dfw: CNET's Tips & Tricks Ends Online Course Program - 04/21/08 11:24 PM
I posted some links a while back to CNET and their free courses. It seems that they are ending this service and you will have very little time to download your courses before they are gone forever. I hope some of you learned something from this free resource. IMPORTANT: All class content (class
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dfw: North Texas Realtor / Lender Happy Hour!! - 04/16/08 10:57 AM
Ok, I cut and pasted the email I got from Scott Harris...... and pasted it here since he doesn't post these here in 'The Rain' I cannot attend this month, but if interest is there I will be happy to coordinate a meet & greet at this great event. I have attended many
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dfw: Foreclosure: New Fannie Mae Guidelines - 04/14/08 04:10 PM
https://www.efanniemae.com/sf/guides/ssg/annltrs/pdf/2008/0808.pdf Fannie Mae has increased time in the penalty box for people with foreclosures on their credit report. Currently a 4yr time frame must pass and that has been increased to 5yrs. No doubt this is in answer to the many borrowers who can pay their mortgage and elect to let their homes
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dfw: Fannie Mae says no to credit scores below 580 - 04/02/08 03:00 PM
Fannie Mae is setting new rules about what mortgages it will buy, including a credit score threshold for the first time. The District-based mortgage giant has told lenders it will no longer buy most loans made to borrowers with credit scores below 580, nor will it buy loans that have been
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dfw: FHA Non Occupying Co-Borrower - 04/01/08 03:11 PM
FHA Non Occupying Co-Borrower rules in a nutshell. Typically called a 'Kiddie-Condo' loan. FHA allows family members to help their kids buy their first home. Whether they are in school with no income or out in the real world and just need a little extra income to qualify. FHA allows for a family
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dfw: The Death of 100% Financing.... The End is Near!! - 02/12/08 12:31 PM
I got notice late yesterday that beginning March 1st, loans above 97.01% will no longer be eligible for PMI. 3% down payment may be the name of the game going forward.... and FHA Loans have never looked so sexy!! Monthly PMI on Gov't loans is 1/2 of what you are charged on conventional loans. Yet,
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dfw: The DallasLoanGuy Joins PrimeLending - 02/02/08 12:38 PM
A while back I informed my friends here that Maverick Residential Mortgage had shut his doors. I appreciate all of the kind words of support from those who called or wrote me with words of encouragement. In recent days I have taken many phone calls from hiring managers and recruiters and
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dfw: Maverick Residential Mortgage Shuts Doors!! Another One Bites The Dust!! - 01/16/08 10:09 AM
I wanted to wait and post this until after we made Lender Implode. Well, we have now and even made the Channel 11 News. Rumors abound that the CFO went missing with $4MM and the FBI is on the case. But all that I can confirm to you is that payroll was
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dfw: Bank of America buys Countrywide Financial for 4$BB - 01/11/08 09:13 AM
Noone Can Do What Countrywide Can..... NOT!! Bank of America just topped them. Of course we knew this was coming.... Countrywide's Execs were practically asking to be purchased in the media. And the $2B loan a few months ago should have been the first clue. Clue #2? Well, that would be the fact that
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dfw: Get the Skinny on YOUR Neighborhood.... Great Resource for House Hunting!! - 12/26/07 02:55 PM
ZipSkinny.com was recently introduced to me by a friend. It looks like a wonderfull little resource for those in the Housing Market. A quick snapshot of what makes up your Zipcode is a click away.I simply put my 5 digit Zipcode into the box and click enter. This tool uses 2000
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dfw: Two ActiveRain women spent the evening in my arms.... - 12/19/07 09:28 PM
Well, at least for the duration of this picture.... ( That's me in the middle ) I had the pleasure this evening to spend some time with Lorrie Semler and Karen Otto. As always, it is a pleasure to spend time with quality individuals who are committed to their segment of this wild and
