home loan: S.M.A.R.T. Approach to Achieving Your Goals
- 06/01/07 12:43 AM
Specific Define your eventual success. Create vivid, detailed, clear written descriptions, so you know exactly where you are headed. Do you want to own waterfront property or acreage in a location of your choice? Do you want your real estate to generate income? If so, how much? Continually, keep your goals "top of mind" by displaying and carrying key words written on small cards, but don't share all the details until your goal is achieved. Measurable Breakdown the goal into doable steps. Know how you will benefit from each. How many real estate properties, each with its own reasonable amount of … (3 comments)
home loan: Reverse Mortgages: Financing the Golden Years
- 05/27/07 01:11 AM
Until recently, seniors 62 years of age and older have not had the best choices when it came to getting cash from their homes. Traditional home loans only offered the option of either selling one's house or borrowing against its equity. With reverse mortgages coming on the scene, seniors now have some additional cash-flow alternatives. This type of loan allows mature borrowers to convert their home equity into tax-free income without leaving their current home or making mortgage payments - and they do not need an existing income to qualify. How a Reverse Mortgage WorksReverse mortgages are probably best understood when … (0 comments)
home loan: Buying A Primary Home
- 05/22/07 12:47 AM
There are many pitfalls you can avoid when you are in the market to buy a new home. Here are just a few tips and strategies to help you prepare for success: Know your credit score! You may be able to get a better mortgage rate and more favorable loan terms by restructuring some of your balances on credit cards, car loans, etc. The Caylor Mortgage Planning Team can help you correct errors on your credit report and determine which balances to restructure or pay off in order to improve your credit score. Know how much you can spend and determine how … (1 comments)
home loan: Twenty Terms You Must Know and Understand Before You Sign Off On Your Mortgage!
- 05/19/07 12:40 AM
Buying a home is a major achievement in most everyone's life. Pride of ownership, tax breaks, equity and the ability to increase your wealth and net worth are just a few of the many benefits you'll enjoy with your new home. Your home purchase may also be one of the largest you will ever make. During the emotional excitement of buying a home, you may encounter terms with which you are unfamiliar. For some, it can be a bit embarrassing to ask what they consider too many questions. Others may make a note of their questions but simply forget to revisit … (0 comments)
home loan: Home Improvements Turn Average Homes into Dreams Come True
- 05/09/07 10:58 PM
If you're thinking about taking out a home improvement loan, there are several options to consider. First and foremost, your mortgage professional needs to know why you want a home improvement loan. Here are some factors to take into consideration. •· How long have you been in the home? •· Will the improvements increase the property value? •· Are you making improvements to increase energy efficiency? •· Will improvements be made in one fell swoop, or in stages? •· What is the current outstanding balance on your mortgage? •· What is the appraised value of the home? •· How much will the improvements cost? •· What improvements will be … (0 comments)
home loan: Is a 30-Year Fixed Mortgage the Best Type of Mortgage?
- 05/08/07 01:25 AM
With interest rates still near 40-year lows, is a 30- year, fixed-rate mortgage the right choice? While the mass media's response is usually yes, my reply is NO. Today's market is much different than the market and lifestyle of the previous generation. That generation typically had one job, one pension, one house and one mortgage. That lifestyle no longer holds true today. Pension plans seem to be a thing of the past unless you are employed in the airline industry and many of the public services agencies. Most Americans will hold five or more jobs throughout their careers. As far as … (0 comments)
home loan: The Mortgage Planning Process
- 05/06/07 11:55 PM
The mortgage planning process is different than the typical "shopping for a mortgage" experience. The mortgage planning relationship is not about you: Wasting your valuable time trying to save $25/month by comparing rates, fees and closing costs among different lenders. Wasting your valuable time trying to baby-sit the mortgage company you've reluctantly chosen to work with. Being promised one thing and then getting something different at closing. Being "sold" on one mortgage product over another. The mortgage planning relationship is about you: Receiving valuable financial advice and guidance that can literally save you hundreds of thousands of dollars. Trusting a professional … (0 comments)
home loan: Are You Using Your Voicemail Effectively?
- 05/06/07 11:42 PM
Have you ever stopped to consider how many times a new prospect gets your voicemail before they have a chance to speak directly with you? Your voicemail greeting provides an excellent opportunity to create a first impression that can have an enormous impact on whether people decide to use your services. It can also be used as a dynamic marketing tool. If the first time you called a CPA, Financial Planner, or Real Estate Agent, you heard a voicemail greeting that was energetic, educational and professional, wouldn't that set the proper tone for the rest of the relationship? Very few people take … (10 comments)
home loan: Finding Our Niche- What it Takes to Get Ahead of the Competition
- 04/17/07 11:35 PM
Very few of us have the luxury of being the only professional in our marketplace offering our particular service. Competition is constantly at our heels, hoping to catapult one step ahead of us. For this reason, we must continually strive to differentiate ourselves from any competition we may have. Dan Sullivan, President of The Strategic Coach Inc. and co-author of The Great Crossover, provides a solution. According to Sullivan, if you wish to remain in the upper echelon of your profession you must "...disregard your own commodity and focus on deepening the power and possibility of all your relationships." This means that no … (3 comments)
home loan: Annual Percentage Rate- What is the Real Cost of Financing?
