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Bank Forclosure:An Explanation

Bank foreclosure, or just foreclosure as it is more commonly referred to, is a process which is initiated by the mortgagee or a lien for the purpose of having the court order the debtor’s real estate sold to pay the mortgage or other lien. Basically foreclosure would take place if you were not making payments on your mortgage and the seller of the home or lender of your mortgage was forced to sell the house in order to receive the money owed for your mortgage.

Foreclosure is a very common problem, as many people go into the home buying process thinking that they will be fine, only to find out one they are actually in it that they have so many other bills or bought a house that was too expensive and they are simply unable to make their mortgage payments

Many people do not want their purchased homes to be sold by foreclosure because of sentimental issues and also because you will find that you have to put a lot of effort in purchasing a new home; in addition you will find it extremely difficult to get finances for your new home because of your poor credit rating.

Tips

The tips given here may be of much use for you to avoid foreclosure of your home. As a first thing you must ensure that there is a household income versus expenditure budget. A budget is nothing but a plan of expected income and expenditure over a specified period and it is necessary for you to prepare the income both you and your partner makes per month and also the bills you have to pay during the month.

Set your bills in order of priority, making your mortgage one of the most important of course, so that you can see where your money is going and make sure that it is getting to the right places first. For instance you may have bills that you are paying which could be held off for a bit or even eliminated altogether.

Whether or not to re-finance is a question homeowner may ask themselves a number of times while they are living in their home. Re-financing is essentially taking out one home loan to repay an existing home loan. This may sound odd at first but it is important to realize when this is done properly it can result in a significant cost savings for the homeowner over the course of the loan. When there is the potential for an overall savings it might be time to consider re-financing. There are certain situations which make re-financing worthwhile. These cases may include when the credit scores of the homeowners improve, when the financial situation of the homeowners improves and when national interest rates drop. This article will examine each of these scenarios and discuss why they may warrant a re-finance.

When Credit Scores Improve

There are currently so many home loan options available, that even those with poor credit are likely to find a lender who can assist them in realizing their dream of purchasing a home. However, those with poor credit are likely to be offered unfavorable loan terms such as high interest rates or variable interest rates instead of fixed rates. This is because the lender considers these homeowners to be higher risk than others because of their poor credit.

Fortunately for those with poor credit, many credit mistakes can be repaired over time. Some financial blemishes such as bankruptcies simply disappear after a number of years while other blemishes such as frequent late payments can be minimized by maintaining a more favorable record of repaying debts and demonstrating an ability to repay existing debts.

When a homeowner’s credit score improves considerably, the homeowner should question about the possibility of re-financing their current mortgage. All citizens are entitled to a free annual credit report from each of the three major credit reporting bureaus. Homeowners should take advantage of these three reports to check their credit each year and determine whether or not their credit has increased significantly. When they notice a significant increase, they should consider contacting lenders to determine the rates and terms they may be willing to offer.

When Financial Situations Change

A change in the homeowner’s financial situation can also warrant investigation into the process of re-financing. A homeowner may find himself making considerably more money due to a change in jobs or considerably less money caused by a lay off or a change in careers. In either case the homeowner should carefully study the possibility of re-financing. The homeowner may find an increase in pay may allow them to obtain a lower interest rate.

Alternately a homeowner who loses their job or takes a pay cut as a result of a career change may hope to refinance and consolidate their debt. This may result in the homeowner paying more because some debts are drawn out over a longer period of time but it can yield in a lower monthly payment for the homeowner which may be advantageous at this juncture of his life.

When Interest Rates Drop

Interest rates dropping is the one signal that sends many homeowners rushing to their lenders to discuss the possibility of re-financing their home. Lower interest rates are certainly appealing because they can result in an overall savings over the course of the loan but homeowners should also realize that every time the interest rates drop, a re-finance of the home is not warranted. The caveat to re-financing to take advantage of lower interest rates is that the homeowner should carefully evaluate the situation to ensure the closing costs associated with re-financing do not exceed the overall savings benefit gained from obtaining a lower interest rate. This is important because if the cost of re-financing is higher than the savings in interest, the homeowner does not benefit from re-financing and may actually lose money in the process.