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dfw: I turned down a Fraud Loan today!!! - 12/04/07 11:53 PM
Loan Officers Beware!!! The current market has the the 'Real Estate Investor' desperate. And they know most of the inside angles!!!! I get a call today from a purported 'Real Estate Investor' that I will call Suzy. We will look at that term 'investor' later. But, Suzy recently bought a property for cash 2 months
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dfw: Maverick Residential Mortgage Selected Among Top Dallas 100 Entrepreneur Award Winners - 11/27/07 02:31 PM
Maverick Residential Mortgage, Inc. was selected as 48th highest winner of the 2007 Dallas 100 Entrepreneur Awards at an impressive awards banquet Nov. 7. Executives and representatives of Maverick learned of their impressive finish at the gala held in the Morton Meyerson Symphony Center in the Arts District near downtown Dallas.Sponsored
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dfw: MORTGAGE PRO Week in Review, Nov. 19 - 25 - 11/27/07 12:26 AM
I was honored when Jeff Belonger asked me to write this review. I don't consider myself the best writer on ActiveRain but I do have opinions and a wealth of knowledge to share.... So even with my lack of writing skills I have still found my voice here on ActiveRain and am
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dfw: The other lender had a better Good Faith Estimate....... - 11/15/07 12:34 PM
That was the excuse I got today when informed that the borrower went with another loan officer to close their deal for them. Thing is..... My quote was better!!! And then we learned that the borrower made a mistake. It seems that the 12 GFEs all looked the same and mine got
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dfw: Wanna help a soldier this Veterans Day? Or for Christmas? From the boots on the ground, some ideas to bring holiday cheer to a soldier!! - 11/11/07 09:03 PM
I have read several posts here about sending Christmas cards to Walter Reed hospital. Those living here in Texas will recognize that the 2nd busiest hospital for the wounded soldiers of the gulf war is Brooks Army Medical Hospital. My main concern as a founding member of the Texas Chapter of the Coalition to Salute America's Heroes, I
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dfw: The Complete Idiots Guide to Success as a Real Estate Agent - 11/08/07 09:11 AM
Ok, now.... before you ask.... I didn't google "real estate agent + idiot" Really, I swear.... But I ran across this ebook on google and at first glance it looked like the whole book. It seems to be a 'preview' though and plenty of free pages to peruse. http://books.google.com/books?id=LyjNXtZ5PkwC&pg=PA5&lpg=PA5&dq=attractive+real+estate+agent&source=web&ots=VX1qK58aiM&sig=ebQsvpduQH9bCuyGbzWo5y4iFMU#PPP1,M1 I have never seen
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dfw: Richardson Symphony & Orchestra 2nd Annual Beaujolais Bash - 11/03/07 04:44 PM
Be one of the first to enjoy a taste of the Beaujolais Nouveau for the year!! Celebrating the end of the harvest with this year's grapes, the Beaujolais Nouveau is the first release of the new vintage, often dominated with fruity flavors and less bite. The Richardson Symphony & Orchestra will again celebrate
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dfw: Bank of America Corp. is exiting the Wholesale Mortgage Business!! - 10/25/07 05:55 PM
Announced around 2:00 Central Time today.... Bank of America is closing down their whole lending department.....Cutting 3000 jobs.... Plans to focus more on their retail division. As I was communicating with one of their wholesale reps last night and this morning, I can assure you that they didn't see this coming!!! My rep had
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dfw: Maverick Mortgage Open House.... A Big Success!! - 10/24/07 09:23 PM
Wow... what a week!! I had the highly advertised Maverick Mortgage Open House last Thursday. Basically, free food and booze. LOL I had the pleasure of seeing Baby Harris' Mommy again. Donna Harris is always fun to be around. She has a wonderful outgoing personality. But I had to resist patting her on the
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dfw: It's My Party, I'll Blog If I Want To!! ActiveRain Get-Together At DallasLoanGuy's New Office!! - 10/16/07 05:41 PM
Everone is welcome!! Please stop by for a drink or food between 4:00 - 7:00 on Thursday 10/19/2007 Maverick Residential Mortgage is having a Grand Opening / Open House for all Realtors, Title Company Representatives & other service providers(Stagers, Appraisers, ect) Come by and have a beer with the DallasLoanGuy!! Bring business cards... we
