by eb0la

FHA mortgage Florida, FHA Loan Florida
 For first time home buyers and other Florida mortgage applicants the FHA  loan can have key advantages:

 Other FHA Mortgage loan Advantages Include:

Minimal Down Payment and Closing Costs.

Down payment less than 3.5% of Sales Price
Gift for down payment and closing costs allowed.
No reserves or required.
FHA regulated closing costs.
Seller can credit up to 6% of sales price towards buyers costs.

Easier Credit Qualifying Guidelines such as:

Minimum FICO credit score of 540.
FHA will allow a home purchase 2 years after a Bankruptcy.
FHA will allow a home purchase  3years after a Foreclosure. 

Easier Debt Ratio & Job Requirement Guidelines such as:

Higher Debt Ratio’s than other home loan programs.
Less than two years on the job is allowed.
Self-Employed individuals o.k.

www.FHAmortgageFHALoan.com

Other FHA advantages Florida homebuyers should know:

Easy Qualification – The FHA loan insures lenders against loss for loans made to properly qualified FHA home loan borrowers. So you’re likely to find FHA mortgage loans with terms that make it easier for you to qualify.

Minimal Downpayment Requirements – FHA mortgages can work with as little as 3% down and those funds can come from a family member, charity, or your employer. Although the FHA loan does not have a zero down mortgage option yet, you will find that your 1st Continental Mortgage loan officer can point you to many Downpayment assistance programs that work well with Florida FHA home loans.

Less than A-1 Credit is Okay – The Florida home loan program exists to expand the pool of home buyers. Even borrowers with prior bankruptcies or mortgage lates get approved every day for FHA mortgages to buy or Refinance homes in Hillsborough County or any of the other Florida counties we serve. The FHA loan program uses credit quality, not credit score!

Lower Cost Over the Life of the Loan – The Florida FHA home loan rates are extraordinarily competitive. FHA’s lower risk to the lender means a better rate for the borrower.

Safeguards for Borrowers Who Get Behind – The Florida FHA loan mortgages also allow the lender more options in helping borrowers who fall behind keep their homes are get current again: special forbearance, workouts, even free mortgage counseling. Further, HUD can allow the lender to take past due payments and move them to the end of the loan and in some instance will actually pay your past due payments for you. Options to save your home you’ll never get from a conventional loan! In an uncertain world, this is another excellent reason for you to get an FHA mortgage.

Options for Manufactured Housing – Under certain conditions, you can even finance a Mobile Home or manufactured home using a Florida FHA mortgage loan. Call 1-800-570-0448 to get pre-approved for a Florida FHA loan for manufactured housing or just use our quick application to learn more!

FHA Loans Are Fully Assumable – When you are ready to sell your home, you can offer buyers FHA financing! All FHA loans can be assumed by qualified buyers.

These are just seven of the many good reasons to apply for an FHA mortgage. Call 1-800-570-0448 to speak with a friendly Florida FHA loan specialist now!

The FHA program has evolved since it started in 1934 and now has options for HUD insured loans that fit a variety of different borrowers and situations.

Florida FHA Loan Programs

At one point and time many years ago, the FHA loan was the only alternative to local bank financing for home buyers. In the fashion world, there is a saying: Wait long enough, and everything comes back into style. That rule applies just as well to Florida FHA mortgage program. Long-overlooked, the FHA mortgage is becoming popular again with Florida Home Buyers for its low rates and the real security it provides borrowers.

For Florida banks and other mortgage lenders, FHA mortgage loan financing offers the security of a government insured Mortgage. Win/Win! To learn more, call today at 1-800-570-0448 or just use our fast and easy quick application!

FHA Home Loans for Purchasing a Florida Home

Although Florida FHA home loans require additional paperwork, the reality is that applying for an FHA mortgage loan in Florida is not much different from applying for conventional financing. In fact, for many borrowers the small amount of extra time turns out to be an exceptional mortgage bargain because they save thousands of dollars over the life of their Florida Mortgage.

At 1st Continental Mortgage, we have been working with the FHA program for many years. We’re experts at assembling the proper paperwork and presenting your loan application to FHA approved lenders diligently and professionally. It’s one of the ways that we have earned our reputation for closing FHA home loans in Florida on-time.

You may be surprised at how flexible sellers are in the current market and how many programs there are that provide Downpayment assistance to applicants for FHA financing to purchase Florida homes, condos, and townhouses. The fact is, seller can pay up to 6% towards your closing costs. This means, no closing costs for you when negotiated during the purchase contract!

The FHA program offers excellent fixed rate options and never a prepayment penalty. If other mortgage lenders are quoting you subprime rates, you owe it to yourself to make the call to 1st Continental Mortgage to compare the costs of getting an FHA home loan for your home purchase. Call 1-800-570-0448 to speak with an FHA mortgage expert before accepting any conventional mortgage quote as the best you can do!

FHA Home Loans Offer the Convenience of Streamlined Refinance

An FHA streamline refinance is one of the easiest home loans for Mortgage Lenders and borrowers. Since HUD approved you for the original FHA loan, the paperwork to refinance is minimal and the process is simple.