The mathematics associated with determining whether or not there is an actual savings is not overly complicated but there is the possibility that the homeowner will make mistakes in these types of calculations. Fortunately there are a number of calculators available on the Internet which can help homeowners to determine whether or not re-financing is worthwhile.

Home mortgage loan fraud can be divided into many broad categories: Fraud for real property and fraud for profit. Fraud for property is generally undertaken by borrowers against lenders, while fraud for profit is typically undertaken by lenders against borrowers. The collapse of America’s housing market and the subsequent “pulling back of the veil” behind dubious lending practices clearly showed that the lender-style of fraud, fraud for profit, is well-ahead of the borrower-style in frequency and complexity.

Fraud for property generally involves the deliberate misrepresentation or omission of information with the intent to deceive or mislead a lender into extending credit that would likely not be offered if the true facts were known. Although this has generally been used as a label for home buyers attempting to purchase homes for their personal use, the rise of sub-prime mortgage brokers and other financial intermediaries has greatly expanded this type of fraud; to the detriment of both buyers and lenders.

Fraud for profit is often committed with the complicity of industry insiders such as mortgage brokers, real estate agents, property appraisers, and settlement agents (attorneys and title examiners). An accurate detailed list of fraudulent activities undertaken by these actors can be found in our glossary of terms.

If you suspect fraudulent activity on the part of a lender, or any other financial intermediary, blow the whistle now! Go to the Making Home Affordable government website, maintained by the White House, the U.S. Treasury Department and the U.S. The federal governments Department of Housing and Urban Development. And always, always always, be on the look-out for the following scams:

1. Beware of anyone who asks you to pay a fee in exchange for a counseling service or modification of a delinquent loan.
2. Scam artists generally target homeowners who are straining to meet their mortgage commitment or anxious to sell their homes. It is imperative that every homeowner educate themselves and learn to recognize and be careful to avoid scams.
3. Beware of people who pressure you to sign papers immediately, or who try to convince you that they can “save” your home if you sign or transfer over the deed to your house.
4. Do not sign over the deed to your property to any entity or individual unless you are working straight with your mortgage company to forgive your debt.
5. Never make a mortgage payment to anyone other than your mortgage company without their approval.

Links:

3rd paragraph: glossary of terms –> /resources_glossary.php

4th paragraph: Making Home Affordable government website –> http://www.makinghomeaffordable.gov/beware.html

The debate over refinancing

Although advertisers talk about refinancing, it isnt always a sure-fire way to find fast cash. Anyone who is thinking of refinancing needs to think about the pros and cons to the move. Chronic refinancers that always capitalize on lower interest rates don’t always profit over the long term. There are a lot of closing costs and fees that will add up and savings will suffer.

The reasons for refinancing

The first thing a homeowner should figure out is what their goal is for the potential refinance. People must be aware that refinancing only reorganizes debt. It normally is at a lower rate of interest, but other variables change the equation. Variables can chip away at savings. Reducing monthly payments is the typical reason behind refinancing, and debt consolidation is the second. According to Holden Lewis, an economist with Bankrate.com, Consumers need to talk to a professional to do the numbers and find out if the goal really is worth it. Discharging debt is great, but if the rate drastically clips income, it might not be a wise choice.

When you should refinance

After honing on the reason a consumer wants to refinance, the next thing to decide on is when. The Bankrate 2008 Closing Cost Survey indicated the national average on closing costs for a $ 200,000 loan was $ 3,118. That is in addition to taxes, insurance and prepaid items like interest and association dues. A lower interest rate extends the length of the loan, and can cost more in interest, as one must be aware. For instance, a mortgage with 20 years left out of 30 will result in a higher amount paid in interest over the lifetime of the loan, and perhaps a larger interest payment if refinanced. There are two calculations to follow when trying to find fast cash from refinancing:

1. One calculation where the new loan has the same term as the old loan
2. One calculation where the new loan is the length of the planned refinance

From there, consumers can compare the interest savings to see if refinancing reaches their financial goals.