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dfw: Down Payment Assistance Programs Come Out Of The Woodwork.... Realtors Beware!! - 10/15/07 04:07 PM
I recently wrote an article about HUD closing the loophole for the Down Payment Circumvention companies that operate under the guise as a 'charity'. HUD Ends Most Down Payment Assistance Programs. These 'Faux Charities' helped many thousands of people get into a home when they didn't have the required down payment. Used
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dfw: Grand Opening / Open House. Come party with the DallasLoanGuy..... - 10/09/07 09:50 PM
SAVE THE DATE!! Maverick Residential Mortgage has a new branch office in the N. Richardson, TX area. Beer, wine, soft drinks & Hors d'Oeuvres will be served between 4:00 - 7:00 Bring a friend. Bring your whole office!! We are working on a reward for those who bring the most people. At 6:00 there
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dfw: President Bush Pushes to Relax FHA Guidelines to Help Subprime Borrowers!! - 08/31/07 06:33 AM
We have all heard that President Bush wants to remove the 3% Down Payment requirement for FHA. His next move may be to offer FHA as Subprime Mortgage Relief. The Wall Street Journal reports that the President will push to relax certain loan guidelines to allow FHA to back loans for
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dfw: Oh, did I mention? 100% financing is very much alive and well!!! - 08/15/07 12:23 PM
I am getting tons of calls from people worried about the state of the mortgage industry. The common misconception is that 100% financing is dead/gone/kaput. Uh... NOT!!! NOTHING has changed with 100% Financing for fully documented loans. We are talking about good credit conforming loans that are sold to Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac. Alt-A
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dfw: Attention Realtors in Declining Markets!!! - 08/15/07 09:01 AM
Expect lenders to scrutinize appraisals in these markets. Be prepared to see the appraiser needing additional comps and even recent listings to support value. See full press release!! https://www.efanniemae.com/sf/guides/duguides/pdf/current/rnsuppdodu57.pdf?referrer=durn While the recent credit tightening in mortgage lending has mostly been contained to the Subprime and Alt-A(low doc) markets..... Full Doc borrowers will be affected
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dfw: Mortgage Loan Fees Are Real. (really!!) - 08/14/07 09:28 PM
I can't tell you how many Good Faith Estimates(GFEs) that I have reviewed. But it is a lot!! And I am always amazed at how different people and different companies arrange their fees. Some are pretty generic and basic, like mine. Others are elaborate in their descriptions like the Loan Officer
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dfw: Help!! My ARM is adjusting, and I don't have the equity to roll in closing costs!!! - 08/03/07 10:42 AM
I have heard this one before. A borrower buys a new home with 100% financing with all of the closing costs rolled into the loan or Down Payment Assistance Programs were utilized. Now, that ARM is adjusting and they do not have the money for closing costs. Desperate times call for
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dfw: Will the 'real' NAR please stand up!!! - 07/11/07 04:43 PM
US home sales, prices to slip more this year-NAR NAR Predicts Home Price Gains in 2008 Ok... I guess NAR has it so refined that they can predict that home prices will fall for the remainder of 2007 and start to rise again in 2008. That is a little bit presumptuous, huh?!?! Can we define the
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dfw: Credit Inquiries and your FICO Score - 07/04/07 11:54 PM
I often get this question. "How many times are you going to pull my credit report?" Well, the answer to this is... as often as it takes to get my client the best possible deal!!A credit pull by a lender is considered a 'Hard Inquiry'. Which is a reporting of the borrower trying
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dfw: Making yourself accessible to your clients and prospects... Create an Impulse Trigger!!! - 07/03/07 03:57 PM
We all have cell phones and PDAs, and we have email and a contact page on our website..... But it is static. Meebo makes it more DYNAMIC!!! But what about that shy prospective home buyer who wants to ask you a question anonymously and is afraid to contact you out of fear of being