So long as you have made your FL FHA loan mortgage payments on time for the previous 12 months, you can lower your monthly payment if interest rates go down with minimal out of pocket expense. Even if you have been late on your FHA mortgage, you might still qualify for an FHA streamline refinance in Florida under very specific conditions.

Less documentation and no appraisal are just two of the reasons a FHA streamline refinance is cheaper and faster for the borrowers who qualify.

FHA Mortgage Loan
Streamline Refinance Requirements

When your 1st Continental Mortgage lender helps you get a streamlined FHA refinance on your existing mortgage loan, he or she will make certain that you meet these conditions:

Your current mortgage must be an FHA mortgage.
You must have had your FHA Mortgage for at least 6 months.
You must have paid your mortgage on time for the most current 12 months.
Your FHA Streamline Refinance must lower the principal and interest portion of your mortgage payment by at least or convert the mortgage from an ARM to a fixed rate FHA home loan.
You can’t get cash out on the FHA streamline refi.
You must have an FHA appraisal if you are rolling the closing costs into the FHA streamline refinance.
Any existing liens on your Florida home must be subordinate to the new FHA mortgage.
FHA Mortgage Loan Refinance
Programs for Cashing Out Equity

Although a streamline refinance does not allow you to cash out equity, we have a FHA loan refinance program that is specifically designed for borrowers who want to cash out equity to consolidate debts, make home improvements or to access funds for other purposes.

Unlike many conventional loan programs, the FHA mortgage does not adjust the rate based upon loan to value or credit score. You will find the FHA has very reasonable underwriting guidelines for cash out refinancing.

We have helped many clients borrow up to 85% of the appraised value of their homes and use the funds to consolidate debts or to make home improvements and other purposes. Qualified borrowers will have to look hard to find lower rates and better terms than they can get on Florida FHA cash out refinance right now!

Call 1st Continental Mortgage today at 1-800-570-0448 or use our quick application to apply for an FHA refinance on your home in Sumter County or any of the other Florida counties we offer FHA mortgages in.

FHA Home Loans For Mobile Homes with Land

Although some conventional lenders in Florida shy away from making a loan on Mobile Homes or manufactured homes, many FHA mortgage loan lenders do not.

In fact, mobile homeowners fortunate enough to connect with a Florida mortgage lender, who is well schooled in how FHA loans work for mobiles and manufactured homes, can get a better interest rate, better terms, and a lower monthly payment by going FHA in nearly every case.

If you’re shopping for financing to buy a mobile or manufactured home on land in Sumter County or any of the other 66 counties in Florida that we serve, call 1-800-570-0448 and let us give you a quote for an FHA mortgage loan to purchase your mobile or manufactured home.

It only takes a few minutes to get an FHA loan mortgage quote on your Florida mobile home. We’ll wager that the savings on your monthly mortgage payments will make it some of the highest paid work you’ve ever done.

Few people realize that the FHA loan uses the same underwriting criteria for single and double wide mobile homes and manufactured housing as it does for traditional site built block or stick homes. In addition, FHA is one of the very few programs that can offer up to 97% financing on mobile homes on land. In addition, did you know that the seller can contribute up 6% toward your closing costs on an FHA mobile home loan and that down payment assistance can be used in Florida? It’s true! You could package your mobile home financing to create a real no money down loan with unbelievably low rates.

Call 1-800-570-0448 or use our secure online quick application for a free no obligation quote on financing your manufactured or mobile home using an FHA mortgage loan.

Target Florida Borrowers for FHA 203K Mortgages

This specialized FHA mortgage is for Floridians who wish to buy a home that needs repairs or renovations. Just as is the case with a conventional construction loan, a single FHA 203k loan covers both purchase of the Florida real estate and renovation. FHA 203K financing can be used to purchase a property on a site and move it to a new foundation on the mortgaged property and rehabilitate it.

In addition, Florida homeowners can also use a 203k FHA mortgage to refinance existing debt when they finance one or more home improvements using the FHA 203k mortgage program.

Many borrowers are finding out what a good deal a Florida FHA home loan really is. Call 1-800-570-0448 today or simply use our quick application to find out more!

 
 
FHA Mobile Home Lending Guidelines

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) sets forth these guidelines for determining if a mobile or manufactured home qualifies for an FHA mortgage loan in Florida:

The mobile or manufactured home must be constructed in accordance with the Federal Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards. A red tag is attached to the rear of each section of homes that comply with the standards.
The home must be taxed as real estate by the local tax assessor’s office.
The mobile or manufactured home must have been built after June 15, 1976.
The mortgage must have a term of at least 30 years from when amortization begins.
The mobile home or manufactured home must be on a permanent foundation.
The axles and tongue must be removed from the mobile or manufactured home.
The mobile home or manufactured home must have adequate skirting and insulation, and the crawl space must have adequate ventilation.

If you would like to determine if your mobile or manufactured home meets the guidelines for section 184 financing from FHA, call one of our Florida mortgage pros at 1-800-570-0448. We’ll be glad to help you determine if the property that you are interested in can be used as collateral for an FHA mobile home mortgage.

FHA 203k Mortgages For Florida Homeowners Making Home Improvements

The FHA 203k loan program is nothing more than a specialized FHA home loan designed to help homeowners make home improvements. It is especially popular in neighborhoods with properties in need of rehabilitation.

