Housing Market Increases In February

April 26, 2010
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The recent research done by the Connells Survey and Valuation reported that there were 22% more valuations conducted in the month of February with activity increasing for 6 consecutive months.

The valuation market started to see an increase in activity in January and February saw house hunters back on the street in force.

The recovering housing market is attributed to a large number of first-time buyers, with 63% more first-timers commissioning a valuation in February than in January.  It may also be influenced by the wider availability of higher loan to value mortgages coming back to the market this year.

Although the month…

Pre-Qualifying For A Home Loan

April 5, 2010
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You should pre-qualify for a mortgage before deciding to purchase a home.  Being pre-qualified will help you and the lender determine just how much home you can purchase according to the Federal Housing Administration’s pre-qualification essentials.

Here is a list of requirements you need to meet to pre-qualify for a mortgage:

1. Steady employment history.  You should have at least 2 years with the same employer.
2. Consistent or increasing income over the past two years.
3. Good credit history with less than 2 thirty day late payments in the past 2 years.
4. If there are bankruptcy records, it must be at least 2…

Fannie Mae Offers Buyers Incentives

April 5, 2010
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Fannie Mae is offering homebuyers incentives for foreclosed properties to be able to sell the houses in its inventory.  The special offer allows buyers to receive up to 3.5% of the sales price for closing costs or the purchase of a new Whirlpool or a combination of the two.  The new incentives recently began and are eligible for buyers who live in the home.  The offers must be accepted on or after January 28, 2010 and will have to close before May.

Buying a Fannie Mae property sells a property “as is” which means that the buyer accepts the property “as…

Obama Administration Speeds Up Loan Modification

March 5, 2010
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The Obama Administration’s Home Affordable Modification Program or HAMP also demands homeowners to provide an initial package of documentation and requires lenders to review the documentation before the first phase of the modification.

The change in the program will take effect on June 1, 2010 and is designed to speed up the process of getting mortgage modifications that homeowners can afford.  Although a mortgage modification will definitely stain a homeowner’s credit history, it is a better option than undergoing a foreclosure process.  A mortgage modification will happen when the lender agrees to change the terms of an existing home loan like…

Invest In Reo Properties

March 5, 2010
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Foreclosed homes are usually sold at foreclosure auctions.  But most properties on auctions never make it to a successful sale so the properties go back to mortgage companies or banks.  The foreclosure properties are seldom bought because the total worth of the property is lower than the total amount owned by the original owner.

Once the bank or mortgage company repossesses the foreclosed property, the borrower’s mortgage loan is eliminated.  The occupants will also need to vacate the property if they haven’t done it yet.  The property will also need to undergo some repairs if there are any damages to attract…

Ways To Prevent Foreclosure

March 3, 2010
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The unstable market conditions and high rate of unemployment are making it hard for homeowners to pay their mortgages that could lead to a foreclosure.  Here are some options to prevent foreclosure if you’re having trouble paying your home loan.

1. If you receive a notice from your lender that puts your property in a position that is highly exposed to foreclosure, immediately contact your lender.  You can explain to them the reasons why you’re having a hard time paying the mortgage.  You can reach an agreement with your lender to help you buy some time and find a solution for…

Getting A Foreclosure Specialist

March 3, 2010
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If you’re behind schedule in making your mortgage payments, you can avoid a possible foreclosure by getting the help of a foreclosure specialist.  A foreclosure specialist is a person who specializes in helping homeowners save their homes from foreclosures.  Because every foreclosure situation is unique, a specialist will provide the right advice and suggest the appropriate solutions or strategies.  Some specialist can also negotiate directly with the lender in behalf of the homeowner.

Because many homeowners are facing foreclosures, it is wise to get an experienced specialist to help you come up with the right strategies to save your home.  In…

4 Stages Of A Foreclosure

March 3, 2010
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There are many stages that happen to a home during a foreclosure process.  Here are the 4 stages of a foreclosure:

1. Pre-foreclosure.  The homeowner gets notified by the bank if they fail to make the monthly mortgage payments for more than two times.  This notice is called the Notice of Default that clearly means your house is in trouble unless you play your part to maintain the ownership of your house.
2. Foreclosure.  You will be issued a Notice of Trustee Sale.  The homeowner and the general public will be informed that the house is undergoing foreclosure and will be offered…

A Look At The Administration’s Anti-Foreclosure Program

March 2, 2010
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The Home Affordable Modification Program that is supposed to help three to four million homeowners from possible foreclosures was only able to address 116,000 permanent loan modifications.  Sixty thousand borrowers who entered trial payment plans have also failed or rejected for a number of reasons.

Here is a list of HAMP complications and why it is failing to address the housing problems:

* The original design of the program allowed homeowners to request a 3 month trial modification with little documentation of their situation.  Although some were able to get through the trial program, some weren’t able to satisfy the program requirements…

Obama Administration To Address Mortgage Complaints

March 2, 2010
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The Obama administration will address long-standing complaints and make sure homeowners are treated fairly under the mortgage relief program by providing $75 billion mortgage relief.

Cases like lenders continuing with foreclosures while homeowners were being evaluated for help will be banned under the new rules.  Mortgage companies should stop any legal action once a borrower enrolls in the program under the new policies and they should also consider applications from bankrupt homeowners.  If a borrower gets rejected, he will have 30 days to appeal the decision and during that time, lenders could schedule a foreclosure sale but not conduct it.

The $75…