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dfw: Texas Cash Out Mortgage Loans - 07/01/07 09:50 PM
I still get the occasional call from someone wanting to cash out their mortgage to consolidate bills and they have little or no equity. Texas is unique in that they do not allow a homeowner to access their home's equity above 80% of the appraised value. That's right, Big Brother is watching
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dfw: When technology gets in the way..... - 06/10/07 12:33 PM
This is a rant.... mostly. I cannot tell you how may times I have received a contract that was not legible. Some of these are so bad, I could post an example and NOT have to edit out any personal information because you couldn't read it. These things look as though they
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dfw: When the appraiser wants to build you a 'House of Cards' PART: DEUX - 06/01/07 02:08 PM
When the appraiser wants to build you a 'House of Cards' Follow up to the story Well, it seems that calmer heads have prevailed. The borrower/buyer listened to all of the advice they had been given and decided to ditch this deal. Not really sure if they were still countering offers after the
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dfw: When the appraiser wants to build you a 'House of Cards' - 05/29/07 11:54 PM
It happened again this week.... Got an appraisal that came in $10,000 short. I wonder where this will lead?!?!?! Now, to be fair.... there was some seller paid closing costs(just under 3%). BUT..... The contract was BELOW the list price of ~ $232,000!!! Typical deal. Realtor writes up contract close to list price with
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dfw: Refinancing that Adjustable Rate Mortgage - 05/24/07 11:46 AM
When is it right for the client? Many people took advantage of lower rate Adjustable Rate Mortgages (ARMs) several yrs ago and saved thousands in interest. But now that the fixed period is coming to an end, it is time to pay the piper. But what to do? Should the Homeowner refinance?
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dfw: 100% Financing.... Why do we judge it so harshly? - 05/23/07 10:49 PM
I got a contract earlier this month. 100% financing on new construction. The preapproval was sent a while back and I had kind of forgotten about it so it was a nice surprise. And about an hour after the contract hits my fax machine, I get a courtesy call from a
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dfw: Don't Borrow Trouble.....!!! Protect yourself from 'Predatory Lenders'. - 05/21/07 09:49 PM
You've heard the stories..... Loan terms change at the last minute. You only find out at the closing table. Did you know that you can get up and walk away from the table?!?!?! YES, you can!!! Signs of Predatory Lending: ~ Pressured into borrowing more than you want.... consolidating bills unnecessarily.~ Getting technically
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dfw: What Makes A House A Home - Dallas, TX - 05/20/07 10:57 PM
Well, the KEYS..... of course!!! Call me the emotional support person of the Real Estate Transaction. I get to babysit the client after they put in a contract on a property.... and try as I might, I still have to calm the fears and jitters of those that are nervous about final
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dfw: Low credit score? Just add some trade lines from a credit repair company..... - 05/14/07 03:02 PM
........ And 'go to jail' I know all the tricks. I hear about the techniques. I know that people can read the "Fair Credit Reporting Act" or "Fair Debt Collections Practices Act" and use that info to remove some bad stuff from their credit reports. I have even seen folks get added
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dfw: Zero Down Home Loans.... Alive and Well!!! - 05/14/07 01:12 PM
I'm still doing 100% financing in the Great State of Texas!!! I got a call from a realtor on a deal we were working on together. She asked all of the usual questions about what I have done and what she could get for me to smooth this deal. Then came 'THE
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dfw: When Banks Compete, You Lose!! - 05/12/07 09:06 AM
When Banks Compete, You Lose?!?!?! Huh? How can that be? Didn't Lending Tree tell me differently? Yes they did!! And they are kind of right, banks competing for your business does help you obtain a lower rate. Borrowers should shop around, getting a quote from both a bank and a mortgage broker.