When to not refinance

There are specific instances when a refinance will not help. For example, if a homeowner doesnt plan on staying in a home for very long, its most likely a better idea to stay in the current mortgage. Taking the savings that people must accumulate to cover closing costs, the stay in the property could be longer than anticipated. People with underwater mortgages should probably stay with the current mortgage. It isn’t likely a homeowner with an underwater mortgage will find a lender.

Another reason to not refinance is hefty prepayment penalties. The penalty payment creates another expense for homeowners to factor into the overall cost of the refinance. Homeowners might be better off waiting until the initial two or three years of the active pre-payment penalty has passed. It’s likely refinancing down the road would be better.

What’s good about refinancing

Despite the tricky calculations regarding refinancing, it still can benefit many homeowners if done in the right way and at the right time. Refinancing can net some fast cash for people who are smart about the decision. A good financial planner or online banking tool can help steer consumers in the right direction when facing the prospect of refinancing or not.

“Greed is good.” That is the motto of Gordon Gekko, a major character in Oliver Stone’s movie, “Wall Street.” We all have experience with the benefits of this character trait, as well as the costs.

Before we entered into the new century, the mortgage industry was embargoed from making loans to borrowers with a poor credit history and lack of supportable income because we were all operating under the guidelines established by the consortium of Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the FHA. Together, they created the loan underwriting guidelines that were acceptable with the secondary market institutional investors, including Wall Street, insurnace firms, pension funds, and other investors in mortgage backed securities. The loan broakers and lenders who offered loans, whether for new purchases or refinances had to follow these underwriting regulations, unless they were able to hold them in their own portfolios as an asset.

Savings and Loans across the country also looked at mortgage lending products as either salable in the secondary market, therefore subject to the same basic guidelines, or produced their own products for their own portfolio. The now reviled “Option Arm,” “Interest Only,” and “Stated Income” loan products were initially developed by some major S&L’s and Commercial Banks as portfolio loan products. They had been used for over twenty years, and clients who fit the qualifications were able to take advantage of the benefits. The exception to these commonly used underwriting guidelines were those of the then-evolving Alternative-A paper lenders and “sub prime” lenders that became the 21st century dominant sources of mortgage capital to potential borrowers who had income documentation problems, credit issues and/or credit backgrounds that made them more challenging to the prime institutional lenders.

Throughout all this, the considerable rising of firms such as Option One, New Century, Ameriquest, and the other companies in that arena liberally were making these programs accessible to loan applicants that simply could not have qualified them in the ears earlier. Thus was started the slippery slope that enriched many people in the years from 1997 through 2005, which ultimately caused most of these participant companies to close their doors by the end of 2007.

Greed has many handmaidens. First off, you have the home buyers, who realized their fantasies of a bigger house by taking on more debt than they could handle.  There were mortgage brokers who didn’t live up to their professional responsibilities and mortgage lending companies that ignored many of the warnings that were there to be seen. Rating agencies like S&P, Moody’s, and Fitch hid behind financial structures that were truly halls of mirrors created by financial intermediaries that also paid their fees for the ratings they issued. There were also the institutional consolidators like the major Wall Street companies and the institutional investors who bought these products after they had been converted into Mortgage Backed Derivative financial instruments and given Investment Grade ratings.

As in most major screw ups, including financial upsets, every player had a role in its success – and failure. “A rolling loan gathers no loss,” was the way of business, and as these mortgages passed through many hands, no one saw a need to consider the implications of their actions – as long as they made their money. Because of this, no one can say that they are totally innocent in the global financial events of the past years.