The FHA 203k loans work in Florida communities in much the same way as Construction loans for home improvement. Eligible borrowers can use the proceeds from these mortgage to renovate and improve their primary residences.

Qualifying for a 203k FHA mortgage uses the same guidelines as a standard FHA mortgage for the purchase of a Florida home.

WP’s take:
The subprime mortgage crisis is an ongoing financial crisis characterized by contracted liquidity in global credit markets and banking systems triggered by the failure of mortgage companies, investment firms and government sponsored enterprises which had invested heavily in subprime mortgages. The crisis, which has roots in the closing years of the 20th century but has become more apparent throughout 2007 and 2008, has passed through various stages exposing pervasive weaknesses in the global financial system and regulatory framework.

The crisis began with the bursting of the United States housing bubble[1][2] and high default rates on "subprime" and adjustable rate mortgages (ARM), beginning in approximately 2005–2006. For a number of years prior to that, declining lending standards, an increase in loan incentives such as easy initial terms, and a long-term trend of rising housing prices had encouraged borrowers to assume difficult mortgages in the belief they would be able to quickly refinance at more favorable terms. However, once interest rates began to rise and housing prices started to drop moderately in 2006–2007 in many parts of the U.S., refinancing became more difficult.
Posted 14 minutes ago. by woodleywonderworks

by Tony the Misfit

Contrary to what you may think, you don’t manage your credit applications and payments in a vacuum. Your credit behavior (as some have learned the hard way) is tracked by credit bureaus such as Equifax Canada and TransUnion of Canada.

This information is tabulated, and then you are assigned a credit rating. It’s important for you to maintain as high a rating as possible. The following information shows you how you can be sure to earn a good score, and why it’s so important to do so.

Lenders Have Access To This Information.

Think about it. When you decide to apply for a mortgage for a home purchase, or a hefty loan for home renovation – don’t you want A+ right up there beside your good name?

Your Good Name Is Really What It’s All About.

In the financial world, your credit profile is your reputation. If you have a good record, it means smooth sailing ahead for you. If your record isn’t all it should be, you might be in for a bit of rough weather when it comes to acquiring the monies you need — at the interest rates you want.

Your Payment History.

Credit card debt — is one of the most important factors considered when your score is being tabulated. Any missed, late, or neglected payments are duly noted. Not only does a prompt payment history buff your credit image — it saves you money in interest, and assures a quicker retiring of that debt too.

Timeliness Of Payments.

Actual amount of payments, the state of your credit card balances versus credit available, the number of cards you own, the frequency of your requests for more credit – These are just some of the tidbits of personal financial information that make up your credit profile. This comprehensive history is compiled to show lenders how reliable a debt risk you are. To put it simply they want to know whether or not you are credit worthy.

Your credit score is established with a mathematical formula.

Various factors are weighed and balanced and given a certain percentage value towards your final score. Credit bureaus also take into consideration — in addition to factors already mentioned — your existing debt burden, your actual and potential income (remember you do give out these details when you apply for credit), your debt to income ratio, your past financial problems (any bankruptcy or foreclosure remains a long time on record), your job stability -

essentially any piece of public information that helps build an accurate as possible risk assessment of you as debtor.

Your Credit Rating Is A Fluid And An Ever-Changing Thing.

It is dependent upon your present financial circumstances and any actions you make. The credit bureaus always follow your money trail. Because the formation of your profile is an on going thing, it’s vital for you to consistently practice reliable and responsible debt handling. The good news? The ever-changing quality of your credit rating allows you to continually aim for a higher score. Think of your rating — not as a burden — but as a challenge and an opportunity.

Infrequent Requests For Additional Credit?

That’s a really good sign to a lender. Keep in mind that mortgage and loan shopping won’t impact you negatively if it’s done in a concentrated time period. The credit bureaus interpret this flurry of activity positively — as long as it doesn’t occur too frequently. You want to look savvy, not desperate.

How Much Plastic Is Too Much?

Too many credit cards red flag you to potential lenders. Limit your cards to three or four, and try to maintain longtime use of at least one card. This is a key way to build up an excellent credit history. The amount of credit you use, versus credit available, is really telling too. Keep your balances low.

It’s Your Right To Pull Up Your Credit Report Profile.

This is something that is in your interest to do so. (You can do this online at www.equifax.com). Experts advise you to check it out at least once a year. Doing so gives you the opportunity to correct any errors or misinformation that may be there. Practice reliable and responsible debt management.

Then, when you do actually need money for a major undertaking (like the purchase of a home), your credit rating will be an asset, not a liability.

The Imminent Collapse Of Global Markets Is No Reason To Skimp On Four Season Gutter Protection

– by gordon banks —
I know you’re worried about the economy. Hell, we all are. You don’t need to be some kind of financial guru to know that things are looking pretty grim. Banks are folding, unemployment is on the rise, and people are worried about their retirement plans. Sure, it’s rough right now, but we’re a nation of fighters. We’ve been through this before and we’ll get through it again, with our heads held high and our gutters protected year-round.

www.theonion.com/content/opinion/the_imminent_collapse_of…

by woodleywonderworks

by fofurasfelinas

Around 3.85 million home owners believe that a non existent state benefit will enable them to keep up with mortgage repayments in the event of losing their income.