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dfw: The power of the ActiveRain Blog.... Even the competition finds me. - 05/07/07 10:27 PM
Recently, I wrote a blog about the upcoming changes in Fannie Mae Underwriting Guidelines. So, today, I get a random call from one of my competitors.... seems that they haven't heard of the changes. And after stumbling upon my prominently Google Juiced blogs... they couldn't resist calling me. They had gone all
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dfw: Builders tieing 'incentives' to the transaction, of using their mortgage company - 04/26/07 01:15 PM
While this is a shady business tactic.... it isn't illegal YET!!! I received an email saying this was being voted on May 2007. You need to be heard so please contact Texas Legislature. The bill states it takes effect Sept 2007.....so hurry. If you do not know who to write or how
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dfw: Why An AVerage Of Only 11% Of Past Clients Return - 04/04/07 02:57 PM
In this competitive business of mortgage lending, relationship marketing is the most effective method to grow and maintain your business. Shockingly statistics show that 93% of purchasers are satisfied with the professional they used. However, only 11% return and buy from them again. Why? It's because they don't remember their name.Staying
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dfw: 7 Essential Wordpress Hacks - Including: Squeezing more 'Google Juice' out of your blog!! - 03/23/07 12:03 PM
Easy tutorial for adding plugins to Crank up the Google Juice. http://www.tubetorial.com/7-essential-wordpress-hacks/ In a matter of minutes, you can reformat how your pages are viewed... by tweaking your permalinks. Increase/encourage comments.... and block that annoying spam. Now, for a blogging newbie like me.... If I can do it..... so can you!!!! From their webpage: There's no doubt
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dfw: A lot has been said about the Subprime market implosion... What about the other programs? - 03/15/07 02:36 PM
http://lenderimplode.com/is tracking the 'who's still standing' amongst sub-prime lenders The Alt-A market is feeling some of the same pressures.... Loan guidelines are changing daily..... so much so that it is hard to keep up with what can and cannot be done. The good news is.... the 'Full-Doc' loans are ok... the people who
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dfw: How should Real Estate Agents respond to the recent tightening of Subprime loan programs? - 03/05/07 11:18 AM
We have seen the writing on the wall. Now, the hammer has dropped. Many subprime lenders tightening up their loan guidelines and 100% financing for subprime borrowers is getting harder to find. How should Real Estate agents respond? 1. Align yourself with loan officers who have access to FHA/My Community loans. 2. Ask
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dfw: Want that house? DO NOT pay off that old collection!!!!! - 02/23/07 11:37 AM
I burst their bubble today. That couple who took some bad advice from another loan officer last year and started paying off all of those little bills from 5 yrs ago..... well, they did it..... they got it all paid off!!!! And their credit looks like a train wreck. Their scores dropped
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dfw: Texas title insurers told to slash rates again - 01/23/07 02:56 PM
State regulators have again gone to the title companies and demanded a reduction in rates. You see... It seems that title companies(or rather their insurance companies) pay out such a low percentage of their premiums in claims that the govenment felt that they should step in and make a change.... again!! I
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dfw: Pet peeves: Short closing dates... - 01/16/07 03:44 PM
I just got off the phone with a realtor..... MUST close by the 31st!!!!!! Uh, do we have a contract? "No."Do we have a survey? "They don't know"Are we going to have an inspection? "I think so."When is the option period up? "8 days(gives me 7 days)" Yet another example of "Don't be
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dfw: How much does credit repair cost? - 01/11/07 10:12 AM
Well, if you can afford it.... then it probably isn't worth the price!!! The credit bureaus have stated that the only thing you can do to 'repair' your credit is pay your bills on time and wait.... and wait.... and wait. Well, they are partially right. There are some things you can do
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dfw: New Legislation regarding tax deductibility of Borrower Paid Mortgage Insurance - 01/05/07 09:35 AM
01/03/07 When is the effective date of this legislation? January 1,2007. Does this legislation apply to purchases, refinances and rehabilitation loans?We do not have a clear answer to this question at this time. Yes, to purchases, but maybe on refinances and rehabilitation loans. Check with a tax advisor. Will this legislation impact conventional and
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dfw: So I get a call from this salesman..... again!! - 01/02/07 03:44 PM
Seems that my free trial to their online publication has come to an end. And lucky me, they have a discount going on right now.... imagine that!!! I kindly explain to the gentleman that I get so many free trade rags and free access to so much free online data, that I
