Currently browsing March 2009 monthly archives.

8 Things You Absolutely Shouldn’t Do Now That Your Mortgage Application Is In-Process

On March 31, 2009, in Mortgage Educational Information, by Tyler Ford | Comments

8 things you should absolutely not do while your home loan is in processWith mortgage rates are hovering near all-time lows, lots of Americans are taking advantage of refinance and home buying opportunities. 

The downside of today’s unexpectedly-low rates, though, is that mortgage lenders are ill-equipped for the rush of new business. 

As a result, the process of underwriting and approving new mortgage applications is taking some conforming lenders as long as 2 months to complete. 

This is double the time needed as recently as six months ago.

Because there may be 60 days between the application date and the closing date, it’s important for applicants to remember that mortgage approvals can be revoked at any time prior to funding. 

As mortgage applicants, there are many events that are out of our control — job security and health matters, for example.  But there are also events that are within our control. 

Knowing that mortgage approvals can be fragile, here are 8 things you should absolutely not do while your home loan is in process.  It may be the difference between being approved by the bank, and being turned down.

  1. Don’t buy a new car or trade-up to a bigger lease.
  2. Don’t quit your job to change industries
  3. Don’t switch from a salaried job to a heavily-commissioned job
  4. Don’t transfer large sums of money between bank accounts
  5. Don’t forget to pay your bills — even the ones in dispute
  6. Don’t open new credit cards — even if you’re getting 20% off
  7. Don’t accept a cash gift without filing the proper “gift” paperwork
  8. Don’t make random, undocumented deposits into your bank account

Now, avoiding these items may not be practical for everyone.  For example, if your car lease is expiring and you need a larger vehicle, it doesn’t mean you can’t buy the car — just check with your loan officer first to be sure the new payments won’t “break” your approval. 

The same goes for accepting cash gifts from parents.  There’s a right way and a wrong way to accept gifts and doing it the wrong way may prevent you from using the gift as a source of downpayment.

Mortgage lending is full of “gotchas” and with underwriting times stretching to 60 days, it’s a lot more likely that a mortgage applicant will trip into one.  Following these 8 rules, though, is a good start.

If you have any questions give us a call at 520-331-LEND

www.tucsonmortgages.com

Explaining What The Federal Reserve Did In Plain English (March 18, 2009 Edition)

On March 19, 2009, in Market News, by admin | Comments

FOMC press release March 18 2009

The Federal Open Market Committee voted to leave the Fed Funds Rate unchanged today, within the target range of 0.000-0.250 percent.  This doesn’t mean the Fed stood pat, however.

On plan to resurrect the economy using “all available tools”, today, the Fed announced a new, $1.5 trillion round of fiscal support for the treasury and mortgage markets.

The stimulus will likely be Thursday morning’s headline story.

In its press release, the FOMC touched upon a few of the prevailing economic issues, using these points as a legitimizing backdrop for its newest debt load:

  • Job losses and wealth loss are dragging down consumer spending
  • Some U.S. trading partners are falling into recession
  • Businesses are cutting back on investment and inventory

Of interest is that the FOMC said today’s inflation levels may be too low to support economic growth at all.  This condition is more commonly called deflation.  The Fed’s latest actions, therefore, may be a deliberate attempt to induce inflation through unprecedented borrowing.

For home buyers and potential refinancers, this is terrific news — at least in the short-term.  By introducing new demand for mortgage bonds, the Fed will help pressure mortgage rates lower.  Already this afternoon, mortgage rates fell and they will continue to fall until the market reaches a new equlibrium.

After the Fed’s last intervention, markets reached their balance point in about a day-and-a-half.

Source
Parsing the Fed Statement
The Wall Street Journal Online
March 18, 2009

https://online.wsj.com/public/resources/documents/info-fedparse0903.html

What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week : March 16, 2009

On March 16, 2009, in Market News, Videos / YouTube, by Tyler Ford | Comments

Mortgage markets lost a little bit of ground last week, edging mortgage rates higher in a week marked by the largest stock market gains since November.

Once again, mortgage rates couldn’t sustain a rally of more than 5 days.  Not since late-2008 have mortgage rates managed to fall two weeks in a row.

Last week’s market was impacted by three distinct factors:

  1. Bank balance sheets weren’t as bad as feared
  2. Discussion started on new bank valuation methods
  3. Traders got optimistic that “the worst is over”

The rally will likely continue into this week, too.  This after the 60 Minutes interview with Ben Bernanke in which the Fed Chief said he won’t let big banks fail and that the recovery will likely begin later this year.

It’s the first interview with a sitting Federal Reserve Chairman in history.

Coincidentally, the Federal Reserve will be in the spotlight this week as it concludes a two-day meeting Wednesday after which the Fed will issue its standard, post-meeting press release at 2:15 P.M.  Although it’s not expected to make Fed Funds Rate changes, the markets will closely watch the Fed’s language for clues about the next phase of monetary policy.

In general, when the Fed indicates that inflationary pressures may build, mortgage rates rise.  Moreover, in the above interview, Bernanke alluded to such inflation and the need to control it in the future.

Despite the small rise in rates last week, mortgage rates remain low and favorable for high-credit scoring borrowers.  Volatility is still a factor, however, so if you’re nervous about rates rising, it may be best to lock early in the week — before the Fed’s Wednesday announcement.

Tucson Mortgage Weekly 3-16-09

On March 16, 2009, in Tucson Mortgage Weekly, by Todd Abelson | Comments

Brought to you by Todd Abelson and Tyler Ford of Sunstreet Mortgage – Tucson, AZ

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Click here to view the Tucson Mortgage weekly newsletter.

4 Minutes Of Guidance For Soon-To-Be Real Estate Investors

On March 13, 2009, in Videos / YouTube, by admin | Comments


Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

“Most of the biggest real estate fortunes were not made in good times, but in bad times like this” Barbara Corcoran reminds us in this talk with NBC. 

It’s important perspective for Americans wondering how to invest in foreclosed properties without losing their cash or their credit rating.

In the 4-minute interview, Corcoran quips on the basics and the essentials of foreclosure investing,

  • “Everyone who loses their shirt loses it somewhere else.”
  • “Every big shark started small.”
  • “The house on the corner sets the tone for the block.”

She also lends some personal perspective to rent rolls, the cost of losing a tenant, and finding a good business partner.

Tucson banks are anxious to sell their foreclosed homes and that makes this an ideal time for shrewd real estate investors.  If you’re new to the game, watch the video and take good notes.

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Recent Comments

  • Tyler Ford: Great job Todd!
  • Tyler Ford: Seems as through the real estate market is picking up and home prices are stabilizing.
  • Gail Richards: Thanks Todd! More Great Information! Thanks for being on top of everything…your the best! Gail
  • admin: Hey Todd, Can’t wait to pick a winner!
  • steve kargel: Thank you Todd for sending us your updates and especially for insights like the Eller annual economic...

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