HELOC the acronym for a home equity line of credit. A HELOC works like a credit card, but it is secured by your home. You can borrow against it, and then pay it down, just like a credit card. If you have equity in your home, but you need some cash to consolidate debt or...
Tag: CPA
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HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATIONS AND LENDING
Did you know when you apply for a loan there are actually 2 approvals that take place? The lender reviews the file based on your credit and income, and also reviews the collateral. The collateral must be sufficient in order for a loan to be approved. When the collateral is a condominium, there is increased...
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IS REVERSE MORTGAGE RIGHT FOR YOU?
One way to understand what reverse mortgage is, is to understand forward mortgage. A forward mortgage is the mortgage you know, you borrow money, the loan is secured by your home and you pay it back. For the reverse mortgage, you also borrow money, the loan is secured by your home, but you don’t have...
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MORTGAGE BANKS AND MORTGAGE BROKERS
You have many different choices for where to get a mortgage. There are banks, mortgage banks, and mortgage brokers. Many try to sell you their products, for example, down payment assistance, free appraisals, first-time homebuyer loans, doctor’s loans, public employee (teachers, police officer) loans, etc. hoping you’ll bite on the sales pitch in lieu of...
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IS IT MOVE-IN READY?
In order to get a mortgage, the property condition must be move-in ready; it must be habitable and safe. I often get asked if there is a list of items the house must have in order to meet the habitability standard, but there is not, as it is on a case-by-case basis. Here is a...
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DODD-FRANK ACT
The Dodd-Frank Act includes a provision that a borrower must show an ability-to-repay a mortgage to qualify. It seems silly that a law had to be passed with this provision in it as you would think someone would not make a loan unless they knew it was going to be paid back. Nevertheless, this law...
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WHAT ARE FANNIE MAE AND FREDDIE MAC?
You may have heard of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. What are they, and how do they affect mortgages? Fannie Mae (Federal National Mortgage Association) and Freddie Mac (Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation) are Government Sponsored Enterprises (GSE). They are quasi-governmental entities that were established to enhance the flow of credit in the housing industry....
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PROMISSORY NOTE
You may hear your lender ask about the Note, or if you reviewed the Note. The Note, in this sense, is not a musical score, or something written on a post-it; it is the Promissory Note entered into between the lender and the borrower. It provides that the lender will lend a certain sum to...
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PREFERRED LENDERS
Many real estate companies have preferred lenders to whom they encourage their agents to refer. This preferential status can be misleading. In many instances, these lenders are “preferred” because they pay a fee to the real estate company, or the real estate company enters into a joint venture with the lender. These “pay to play”...
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LOAN AMORTIZATION: WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?
Mortgage loans are typically amortized over 30 years. What does this mean? A borrower will pay a combination of principal and interest payments over a 30 year term. The interest is front loaded, so for approximately the first ½ of the loan term, the borrower is paying more interest than principal. Loans typically do not...