Almost one in ten home owners wrongly believe that the government will pay their mortgage if they are unable to do so for reasons such as redundancy or illness, according to new research.

However, the government will not help anyone with mortgage payments for the first nine months of unemployment and after that, unemployment assistance is only offered to a select group of people who have mortgages of less than £100,000.

A further seven per cent of those surveyed by Lincoln Financial Group were not sure whether government assistance is available, and were seemingly unaware that the last Conservative government scrapped state aid in 1995.

Ian Noble, head of strategic partnerships at Lincoln Financial Group, said that the figures were a warning that million of Britons are enjoying a false sense of financial security, believing that the government will provide financial assistance if and when required.

“That is not the case unfortunately. The government is not going to pay for your mortgage if you lose your job, and assuming that it will place people in real danger is a large risk as it suggests they have no other mortgage protection plan in place,” said Mr. Noble.

Indicative of this perhaps is the news that mortgage repossessions are still continuing to rise dramatically, with repossession orders in England and Wales in the first three months of 2006 witnessing a 57 per cent rise.

© Adfero Ltd

Cover shot for the "illustrated guide to the mortgage crisis"

ml-implode.com/ by woodleywonderworks

by turtlemom4bacon

More than a third of homeowners predict they will be nearing retirement before they own their own home, new research suggests.

Responding to a One Account survey, 36 per cent of homeowners predicted they would be at least 60-years-olds before they paid off their mortgage.

A further 20 per cent didn’t expect to fully pay off their mortgage until some time in their 50s, with many also complaining that mortgage commitments were impeding on other areas of their life.

More than two in five claimed not to be able to save because of their mortgage, while nearly one in five 25 to 29-year-olds said it was forcing them to delay starting a family.

However, Debbie Milsom from One Account questioned why homeowners were finding their mortgage such a burden.

Paying off a mortgage should not mean that people have to put their life plans on hold, Ms Milsom said.

She added: It is worrying that homeowners perceive that it will take them until they are in their 60s before they pay it off when they should be spending this time preparing financially for their futures.

Ms Milsom reminded homeowners that there are often flexible solutions for managing payments.

Homeowners with overly expensive payments may also find remortgaging can help to reduce their monthly commitment.

As less people are putting money into pensions, more could begin looking at remortgaging to ensure economic stability during their later years.

Figures released by Moneyfacts have shown that personal pension returns have fallen by as much as a half in the last decade.

The news means that even if Britons are putting the same amount of money into their pension pot every year, their average with-profits pension fund could be half what it would have been in 1996.

These latest figures should serve as a powerful reminder that securing a comfortable retirement will only be possible for those individuals who actively monitor and manage their own pension provision, warned Richard Eagling, editor of Investment, Life & Pensions at Moneyfacts.

The research from Moneyfacts could cause more people to consider other options of financing their retirement, with taking out a remortgaging and downsizing their homes one method to increase the amount of money available in later life.

A friend and I surfing TV channels saw this sweet, 22-year-old virgin on Maury Povich and Oprah. Natalie Dylan (not her real name) is selling her virginity at the Bunny Ranch brothel outside of Carson City, Nevada. Her sister once worked there.

Povich gave her a lie detector test, which showed she was telling the truth. The friend and I believed she was telling the truth. My theory, which a coupla young MySpace friends confirmed is that once U lose ur virginity, Ur personality changes. Natalie has the personality of a virgin.

On the same afternoon, Natalie appeared on Oprah, where she spoke of her philosophy. She says she’s just exploiting Capitalism. Everyone on Oprah supported Natalie. IMO: Nat is very smart & wise.

Natalie says, "Many women lose their virginity in the back seat of a Toyota" . . . (used to be a Chevy or hippy-bus when I was her age).

Those ppl that say she’s a whore and a slut are just jealous. How many women today are virtual whores for their husbands, landlords, mortgage companies or bosses?!

She says she needs the $$$ for graduate school. She graduated from Sacramento State College and wants to get a graduate degree in Family & Marriage counseling.

Currently the bidding 4 her virginity is -3.5 Million! She says she’s gonna screen the potential winners for someone nice. In a PM to me she says she will not film it but I’ll bet some of those seven-figure bids require filming and her to have sex with a HOT stud.

I also sent her this from ancient historian, Herodotus:

Now the most shameful of the customs of the Babylonians is as follows: every woman of the country must sit down in the precincts of Aphrodite once in her life and have commerce with a man who is a stranger: and many women who do not deign to mingle with the rest, because they are made arrogant by wealth, drive to the temple with pairs of horses in covered carriages, and so take their place, and a large number of attendants follow after them; but the greater number do thus, — in the sacred enclosure of Aphrodite sit great numbers of women with a wreath of cord about their heads; some come and others go; and there are passages in straight lines going between the women in every direction, through which the strangers pass by and make their choice. Here when a woman takes her seat she does not depart again to her house until one of the strangers has thrown a silver coin into her lap and has had commerce with her outside the temple, and after throwing it he must say these words only: "I demand thee in the name of the goddess Mylitta" now Mylitta is the name given by the Assyrians to Aphrodite: and the silver coin may be of any value; whatever it is she will not refuse it, for that is not lawful for her, seeing that this coin is made sacred by the act: and she follows the man who has first thrown and does not reject any: and after that she departs to her house, having acquitted herself of her duty to the goddess, nor will you be able thenceforth to give any gift so great as to win her. So then as many as have attained to beauty and stature are speedily released, but those of them who are unshapely remain there much time, not being able to fulfil the law; for some of them remain even as much as three or four years: and in some parts of Cyprus too there is a custom similar to this.

