Some clarification from HUD regarding Good Faith Estimates (GFEs) and use of Worksheets to show settlement charges - 06/30/10 06:28 PM
Some clarification was realeased in June from HUD regarding Good Faith Estimates (GFEs) and so called worksheets that show total settlement charges for purcahsing a home.
Over the past 6 months many lenders have been creating so called "worksheets" or "estimates of settlement charges" to help show borrowers what the total costs of their home purchase or refinance would be.  Lenders are not allowed to lead borrowers to believe these worksheets are a "Good Faith Estimate" and this has led to some confusion about when lenders are allowed to issue these worksheet documents and the uses of the standardized Good Faith Estimate … (0 comments)

Google voice for everyone!! - 06/22/10 11:37 PM
In a blog post earlier today Google announced that Google Voice is now open to everyone (US residents only) - no invite required!
"We introduced one number to ring all your phones, voicemail that works like email, free calls and text messages to the U.S. and Canada, low-priced international calls and more—the only catch was you had to request and receive an invite to try it out. Today, after lots of testing and tweaking, we’re excited to open up Google Voice to the public, no invitation required."
This is great news as for a while google was only allowing other people … (3 comments)

Maryland, the District of Columbia, and Virginia are all recourse or deficiency states - 06/22/10 06:16 PM
With many homeowners left with no other option besides a short sale or a foreclosure something to watch out for is what is called a deficiency judgment.  These allow the bank to go after the borrower(s) for the difference between what the property sold for compared to the amount owed on the balance. 
This can often happen after borrowers have begun to re-establish themselves.
   The key point to understand when going through a short sale or deed in lieu is that lenders may release borrower(s) from the title without releasing borrowers from their obligations to pay under their note.  If you … (0 comments)

Realtor.com beta site greatly improves searching for homes in the US - 06/21/10 03:41 PM
Realtor.com recently released a beta site that provides much needed improvements in the ever evolving landscape for online real estate shopping.  
The most notable improvement being a home search map interface:

On the map they offer a few unique features that I haven't seen anywhere else - a heatmap feature - that shows shading based on home price, median income, and estimated values.

A couple other improvements include searching recently sold properties and updated real estate agent search features. 
Realtor.com is not like a lot of the other home search websites as it is linked to over 800 MLS systems … (0 comments)

RESPA Interpretation - Should builders be allowed to give incentives for using their preferred financing? - 06/18/10 09:34 AM
With new construction picking up in Potomac, MD. Should builders be allowed to give incentives for using their recommended or affiliated lender?  
Often when purchasing a newly built home builders offer discounts, rebates, closing costs, or upgrades, only if the purchaser agrees to use the builder’s mortgage lender. 
While it is understandable that a builder would want to refer customers to reputable lender(s) they know and trust, enticing customers with large incentives to use a certain lender may be considered a borderline violation of RESPA.  It becomes even more controversial when the recommended lender charges higher than market rates and … (0 comments)

House Passes FHA Reform Bill Authorizing Higher Premiums - 06/11/10 11:05 AM
In a vote of 406 to 4 on Thursday June 10th the house passed the FHA Reform Act (H.R. 5072) enables the agency to reform its current mortgage insurance premium structure by shifting some of the upfront cost to the annual premium. 

In summary, this bill allows the borrower's annual premium cap from its current level at .55% annually to as high as 1.50% (nearly tripling the current premium).  While this is bad, it is what is required to keep FHA afloat as it has been badly hurt by a string of defaults. 
The lawmakers rejected the idea of requiring … (1 comments)

How to dispute and appeal your assessed property tax value in Maryland - 06/09/10 06:26 PM
If you feel that your Maryland assessed property tax value is wrong, it really isn't that hard to make an appeal and get your tax assessment lowered. 
It does take a little bit of time and effort, so you need to consider how much you feel you can get your value lowered by before committing.  The benefit once it is lowered combined with the Maryland homestead tax credit is that your new assessed tax bill can only increase by 10% or less each year (for principal residences), so your wallet will see the fruits of your labor as long as the property … (1 comments)

Do you know what mortgage rates will be tomorrow? Tough question in a volatile market! - 06/07/10 08:16 AM
 
Probably the most frequently asked question I get is, “Do you know where rates will be tomorrow?”  This is one of the hardest questions to answer in today’s volatile market.  In general, I don’t think it is worth the risk of gambling (“playing the market”) with your future home. 

It is difficult and truthfully impossible to predict the future (if it were possible we could have avoided the devastating gulf oil spill).  I think come today’s rate sheets mortgage rates will have surpassed the recent 50-year all time lows.  Mortgage rates move up much faster than they move down... when … (1 comments)

Now is the time to refinance!!! - 06/05/10 10:31 AM
Mortgage rates have reached at or near all-time 50 year historic lows!  I am working all weekend on refinances.  We can offer you a no cost refinance today with rates in the upper 4%'s!  Depending on your credit, equity in the property etc, we can refinance you at no cost and nothing added onto your principal balance.  If your rate is anywhere near or above 5.125% it is a no-brainer to think about a refinance today!
The first step to see if a refinance would be possible is to call me and I can take a free application / consultation over the … (2 comments)

The best way to search for homes for sale in Maryland DC and Northern Virginia - 06/02/10 06:25 PM
**Disclaimer: If you are searching for homes for sale anywhere in Maryland, DC, or Northern Virginia - the very best way to find listings is to contact a local real estate agent.  If you do not have any you know, contact me and I can recommend one to you. 
In Maryland, DC, and Northern Virginia there is an awesome MLS website that allows some of the best and most up-to-date home search options.  I like it due to its ease of use, integration with a map, functional search criteria, sorting options, and email updates. 
Enough with the suspense!  The site is called … (0 comments)

 
Nick6 Rainmaker_large

Nick Pakulla Mortgage Lender Loan Officer in MD DC VA

Rockville, MD

More about me…

First Place Bank Maryland, Virginia, District of Columbia

Address: First Place Bank, 15400 Calhoun Drive #170, Rockville, MD, 20855

Office Phone: (301) 585-7283

Email Me

Loan Officer with First Place Bank in Rockville Maryland. FHA, 80-10-10, VA, Conforming, Jumbo, Refinances, a group of local approved appraisers (no 3rd party appraisal system), In-House Processing and Underwriting. Servicing Maryland, DC, and Virginia.



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