additional mortgage protection options, you’ll need to find out which companies offer these types of policies. You may want to start your research by asking the agent who is handling your homeowner’s policy if his or her company provides mortgage protection coverage. If such coverage is available, you may be able to save a significant amount of money on both your mortgage insurance and homeowner’s policies via multiple policy discounts.
Even if your primary insurance agency does not offer policies specifically designated as mortgage protection coverage, it is very likely that they do offer term life insurance coverage. Many people opt for a term life policy rather than one designated for mortgage expenses only. Those who choose term life coverage feel it is important to allow their families the ability to make choices about how the policies proceeds are utilized, based on their financial situation and needs following a loved one’s death.
With a traditional term life insurance policy, the designated beneficiaries will receive a lump sum payment following a qualifying event, per the conditions specified in the coverage agreement. This money can be used to take care of the outstanding mortgage, as well as for other essential expenses. With an actual mortgage protection policy, the beneficiaries are not able to exercise discretion regarding how the money is utilized. With a true mortgage protection plan, the outstanding mortgage loan will paid in full following the death of the insured party, but funds are not available for any other expenses.
Additional Resources for Mortgage Protection Coverage
There are a number of national and international companies that specialize in mortgage protection and term life insurance policies. These organizations often offer the best rates, because they deal primarily or solely in these types of policies. Many companies that concentrate on providing customers with the best rates on quality mortgage protection and term life insurance coverage primarily market themselves via the Internet. You can often find them on your own through a search engine, or with the help of a free online insurance quote service.
Selecting the Best Mortgage Protection Coverage
Selecting the best mortgage insurance coverage can be very confusing. Be sure that you conduct thorough research before making a choice. Premium costs and coverage options are not the only important considerations. The reason for purchasing mortgage insurance is to make sure that your family will not face foreclosure following the death of a loved one. This means that it is important to focus on situation with which your family will have to cope in the event of your death, or that of another member of the household, when making your choice regarding the best mortgage protection option.
When deciding what type of policy is best, and which carrier to choose, you need to think about factors such as the outstanding balance on your mortgage, the minimum monthly payment, the earning potential of other members of your household, how income and expenses will change following the death of a family member, and the other types of insurance coverage that you and your family already have.
Wednesday, October 14th, 2009 at
3:33 am
With the onset of 2008 we have seen mortgage interest rates begin to fall. When mortgage rates fall, misleading mortgage advertising schemes seem to show up in the media all around us. For example, I recently watched an advertisement on Television for “The Real No Cost Mortgage”. I shudder each time I see or hear advertising about this type of mortgage because it is misleading and deceptive. The sadness in this for me as a 12 year mortgage broker veteran is that this type of advertising is indicative the bad apples that contributed to a great degree to the mortgage industry meltdown in 2007. I am going to say it right off the bat: There Are No “No Cost Mortgages” on the Planet!” Is this clear? All mortgages have costs associated with them. This is the end of the story.
Most “no cost mortgage” loan programs are designed the same way: the interest rate of your loan is increased to cover the costs associated with your mortgage. There are a select few mortgages that have very little costs associated with them: these are home equity lines of credit – or HELOCS. Often you can get these little or no cost loans at your local credit union or small community bank. Additionally, these loans typically only allow you borrow up to about 90% of your home’s value. Credit Unions are small enough that they perhaps can offer to pay some of your costs as a courtesy to earn your business. The larger banks simply cannot pay or give you these costs for free or it would set them back a few dollars.
With these small second mortgages and HELOCS aside, the rest of the mortgage market is primarily made up of larger first mortgages. As I previously stated, these mortgages have costs associated with them such as: paying a processor to process your loan, the cost for an appraisal, the underwriter, the title insurance policy, your credit report, tax and insurance escrows, and of course the money that your loan officer makes in commission. All of these fees in one form or another get paid, and guess who pays them? That’s right, you do. You will pay these fees one way or another.
So what is the catch to this type of advertising? As I previous pointed out, the mortgage company charges you a higher interest rate. If you are paying a higher interest rate, then your monthly payment is higher. So your higher payment month after month pays your closing costs over time. Now, this is not necessarily a bad thing if you know what you are getting into. Where I have a beef with this type of advertising is that it is not telling you the whole truth. You do have closing costs and the mortgage company is charging you a higher interest rate to compensate for those fees – and they do not tell you this in the advertising. They lead you down some fantasy of a no cost mortgage, or a free mortgage, and ultimately charge you a higher interest rate than you would normally get if you paid your costs either with your loan proceeds in a refinance or out of your pocket in a purchase mortgage. The misleading advertising got you to call them.
Initially, this loan can be good if you are low on cash. Hey, it is not a bad loan in the short term. Let’s just say that the interest rate that they charge you increases your monthly payment $150 a month for a no cost mortgage. After 30 months, or 2.5 years you have paid $4,500 extra. What if that was the amount of your closing costs when you first got the deal? Well, for the first 30 months you saved money and were better off. However, once you hit month 31, you are now paying more for your mortgage’s closing costs than you would have if you had paid them up front when you got the mortgage.
Another thing to be careful about with this type of mortgage is that it is very easy for a mortgage company to charge you more than might have been able to charge you because their profit is made in the interest rate and in the slightly higher interest rates. With this said, it is hard to tell how much a mortgage company makes on your loan given your payment increases slightly over what you could have been paying if you had paid your own closing costs.
So, the next time you hear of this kind of mortgage program, make sure you ask about the difference in your monthly payment between paying your own closing costs, or for paying a higher interest rate. If you know you are only going to be in the home for a few years and then you are going to sell the home, then a no closing cost mortgage might good for you. If you are planning on staying longer and you know you are going to refinance in the near future, then this loan might be good for you too. But, if you do not want to refinance in the future, or be forced to have to refinance to get out of a no cost mortgage when it starts costing you money then the no cost mortgage probably is not right for you. Make sure you take a look at all your options. Do not let a slick mortgage person tell you that this loan saves you money – as this is not necessarily the case.
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