^^^ My grandfather says Herodotus might-have-been kidding to sell books or defame the culture.

Right on Natalie, More Power to U!

xoxxxox!

UPDATE: Oct 20 . . . read that she has a sister who worked at Bunny Ranch.

I named MySpace, "The Natalie Dylan Fan Club (Unofficial)," She’s my 3rd Top Friend and I’m one of her Top Friends.

UPDATE: Natalie left this comment on MySpace: You are so awesome and your hair looks so cute in that video! I truly appreciate your continuous support. I am writing a book and a producer contacted me about possibly turning my story into a film. The media sensationalized this story like no other! Dennis called and told me I was the number 2 biggest news story of 2008 on VH1′s best stories of the year…it is all so crazy to me, but it is great promotion for the book-so keep it coming! I wonder what the number one story was…

Anyways, thank you again so much for all of your support. You are amazing!

Love,

Natalie

[We never verified the VH1 story.]

UPDATE: A coupla weeks ago (Dec. 2008) she invited me to a "front row seat" at the Bunny Ranch when she decides who will take her V-card. I’m not too sure yet if she hasta do the deed at the Ranch or only accept the $$$ there. I’m soooo excited, also, to meet some of my Bunny Ranch idols.

UPDATE: The bidding as of 2009 is .7-Million but the buyer wants to film it. Natalie does not wanna film it. I say she should under a special contract to tie in with the movie deal. She’ll double her royalties.

Pic Source: Natalie’s MySpace page, March 29, 2009. Ug, she has a dog! by 666isMONEY ☮ ♥ & ☠

by Dominic’s pics

Real estate has been an outstanding investment in most parts of Canada in the past few years. Home valuations are continuing to rise and have broken through the peak of their 1989 “bubble” in many areas of the country. That’s good news for Canada’s 7.5 million home owners, who are enjoying an average increase of ,000 in real estate wealth since the upward trend took hold in 1998.

The hot housing market is being fuelled by mortgage rates which are the lowest they’ve been in almost 50 years. First-time home buyers are finding the rates attractive, and home buyers are lining up to purchase their first home or to upgrade to their dream homes. Housing statistics have been capturing headlines for months and the boom is noticeable on key economic indicators.

But the news isn’t just about rising valuations or Canadians moving into their new homes. Quietly in the background, there is a significant trend to refinancing. Canadians who have built up the equity in their home over the last few years are borrowing against that equity in record numbers. According to a report from a major bank, since 2001, Canadian households have taken out approximately billion in cash out of their homes through mortgage refinancing and home equity loans.

We might thank the Ontario mortgage industry for the surprising resilience of the North American economy. In the past two years, the North American economy has endured numerous economic fallouts but consumer confidence remains reasonably strong – at least partly because homeowners have seen some of their losses offset by an increase in their real estate wealth. We find that we are sitting on (and sleeping in) the best-performing investment we own. And even if they have no plans to sell, homeowners have found that the return on their investment is still as good as cash in the bank.

That cash has been a key economic stimulus both here and in the U.S., where the trend is even more pronounced. As Canadians look beyond the view of a home as primarily shelter, mortgages become a valuable resource – and homeowners aren’t necessarily waiting for renewal time to cash out some of their gains.

So where is the money going? The equity being pulled out is often being used to pay down other more expensive debt. Credit card interest rates are shockingly high and – as a nation – our credit card and other consumer debt is continuing to grow. And much of the money is being used for increased spending. There has never been a better time to borrow against home equity to build the kitchen of your dreams, add a new wing, embark on the landscaping project you’ve wanted for years, enjoy the vacation you’ve always dreamed of, or help with the high cost of post secondary education. However, as always, never let your enthusiasm for the opportunity to spend get in the way of good common sense about debt management.

There were six Gopher Tortoises located in a lovely sandy fenced pen outside of the Reptile House at the Wildlife Park in Homosassa Springs.

Homebody ~

Introvert of the underbrush, Mr. Milquetoast of the Meadow, his carapace is his castle. If he doesn’t stick his neck out past the drawbridge, he won’t get involved. Like a man with a mortgage, though, he can’t get his house off his back. A roof overhead is handy when the towhees next door dump their leaves. When crossing a four-lane highway, though, wouldn’t you like to have left your house at home? by turtlemom4bacon

by el clinto

My Mortgage Insurance was financed with the home and does not appear on 1098, can I still deduct it? and if I can how?
The amount is over 2K and it is listed on my Settelment Statement. Mortgage is though Bank of America. I was planning to call IRS and my bank but they are closed on the weekends.