- 04/17/07 11:05 PM
Annual Percentage Rate (APR) is a tool that consumers can use as a starting point to compare loan programs. However, it's important to keep in mind that APR is not a perfect system, and not all lenders calculate APR in the same way. While the Federal Truth-in-Lending Act does require any mortgage broker or lender to disclose APR to the consumer, there is no rule written in stone for calculating this number that each and every lender agrees upon. The point of calculating APR is to let the consumer know what the actual cost of their financing is in the form of … (0 comments)
home loan: Building A Referral Network- How to Reach Out to Those Around You
- 04/17/07 04:09 PM
Everyone has heard the expression, "It's not what you know but who you know." Of course this isn't entirely true, but having a successful referral network can lead to a significant increase in satisfied clients with minimal effort on your part. Have you ever gone into a large home improvement store, trying to find a certain item, only to come face-to-face with a wall of similar products? It can be overwhelming. Imagine if you had an expert right there to tell you what you need to know. Now imagine a team of experts throughout the store, all ready to assist you. … (3 comments)
home loan: A Lesson From A Gazelle and Lion
- 04/17/07 01:42 AM
Every day in Africa a gazelle wakes up. It knows that it must run faster than the fastest lion, or it will be killed.
Every morning a lion wakes up. It knows that it must outrun the slowest gazelle, or it will starve to death.
It doesn't matter whether you are a lion or a gazelle. When the sun comes up, you'd better be running. Opportunities present themselves every day. If you are a runner (a go-getter), you stand a good chance of capitalizing on them. If you are a walker or a sitter (passive), you will probably not react quickly enough and the … (5 comments)
home loan: Winners vs Losers
- 04/16/07 12:17 AM
Winners vs Losers A winner is always part of the answer. A loser is always part of the problem. A winner always has a plan. A loser always has an excuse. A winner says: "Let me do it for you."A loser says: "That is not my job." A winner sees an answer for any problem. A loser sees a problem for any answer. A winner sees a green near every sandtrap.A loser sees two sandtraps near every green. A winner says: "It may be difficult but it's possible."A loser says: "It may be possible but it's too difficult." … (4 comments)
home loan: Renters Have Much to Gain by Pursuing Home Ownership
- 04/11/07 02:28 PM
Buying a home vs. renting is a big decision that takes careful consideration, as most mortgage planners will agree. But the rewards of home ownership are great. For many years, purchasing real estate has been considered an extremely profitable investment. It is an achievement that offers a sense of pride, financial stability and potential tax advantages. Yes, there are certain responsibilities associated with owning a home. Landlords will often argue the benefits of renting, and for obvious reason. If you are renting, you're helping them make their mortgage payment. The numbers are staggering if you look at it this way. If you … (0 comments)
home loan: Refinance Your Mortgage for Rate and Payment Reductions
- 04/05/07 11:54 PM
One of the biggest reasons homeowners refinance their mortgage is to obtain a lower interest rate and lower monthly payments. By refinancing, the borrower pays off their existing mortgage and replaces it with a new one. This can often be accomplished with a no-points no-fees loan program, which essentially means at "no cost" to the borrower. In the no-points no-fees scenario, the mortgage planner uses rebate monies paid by the lender to pay off non-recurring closing costs for the borrower. These are "one time" fees such as escrow or attorney fees, title insurance, document preparation, tax service, flood certification, processing and underwriting … (0 comments)
home loan: Getting the Best Interest Rate on Your Home Loan?
- 04/03/07 08:27 PM
Consumers interested in purchasing or refinancing a home will pay an interest rate based on current market conditions and their ability to pay back the loan. The borrower's income and debt ratios are taken into consideration by the lender, as well as the predictability factor provided by credit scoring. It's important to have a mortgage planner in your corner that has a keen eye for solutions to improving credit scores in an effort to get the best interest rate possible. Interest rates associated with various loan programs are broken down into schedules based on credit score ratings. While each lender has … (0 comments)
home loan: Should You Leverage Your Home or Pay It Down Rapidly?
- 04/03/07 01:33 AM
There is a great debate within the inner-mortgage circles these days. Should we, as loan professionals, encourage clients to borrow as much money as possible? Or would consumers benefit more if we helped them to understand the advantages of 15-year amortization schedules and pre-paying principal? Let's examine the pros and cons of both strategies. Leveraging Your Property. In order to understand why you'd want to borrow as much as possible for your home purchase, you must first grasp the concept that equity has a zero rate of return. Here's an example: If Consumer "A" buys a home for $300,000, and puts 20% down, … (1 comments)
home loan: Home Buyers Face Decisions That Affect Their Long-Term Financial Picture
- 04/01/07 10:09 PM
Taking the step into home ownership is one of the most important financial decisions a person will make in their lifetime. There are many factors to consider when embarking on this venture. Literally hundreds of loan programs are available, and it is important to find the one that best fits your personal long-term goals. First and foremost, you must have a mortgage planner in your corner that is willing to take the time to know what your long-term goals are. Communication is the key factor here. Curious prospective home buyers sometimes turn to Internet-based services just to see what current interest rates … (0 comments)
home loan: What To Ask When Shopping For A Mortgage
- 04/01/07 02:37 AM
Research is an important component of any large transaction. I'm sure you'll agree that a home mortgage is one of, if not the largest financial investment a person will make in their lifetime. I'm sure you'll also agree that given the importance of this investment you would want an industry professional that, quite frankly, knows their industry! With that in mind here are a few questions to ask a potential mortgage professional to assure yourself that they indeed have a handle on their industry and, directly, your best interests. What are interest rates based on? Mortgage interest rates are based on the … (6 comments)
Specific Define your eventual success. Create vivid, detailed, clear written descriptions, so you know exactly where you are headed. Do you want to own waterfront property or acreage in a location of your choice? Do you want your real estate to generate income? If so, how much? Continually, keep your goals "top of mind" by displaying and carrying key words written on small cards, but don't share all the details until your goal is achieved. ;)
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