An impound account is an escrow account funded monthly by the borrower which includes a pro-rata amount of insurance and real estate taxes. When the insurance and tax bills become due, the lender pays them out of the escrow account. In many instances, you have the option of whether to Impound your insurance and taxes...
Tag: California
Post
CONTACT US, WE OFFER MORTGAGE COUNSELING
Years ago, in the depths of the mortgage crisis, I created a company to provide a solution to the problems created by the mortgage crisis. There were way too many loan officers putting people in loans they should not have qualified for, or simply not caring about their specific circumstances. Counsel Mortgage Group, LLC was...
Post
CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION APPROVAL AND LENDING
A majority of home buyers are not aware of the fact that when you apply for a loan there are actually 2 approvals that take place. What does that mean exactly? Well, the lender reviews the file based on a few things: your credit and income, and the collateral; the collateral must be sufficient in...
Post
WHO CALLS THE SHOTS?
The first rule told to me when I started in the mortgage business was, “He who has the gold, makes the rules.” It is very true. It means, if you are looking for money from someone else to help you finance a property, you have to follow their rules to get the money. If they are...
Post
IS AN APPRAISAL NEEDED WHEN APPLYING FOR A MORTGAGE?
An appraisal may not be needed when applying for a mortgage. How can you get an appraisal waiver? Generally, an appraisal is needed to get a home loan, but, there are instances where this requirement is waived. Most home loans are sold to Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. When underwriting these loans, they are submitted...
Post
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE?
Pre-qualification v. pre-approval, what is the difference? A pre-qualification is based on information provided to the loan originator. The information could be as simple as a conversation about your income, assets, and debts, to providing the supporting documentation. A pre-approval is where an underwriter reviews your file, including the loan application, credit report, income and...
Post
CHECK YOUR CREDIT REPORT IN ADVANCE
Are you considering buying a home? It may be worthwhile to review your credit report beforehand. To check your credit for free go to: www.annualcreditreport.com Many sites promise free credit reports, but this website is the only official site authorized by Federal law; It is sponsored by Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax. You are allowed to...
Post
HOW SHOULD CRE INVESTORS PREPARE FOR THE NEXT DOWNTURN
Today’s post is written by Michael Green, Commercial Loan Originator for Counsel Mortgage Group, LLC. A recession is unlikely to hit this year, but that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t start preparing. Experts say that this is the perfect time for investors to reevaluate portfolio performance to prepare for the next downturn—whenever it...
Post
PLEDGING ASSETS
With the way the stock market is running, many people do not want to liquidate their accounts to make a large down payment on a home. They are conflicted because they want to make a large down payment to get a better interest rate, but do not want to sell the assets in their investment...
Post
CAN I SKIP A PAYMENT, OR TWO?
Have you heard you can “skip” a payment, or maybe even 2 months payments, when you refinance? Is this practice considered tricking the system, or getting away with something? No, in fact, you may be front-loading more cash at closing. This is how it works: The first thing to understand is how a mortgage payment...