Mortgages Hit 4.27%, How Low Can They Go?: Mortgages Hit 4.27%, How Low Can They Go? Mortgage rates hit another re… http://bit.ly/aMecVI

by Great Beyond

Refused credit mortgages set to “grow and grow”
14/08/2006 16:25:00
The sub-prime and near-prime mortgage market is tipped to grow and grow following new research.

A survey commissioned by Alliance & Leicester indicates greater demand for refused credit mortgages could be forthcoming, with four in five brokers expecting the market to grow.

The top reasons for borrowers to seek out a sub-prime or near-prime market are defaulting on debts or credit cards payments or simply having a bad credit rating, the research found.

Figures indicate that Britons are increasingly struggling to manager existing debts, suggesting that the potential market for sub-prime mortgages could swell.

Around two lenders in five report that the typical sub-prime customer is likely to be struggling financially, with many on a low income.

More than 85 per cent of brokers also report that customers are now realising that a sub or near prime mortgage can help rebuild a poor credit score.

Mehrdad Yousefi, head of intermediary mortgages at Alliance & Leicester, said: This market is becoming increasingly competitive with more lenders offering these specialised mortgages.

It is encouraging to see that brokers say their clients know the value of these type of mortgages and that it is a good way of getting potential buyers on the housing ladder while enabling them to repair their credit history by maintaining regular payments on their financial commitments.

Datamonitor estimates that 9.1 million people were refused credit by mainstream lenders in 2005, further indicative of potential growth in the refused credit mortgage market.

Personal debt has already crossed the £1 trillion barrier and the rising insolvency rate suggests that borrowers are struggling to cope, indicating a growing demand for refused-credit mortgages in the future.

As traditional lenders were tightening their criteria, the refused credit market could prove ever more attractive and other high street lenders were also likely to start catering for those with a ‘slightly lower credit profile’.

As more lenders capitalise on this growing market, the increased competition could see better deals for mortgage holders.

The Imminent Collapse Of Global Markets Is No Reason To Skimp On Four Season Gutter Protection

[by gordon banks]
I know you’re worried about the economy. Hell, we all are. You don’t need to be some kind of financial guru to know that things are looking pretty grim. Banks are folding, unemployment is on the rise, and people are worried about their retirement plans. Sure, it’s rough right now, but we’re a nation of fighters. We’ve been through this before and we’ll get through it again, with our heads held high and our gutters protected year-round.
www.theonion.com/content/opinion/the_imminent_collapse_of…

Lighting: the sun, and a white piece of typing paper. by woodleywonderworks

If you look at the most stressful events in a person’s life, buying a home is on the top ten list. After all, it’s a big decision – both emotionally and financially. Many home buyers go through an anxious period after they’ve arranged for their mortgage and get ready to move into their new home. Knowing you’ll get a pocketful of cash would sure help, wouldn’t it?

That’s a big part of the attraction of cash-back mortgages. A plump cheque is a psychological boost to home buyers who have just made one of the biggest financial commitments of their lives. As mortgage brokers, we like to work with our clients to ensure that they look beyond the temporary “feel good” of the cash, and weigh their options wisely.

Remember that the cash-back option comes with a trade-off: if you choose not to take the cash back, you can get a lower interest rate. Over time, you could see substantial savings in interest payments.

So, start with the most important question: What will the cash be used for? Is this purchase a priority, and is it worth the difference in the rate? Perhaps you have a plan to take advantage of the cash-back to purchase the household appliances for your new home. The extra ,000 for new kitchen or laundry appliances may be an urgent immediate need and a higher priority overall than the lower interest rate for your mortgage term.

But here is the second question to discuss with your mortgage broker: What will be the impact of the rate difference over time? You’ll need real-life figures to work out the details for your personal situation, but let’s look at an example*:

Let’s say that your cash-back option pays 1% of the mortgage amount on a two-year deal, 3% on five years, and 5% cash back on a ten-year closed mortgage. And let’s assume that you’re looking at borrowing 0,000 for a 5-year term, amortized over 25 years. Not long ago, you might be looking at the difference between cash back and a rate of 6.60%, or a discounted interest rate of 5.29%.

So what’s the bottom line? Your cash-back option would give you ,000 up-front, but over your 5-year term, you would pay a little over ,300 more in interest costs than you would have with the discounted rate. The exact cost of the cash-back option in this example is ,330.44 – paid out over 5 years.

Is that a good deal? It depends. Did you get the much-needed appliances for your home… or use the funds to manage a high-priority expense? Then you probably got good value from the option. If – five years later – you can’t remember where the money went, then perhaps you didn’t make the best trade-off.

We found this way cool house – well, what’s left of a house – way out in the middle of nowhere right on the Idaho/Utah border. by Great Beyond

by eb0la

If you don’t mind my asking, I’m trying to figure out what a reasonable percent of my income is to be going towards a mortgage payment. My partner and I make around $ 6500 gross monthly, and I’m wondering what percent of that we could reasonably spend on a mortgage without getting in over our heads. We have no other debt, but have normal bills like utilities and car insurance. If you don’t mind could you please give me an idea of what you earn and what you put towards your mortgage? Or what percent of your gross income goes towards your mortgage payments?