“Back to the Future” was the title of a series of movies in the late 1980s and early 1990s that is also the vision of our collective financial near future in Mortgage Lending. By near future, I mean the next three to five years.We have taken a visit back to the time where the loans we made requiredunderwriting standards would be universally known and implemented. Home purchases would typically require a down payment, and borrowers could expect that their credit scores and histories would be reviewed, leaving them little chance of getting a loan they were unqualified for.

That seems to be the near future because fear and despair never last too long. Somewhere in the financial hemisphere, there will be a “great idea” to focus on short term money gains and let the future work itself out, not even considering the risks at hand.At this time, numberous banks and brokers will no doubt assure themselves that they are wiser this time around, know what mistakes to avoid, and can can deal with any hike in default risk, all in the name of a prettier balance sheet.

And so it will start again. Just wait and see.

The author of this article is a 43-year mortgage lending professional and legal mortgage expert witness providing professional consultation and expert witness testimony.  He is listed with Consolidated Consultants, an expert witness services company along with many other legal technical expert witnesses. Get their full C.V.’s online. This is a free service.

The term ‘remortgage’ can easily be defined as the act of transferring a mortgage on a property from one lender to another. The process repays the original lender, and transfers the balance to the new lender. If you make your choice wisely, by remortgaging, or changing your mortgage lender, you can release extra funds by making use of lower interest rates, reducing monthly payments or, alternatively, you may be able to liberate equity in your home. In recent times the mortgage lending market has increased in popularity to an unprecedented level. The market is extremely competitive and due to the large number of businesses advertising for new business, it is quite easy for sensible borrowers to find a remortgage deal that will suit their needs. Before committing to a remortgage deal, make sure you speak with your current lender to find out the early redemption details of your current mortgage and if you owe any fees, and also if they can offer you some advice on remortgaging your property. Remortgaging a property will help you keep your finances in order as potentially, you would be able to consolidate your other existing debts and pay them off. This would mean instead of having a number of credit card payment, loans or other outgoings, you would have one single remortgage payment to make per month. Alternatively, remortgaging a property will give you the funds needed for that long awaited home improvement, or maybe another property. A remortgage is a very popular way of releasing capital because it is so easy! Simply put, all you are doing is changing one lender for another. Your credit history generally does not have much affect on the availability of remortgage options either as many lenders now offer remortgage options for people with bad credit ratings. After consultation and advice, a remortgage package will be offered which is tailored to your specific circumstances. By using popular search engines online, you can research possible remortgage lenders and even find out what your monthly payment may be. Many sites offer the use of online remortgage calculators where you input the details of your finances and it will calculate the possible monthly payments for you. If the process is proving difficult, a lot of sites also have either online helpers or the contact details for customer service representatives that can help you through the process of application.

Now Try : Remortgage Quote

The Internet has greatly simplified the process of re-financing a loan. Years ago homeowners had to go to a lender during regular business hours for lengthy consultations and would have to visit several different lenders to determine which one would offer the best rate. The Internet has not only simplified the process but has also given homeowners the luxury of investigating re-financing options at their convenience and also receiving multiple quotes form different lenders through accomplishing one simple online form.

Researching Re-Financing Online

The Internet has not only made it easier for homeowners to re-finance but it has also greatly simplified the process of learning more about re-financing. Again homeowners from past generations might have to rely on industry professionals and published books on the subject of re-financing. However, today’s homeowners can look up re-financing and find a wealth of useful information regarding the different types of loans and re-financing options available. Homeowners can also use the internet to access calculators which do the complicated equations homeowners previously had to delegate to the trained professionals. These same calculations which may have taken a considerable amount of time to complete and correct are now solved within a fraction of a second.

Select a Reputable Lender

Homeowners who are doing the majority of their re-financing research and searches online should carefully consider the lender they choose. This is important because whether a lender is found online or offline, care should be taken to ensure the lender is reputable. The easiest way to do this is to stick with a well established lender who comes highly recommended by friends and family members. This does not mean new lenders and smaller lenders are not reputable but there is significantly less risk involved in selecting an established lender than there is in selecting a new lender.

