Mortgage & Refinancing Information

Be Prepared when Seeking a Mortgage


When you're looking for a mortgage, whether it's a first time loan or you're taking advantage of an opportunity to refinance an existing mortgage, it may seem that you're wading through a quagmire of uncharted territory. If you're prepared ahead of time, you'll avoid some of the common pitfalls and know how to find the best deal for your situation.

Remember that you are the consumer and that you are shopping for a service. That means that you have the right to be treated as a customer. Ask questions and keep asking until you get all the answers you are looking for. If a potential lender is reluctant to spend the time addressing your concerns, you don't have to do business with that particular company. In today's market with the opportunities to shop for a mortgage online, finding a lender is the least of your worries.

Look for the best interest rates, but also search for a lender who offers the mortgage without the high closing costs. There are likely to be some requirements for closing the loan. You may be asked to pay for an appraisal, home inspection and even a survey if property is involved in the transaction. Those are fairly standard but be wary of a company that charges a large additional fee for closing costs though you can expect a moderate fee. A lender is a business and as such, is in business to make money. That means that you as the consumer should expect to pay for the service, but comparing fees and interest rates will help you find the best possible deal on your mortgage.

Finally, be aware of unbelievable claims. A company that promises you'll be approved for a loan regardless of credit is probably making promises that they can't keep. If you're asked to pay an application fee with this guarantee, you could be wasting your money. In some cases, the lender will approve the loan, but will make unreasonable requirements for repayment or down payment. If you then can't meet the terms, the company will have fulfilled their promise - they did offer you the loan. Your application fee is typically non-refundable and you've simply lost that money.

Mark Lambie is the founder of The Loan House a website that allows consumers to quickly and easily get mortgage quotes and mortgage information.


MORE RESOURCES:

Prepare now for the next mortgage-refinance wave
Los Angeles Times, CA - Apr 27, 2008
Lenders will be pickier than before, so organize your credit records, document earnings, list debts and establish your home's value. ...


Hughs rally behind family member with ALS
The Courier News, IL - 33 minutes ago
Platinum Home Mortgage Corporation will donate $250 to the Hugh family for every closed home purchase or mortgage refinance. Call Anna Dallain at (800) ...


US Senators reach deal on housing rescue-sources
Reuters - May 15, 2008
... a housing fund sponsored by the two government-sponsored enterprises and the deal will send those funds to the new mortgage refinance project. ...


US housing crisis solutions proposed in Congress
Emailwire - May 13, 2008
Last month the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) announced that the FHASecure program, a mortgage refinance program, would be expanded to all subprime ...


Housing aid deal faces Bush veto
Columbia Daily Tribune, MO - May 9, 2008
WASHINGTON (AP) - They’re trapped in loans they can’t afford and saddled with more debt than their homes are worth. Hundreds of thousands of homeowners ...


Federal Home Loan Bank of Seattle Announces Availability of ...
Business Wire (press release), CA - May 12, 2008
... today announced the availability of $7.9 million in affordable housing subsidy and up to $100 million in reduced-rate loans for mortgage refinance. ...


More and more, advertisers view it as a sell phone
Seattle Times, United States - Apr 21, 2008
"There are strong existing incentives to police the environment, so we're not all getting mortgage-refinance offers or otherwise feeling taken advantage of, ...


WNC not insulated from foreclosures
Asheville Citizen-Times, NC - May 3, 2008
Wolff said he sometimes is unable to help a borrower with a high-rate mortgage refinance into a cheaper loan because the new loan carries a higher rate than ...


Nurse charged as suspect in defrauding a patient
Press-Enterprise, CA - Apr 24, 2008
Steele, who also has been charged with felony conspiracy, applied for a $165000 cash-out mortgage refinance loan using the alleged victim's San Bernardino ...


The Subprime Crisis and Government Failure
Lew Rockwell, CA - Apr 20, 2008
... the Fed's increasingly cheap money keeps pouring into just two sectors – the housing and home mortgage refinance markets – and it is creating what is ...

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