Thanks so much!

Wells Fargo Pays M to End Probe: They claimed that the mortgage marketing practices that were adopted did not d… http://bit.ly/9KHK0m

by undergroundbastard

Foreclosure filings were reported on 2.3 million U.S. properties in 2008, an increase of 81 percent from 2007 and up 225 percent from 2006, according to the RealtyTrac U.S. Foreclosure Market Report released January 15, 2009. The soaring number of forclosures have sent ripples through the housing and banking industry with the affects being felt by millions.

According to RealtyTrac, California, Florida, Arizona posted the highest 2008 foreclosure totals. A total of 523,624 California properties received a foreclosure filing in 2008, the nation’s highest state total. Foreclosure activity in the state increased nearly 110 percent from 2007 and nearly 498 percent from 2006. With 385,309 properties receiving a foreclosure filing in 2008, Florida documented the second highest state total. Florida foreclosure activity increased 133 percent from 2007 and nearly 412 percent from 2006. Arizona’s 2008 total of 116,911 properties receiving a foreclosure filing was third highest among the states. Foreclosure activity in Arizona increased 203 percent from 2007 and 655 percent from 2006. Other states with Top 10 totals for 2008 were Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, Texas, Georgia, Nevada and New Jersey.

With mounting job losses and a weakening economy, forclosures and mortgage delinquencies are expected to continue to rise. The nation’s unemployment rate shot up at the end of the year, reaching 7.2 percent in December — its highest level since early 1993, according to a Labor Department report release January 9, 2009. That puts U.S. job losses at 2.6 million for 2008.

However, with all this doom and gloom in the housing market, there is a glimmer of hope for senior homeowners 62 years of age and older. That hope comes in the form of a HUD Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) or Reverse Mortgage. Those who have obtained a reverse mortgage need not be concerned with the increasing forclosure rates and whether or not they can make their mortgage payments. With a HECM reverse mortgage, there are no monthly payments required. 

Borrowers remain in their homes for life and never have to worry about making a mortgage payment again. All they need to do is keep the property in good repair, pay their property taxes and keep their homeowners insurance current and paid. 

For seniors who currently do not have a reverse mortgage, now may be the time to explore the option. It does not matter if a senior is currently late on their mortgage. They may still qualify for a reverse mortgage. To qualify all borrowers on title must be 62 years or older, occupy the property as their primary residence and not currently be in a bankruptcy. That’s it! 

MLS Reverse Mortgage has helped save several seniors who were months away from losing their homes. 

So, in these tough economic times, there is still hope for seniors looking for mortgage payment relief or cash out to enjoy life’s pleasures.

Learn more online: http://www.mlsreversemortgage.com

From Adbusters #74, Nov-Dec 2007

The Empire of Debt

Money for nothing. Own a home for no money down. Do not pay for your appliances until 2012. This is the new American Dream, and for the last few years, millions have been giddily living it. Dead is the old version, the one historian James Truslow Adams introduced to the world as “that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement.”

Such Puritan ideals – to work hard, to save for a better life – didn’t die from the natural causes of age and obsolescence. We killed them, willfully and purposefully, to create a new gilded age. As a society, we told ourselves we could all get rich, put our feet up on the decks of our new vacation homes, and let our money work for us. Earning is for the unenlightened. Equity is the new golden calf. Sadly, this is a hollow dream. Yes, luxury homes have been hitting new gargantuan heights. Ferrari sales have never been better. But much of the ever-expanding wealth is an illusory façade masking a teetering tower of debt – the greatest the world has seen. It will collapse, in a disaster of our own making.

Distress is already rumbling through Wall Street. Subprime mortgages leapt into the public consciousness this summer, becoming the catchphrase for the season. Hedge fund masterminds who command salaries in the tens of millions for their supposed financial prescience, but have little oversight or governance, bet their investors’ multi-multi-billions on the ability that subprime borrowers – who by very definition have lower incomes and/or rotten credit histories – would miraculously find means to pay back loans far exceeding what they earn. They didn’t, and surging loan defaults are sending shockwaves through the markets. Yet despite the turmoil this collapse is wreaking, it’s just the first ripple to hit the shore. America’s debt crisis runs deep.

How did it come to this? How did America, collectively and as individuals, become a nation addicted to debt, pushed to and over the edge of bankruptcy? The savings rate hangs below zero. Personal bankruptcies are reaching record heights. America’s total debt averages more than 0,000 for every man, woman, and child. On a broader scale, China holds nearly trillion in US debt. Japan and other countries are also owed big.

The story begins with labor. The decades following World War II were boom years. Economic growth was strong and powerful industrial unions made the middle-class dream attainable for working-class citizens. Workers bought homes and cars in such volume they gave rise to the modern suburb. But prosperity for wage earners reached its zenith in the early 1970s. By then, corporate America had begun shredding the implicit social contract it had with its workers for fear of increased foreign competition. Companies cut costs by finding cheap labor overseas, creating a drag on wages.

In 1972, wages reached their peak. According to the US department of Labor Statistics, workers earned 1 a week, in inflation-adjusted 1982 dollars. Since then, it’s been a downward slide. Today, real wages are nearly one-fifth lower – this, despite real GDP per capita doubling over the same period.