LendingTree.com

Homeowners who are investigating their re-financing options online may find the website LendingTree.com to be a very valuable resource. This website offers articles and calculators which the homeowner can use to gain the knowledge they need to make an informed decision. The articles on the website are written in clear and concise language which is easy to understand and the calculators are extremely user friendly and require the homeowner to enter in some variables to obtain the desired results.

Another great feature of this website is the inclusion of a link which provides access to obtaining a free credit report. The process is very simple although it does require the homeowner to verify their identity. The purpose of this is to protect homeowners from identity theft or other acts of fraud. This is significant because homeowners are likely to realize the terms of their mortgage re-finance will depend largely on their credit score. Homeowners who have good credit will have more chances of being offered favorable rates and terms while homeowners with less than perfect credit will not be offered favorable rates and terms.

However, the most significant feature of this website is the ability to get up to four quotes from qualified lenders by filling out one simple form. The information required is rather basic in nature and is information which most homeowners have readily available. Once this information is submitted into the system, the responses are received from up to four lenders almost instantly. The data contained in these reports is customized for the homeowner depending on the information inputted into the system.

Choosing a lender is a very important part of the process of re-financing a home. Understanding the different re-financing options and knowing how each of these options work is very important but none of this matters at all if the homeowner is unable to find a lender who is willing to give them the rates and terms they are seeking. Choosing a lender can be a long and difficult process but there are some ways to make it easier. One simple way to make it easier is to solicit advice from friends or family members who recently re-financed. Additionally, homeowners can do their own research to determine which lenders are able to offer them the best rate. Finally the homeowner should decide whether or not the finances should be the governing factor in choosing a lender. Surprisingly enough, in most cases it is not.

Ask for Advice from Friends and Family Members

Friends and family members who recently refinanced can be a homeowner’s most valuable resource in the process of selecting a lender. These friends and family members are so valuable because they will most likely be willing to offer you a quite candid opinion of the lender they used. This opinion may be either positive or negative but in either case it is useful to the homeowner. In the event that the opinion is negative the homeowner can remove this lender from their list of lenders to consider. Conversely if the lender comes highly recommended, the homeowner may consider this lender more carefully.

Comparison Shop

Homeowners who want to know which lender is offering them the best interest rate and financial terms should do a great deal of comparison shopping. The homeowner may even consider requesting quotes from each and every lender. This should make it perfectly clear which lenders are willing to offer the homeowner more favorable rates. When comparing these quotes all of the factors should be considered to ensure the quotes are being compared fairly. For example each quote should be broken down to determine the monthly savings, total savings, etc. All of this statistical data will make it much easier for the homeowner to make a wise decision when the time comes.

Consider More than Finances

Finally, while interest rates, loan terms and other financial matters are all certainly important none of these are more important than being treated fairly by the lender. For this reason, the homeowner should carefully consider all of their lenders and should decide whether or not they feel as though the lender is responsive to his needs. For example, a lender who does not return calls in a timely fashion or answer questions truthfully and accurately may not be the ideal lender for a homeowner even if he is the lender who is offering the most favorable rates.

Additionally, homeowners should trust their instincts regarding their trust in the lender. Some lenders simply do not appear to know what they are talking about. Homeowners might be inclined to avoid these individuals because they may end up doing more harm than good during the re-financing process. Conversely some homeowners may be immediately impressed by the honesty and intelligence of another lender. In most cases, the homeowner would likely choose the second lender as long as the rates offered by each lender were comparable.

Some homeowners opt to re-finance to consolidate their existing debts. With this type of option, the homeowner can consolidate higher interest debts such as credit card debts under a lower interest home loan. The interest rates associated with home loans are traditionally lower than the rates associated with credit cards by a considerable amount. Deciding whether or not to re-finance for debt consolidation can be a rather tricky issue. There are a number of complex factors which enter into the equation including the amount of existing debt, the difference in interest rates as well as the difference in loan terms and the present financial situation of the homeowner.