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dfw: How long has it been since your last tune-up? - 12/29/06 11:41 AM
Credit tune up, that is. And, how long before home shopping do you wait to apply for a loan. A big mistake made by a lot of buyers is to not get a pre-approval LONG before they start looking for a home. Now, not all programs are score driven, but scores do count in
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dfw: Up front fees in the real estate biz? - 12/21/06 11:59 AM
What the heck? I have been running across more and more stories about buyers/borrowers being charged upfront for services. I can't believe people get away with it. Recently, I had a question from someone wanting to get preapproved for a loan.... she even found a house already.... and the loan officer she contacted first asked
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dfw: Stated Income loans harder to come by? - 12/20/06 02:36 PM
Called the "Liar's Loan" by some in the industry.... Stating your income is a convenient way to get the benefit of all the income you actually earn, even if it is hard to document. And, contrary to popular belief.... this should also be the figure you give to the IRS. Speaking of
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dfw: Financial education should be a required college subject - 12/17/06 08:07 AM
Bryant's blog reminded me of something that I have been saying for years. http://activerain.com/blogsview/27122/Your-home-is-your Bryant talked about how people are using their homes as a cash machine. How they do not realize that consolidating debt can be dangerous when you eat up all of the equity in your home. For years, I have been
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dfw: Easments? What is that line on my property? - 12/16/06 09:19 AM
I was sitting in a Title Company's office out west of Fort Worth, Texas. I usually do not travel that far for a closing.... but this guy really wanted me there. Anyway, the client was a city slicker, 100%. And west Ft Worth is FAR FROM the city life. Time to show the
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dfw: Your lender is a reflection of YOU!!! Who are you Realtors sending your business to? - 12/08/06 01:37 PM
Since you Realtors already know this fact..... let's cut to the chase. I recently got a lady pre-approved for a loan that I didn't know about 2 yrs ago. My borrower was pre-approved by another lender. She was quoted almost 8% on 20% down loan(with a 3yr prepay penalty). Why? Well, she had
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dfw: Mortgage Loan Documentation Types - 12/08/06 12:06 PM
Over the past couple months I've had borrowers ask for certain documentation types later to find out that's not really what they are seeking after all, the most common variation I've seen is people looking for no doc loans when they should be looking for some variation of stated income or no ratio loan.To
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dfw: Whoaaaaaaa Nelly!!! Are we in a Refi Boom?!?! - 12/07/06 10:58 AM
http://www.mortgagenewsdaily.com/1262006_Interest_Rates.asp Refi's have been 50.1% of all loan originations. This is certainly a result of low interest rates. But the kicker is all of those people just now realizing that they have an opportunity to get out of those exotic mortgages they got into a while back. Home equity loans shoud be up
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dfw: Don't be 'that Realtor'....... A Real Estate Appraisal story. - 11/28/06 02:55 PM
I recently had an appraisal come in low on a property. Loan was pretty much done. Missing appraisal and verbal verif of emloyment and it was set to close. Than..... BAMMM!!!! Appraisal came in over $8K short! DOH! 8/200 = 4% <== NOT a nominal amount. I had the unfortunate task to tell
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dfw: Helping the less fortunate over the holidays. - 11/28/06 11:07 AM
I am a founding member of a local charity group that was adopted by 'The Coalition to Salute America's Heroes' http://www.saluteheroestexas.org/ http://www.saluteheroes.org/ I recently have gotten a request that falls a little outside of our expertise.... and would like to see if anyone can help. Our mission is to support the injured soldiers coming back
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dfw: Who's driving the bus? - 11/24/06 12:42 PM
So... there is a real estate transaction happening.... who is running the show(who's driving the bus)? A good realtor knows when to let go....... I recently had a transaction go awry.... borrower left out some pertinent information so my approval went south. I had to change loan programs at the last minute(which means
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dfw: The dangers of Credit Repair..... Lenders take note. - 11/22/06 07:48 PM
Prosecutor: Well, Mr Lender. I see that you do a pretty good deal of Fannie Mae backed loans. Lender: Uh-huh Prosecutor: We audited the Smith's credit report on their recent purchase transaction. That IS your signature on the 1003, right? Lender: Uh-huh Prosecutor: Did you know that they didn't pay their American Express bill..... to the tune
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