Even as wages fell, consumerism was encouraged to continue soaring to unprecedented heights. Buying stuff became a patriotic duty that distinguished citizens from their communist Cold War enemies. In the eighties, consumers’ growing fearlessness towards debt and their hunger for goods were met with Ronald Reagan’s deregulation the lending industry. Credit not only became more easily attainable, it became heavily marketed. Credit card debt, at 0 billion, is now triple what it was in 1988, after adjusting for inflation. Barbecues and TV screens are now the size of small cars. So much the better to fill the average new home, which in 2005 was more than 50 percent larger than the average home in 1973.

This is all great news for the corporate sector, which both earns money from loans to consumers, and profits from their spending. Better still, lower wages means lower costs and higher profits. These factors helped the stock market begin a record boom in the early ‘80s that has continued almost unabated until today.

These conditions created vast riches for one class of individuals in particular: those who control what is known as economic rent, which can be the income “earned” from the ownership of an asset. Some forms of economic rent include dividends from stocks, or capital gains from the sale of stocks or property. The alchemy of this rent is that it requires no effort to produce money.

Governments, for their part, encourage the investors, or rentier class. Economic rent, in the form of capital gains, is taxed at a lower rate than earned income in almost every industrialized country. In the US in particular, capital gains are being taxed at ever-decreasing rates. A person whose job pays 0,000 can owe 35 percent of that in taxes compared to the 15 percent tax rate for someone whose stock portfolio brings home the same amount.

Given a choice between working for diminishing returns and joining the leisurely riches of the rentier, people pursue the latter. If the rentier class is fabulously rich, why can’t everyone become a member? People of all professions sought to have their money work for them, pouring money into investments. This spurred the explosion of the finance industry, people who manage money for others. The now- trillion mutual fund industry is 700 times the size it was in the 1970s. Hedge funds, the money managers for the super-rich, numbered 500 companies in 1990, managing billion in assets. Now there are more than 6,000 hedge firms handling more than trillion dollars in assets.

In recent years, the further enticement of low interest rates has spawned a boom for two kinds of rentiers at the crux of the current debt crisis: home buyers and private equity firms. But it should also be noted that low interest rates are themselves the product of outsourced labor.

America gets goods from China. China gets dollars from the US. In order to keep the value of their currency low so that exports stay cheap, China doesn’t spend those dollars in China, but buys us assets like bonds. China now holds some 0 billion in such US IOUs. This massive borrowing of money from China (and to a lesser extent, from Japan) sent us interest rates to record lows.

Now the hamster wheel really gets spinning. Cheap borrowing costs encouraged millions of Americans to borrow more, buying homes and sending housing prices to record highs. Soaring house prices encouraged banks to loan freely, which sent even more buyers into the market – many who believed the hype that the real estate investment offered a never-ending escalator to riches and borrowed heavily to finance their dreams of getting ahead. People began borrowing against the skyrocketing value of their homes, to buy furniture, appliances, and TVs. These home equity loans added 0 billion to the US economy in 2004 alone.

It was all so utopian. The boom would feed on itself. Nobody would ever have to work again or produce anything of value. All that needed to be done was to keep buying and selling each other’s houses with money borrowed from the Chinese.

On Wall Street, private equity firms played a similar game: buying companies with borrowed billions, sacking employees to cut costs, and then selling the companies to someone else who did the same. These leveraged buyouts inflated share values, minting billionaires all around. The virtues that produce profit – innovation, entrepreneurialism and good management – stopped mattering so long as there were bountiful capital gains.

But the party is coming to a halt. An endless housing boom requires an endless supply of ever-greater suckers to pay more for the same homes. The rich, as Voltaire said, require an abundant supply of poor. Mortgage lenders have mined even deeper into the ranks of the poor to find takers for their loans. Among the practices included teaser loans that promised low interest rates that jumped up after the first few years. Sub-prime borrowers were told the future pain would never come, as they could keep re-financing against the ever-growing value of their homes. Lenders repackaged the shaky loans as bonds to sell to cash-hungry investors like hedge funds.

Of course, the supply of suckers inevitably ran out. Housing prices leveled off, beginning what promises to be a long, downward slide. Just as the housing boom fed upon itself, so too, will its collapse. The first wave of sub-prime borrowers have defaulted. A flood of foreclosures sent housing prices falling further. Lenders somehow got blindsided by news that poor people with bad credit couldn’t pay them back. Frightened, they staunched the flow of easy credit, further depleting the supply of homebuyers and squeezing debt-fueled private equity. Hedge funds that merrily bought sub-prime loans collapsed.

More borrowers will soon be unable to make payments on their homes and credit cards as the supply of rent dries up. Consumer spending, and thus corporate profits, will fall. The shrinking economy will further depress workers’ wages. For most people, the dream of easy money will never come true, because only the truly rich can live it. Everyone else will have to keep working for less, shackled to a mountain of debt.

_Dee Hon is a Vancouver-based writer has contributed to The Tyee and Vancouver magazine.

Adbusters Magazine
adbusters.org/the_magazine/74/The_Empire_of_Debt.html by Renegade98