This article will attempt to make this issue less complex by providing a function definition for debt consolidation and providing answer to two key questions homeowners should ask themselves prior to re-financing. These questions include whether the homeowner will pay more in the long run by consolidating their debt and will the homeowners financial situation improve if they re-finance.

What is Debt Consolidation?

The term debt consolidation can be somewhat confusing because the term itself is somewhat deceptive. When a homeowner re-finances his home for the purpose of debt consolidation, he is not actually consolidating the debt in the true sense of the word. By definition to consolidate means to unite or to combine into one system. However, this is not what really happens when debts are consolidated. The existing debts are actually repaid by the debt consolidation loan. Although the total amount of debt remains constant the individual debts are repaid by the new loan.

Prior to the debt consolidation the homeowner may have been repaying a monthly debt to one or more credit card companies, an auto lender, a student loan lender or any number of other lenders but now the homeowner is repaying one debt to the mortgage lender who provided the debt consolidation loan. This new loan will be subject to the applicable loan terms including interest rates and repayment period. Any terms associated with the individual loans are no longer valid as each of these loans has been repaid in full.

Are You Paying More in the Long Run?

When considering debt consolidation it is important to find out whether lower monthly payments or an overall increase in savings is being sought. This is an important consideration because while debt consolidation can lead to lower monthly payments when a lower interest mortgage is obtained to repay higher interest debts there is not always an overall cost savings. This is because interest rate alone does not determine the amount which will be paid in interest. The amount of debt and the loan term, or length of the loan, figure prominently into the equation as well.

As an example consider a debt with a relatively short loan term of five years and an interest only slightly higher than the rate associated with the debt consolidation loan. In this case, if the term of the debt consolidation loan, is 30 years the repayment of the original loan would be stretched out over the course of 30 years at an interest rate which is only slightly lower than the original rate. In this case it is clear the homeowner might end up paying more in the long run. However, the monthly payments will probably be greatly reduced. This type of decision forces the homeowner to decide whether an overall savings or lower monthly payments is more important.

Does Re-Financing Improve Your Financial Situation?

Homeowners who are considering re-financing for the purpose of debt consolidation should carefully consider whether or not their financial situation will be made better through re-financing. This is important because some homeowners may opt to re-finance because it increases their monthly cash flow even if it does not result in an overall cost savings. There are many mortgage calculators available on the Internet which can be used for purposes such as determining whether or not monthly cash flow will increase. Using these calculators and consulting with industry experts will help the homeowner to make a well informed decision.

Reverse Mortgages Explained

A reverse mortgage can help save your home AND give you some monthy income.  If you are considering reverse mortgages for seniors, it’s important to know the basics including the requirements and how much money is actually available for seniors.  Learn the requirements for reverse mortgages to find out if you qualify.  The requirements and specifics about reverse mortgages can vary from state to state, but there are some basic things you should know.

Qualifications:
*62-years-old or older
*The older you are, the more lenient requirements are
*If you have any existing mortgages, you must use the proceeds from a reverse mortgage to pay them off before you can use your reverse mortgage proceeds for anything else.
*Once you have paid off other mortgages; you can use the proceeds for whatever you want.
*Not all types of housing qualify for a reverse mortgage
*Some properties, (like mobile homes), must meet specific requirements in order to qualify for a reverse mortgage.
*The cost of financial counseling, which is required, must be paid by the potential borrower and usually costs about $100.
*The lending limit for a reverse mortgage is $625,500.
*The maximum loan origination fee for a reverse mortgage is $6,000
*A reverse mortgage must be settled within one year after the passing of the borrower. Heirs may sell or refinance.

The amount of the proceeds available from a reverse mortgage varies and is determined by several factors, including the age of the borrower, the current interest rate, an appraisal of the property, any existing liens on the property, the property value, the HUD national loan limit, and any known health or safety issues on the property.

Knowing the requirements for a reverse mortgage can help you prepare for your loan search.

Reverse mortgages can save your home and give you a better quality of life, find information on reverse mortgages explained at reversemortgageproscons.com