oregon: More Great Tax Credits for Southern Oregon Homeowners Making Energy Efficient Improvements
- 02/25/09 03:12 AM
The recently passed 2009 stimulus packages included some good news for homeowners who have been considering making improvements to their homes to increase their home's energy efficiency. Homeowners who are replacing their windows with those that exceed Energy Star requirements, having a U factor of .30 or better (the lower the number, the better the energy efficiency). Do you think $1,500 would help make this energy efficient improvement to your home in Southern Oregon? Check in to this, because depending on where you are located in Southern Oregon, such as in Ashland, there may be additional credits available to you to help … (0 comments)
oregon: Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac Up The Ante For Jackson County Oregon
- 02/23/09 07:02 AM
In this game of a mortgage industry we seem to be playing, a change in "da rules" was announced today by the Federal Housing Finance Agency. Jackson County Oregon is deemed to be a "high cost area", and so has had the loan limit raised back to what it was just last year...$422,500. Translated in to laymen's terms? You may be a "saleable loan" to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, paying Agency High Balance pricing versus Non-Conforming pricing if your home loan in Southern Oregon/Jackson County is between $417,001 and $422,500 on your single family residence. Below $417,000, you have a … (0 comments)
oregon: Here Today, Gone On Friday? How Is YOUR Bank Doing?
- 02/21/09 10:20 AM
There's a lot of talk these days about the nationalization of U.S. banks, how good credit unions may be a safer place to park our money these days, and the "Texas Ratio" which calculates the likelihood of a bank's failure. The Texas Ratio is a ratio that was developed by Gerald Cassidy and many other analysts now at RBC Capital Markets that they formulated during the Texas Savings and Loan crises back in the early 1990s. It takes a bank's non-performing assets and loans which include loans that are delinquent for more than 90 days, then divides this number by the … (2 comments)
Karen Cooper - Mortgage Consultant - www.Quality4Loans.com Providing high Quality, Professional, Ethical service to Oregon and California home buyers and owners since 1983. Whether you are taking out your first home loan or your fiftieth, for your home, your second home or for investment, put my knowledge and expertise to work for you. … (2 comments)
oregon: One Step Forward, Two Steps Back
- 02/17/09 12:50 PM
Having been in the real estate/finance industry since 1983, I've ridden many waves over the years in the mortgage industry. With interest rates on fixed rate loans in the high teens when I entered the lending world, adjustable rate mortgages were becoming the "new thing", from the Graduated Payment Mortgage loan not so fondly dubbed the "Fungus Loan" due to its ever expanding loan balance in spite of the monthly payments being made to the early versions of the "Option ARM" loans offered by Home Savings of America, Great Western Bank and World Savings & Loan. One of the things I've … (8 comments)
oregon: Are We Using Band Aids On An Amputee Patient?
- 02/06/09 07:28 AM
Do you know one of the things that I love most about living in Southern Oregon, and having businesses tied to the housing industry, like my home loan mortgage brokerage and the window & door store my husband operates here in Ashland Oregon? It's that not only has our quality of life improved so that we may take the time to enjoy where we live and work, but it's that we can take the time to be involved in our community. We can even write letters to our House and Senate representatives - AND expect a response!
Do you communicate … (6 comments)
oregon: Is 4.50% The Mortgage Interest Rate You Are Looking For To Help You Buy Your First Home?
- 02/04/09 06:33 AM
During follow up calls with existing clients last year, several of them mentioned that they had friends and relatives they are referring to me that were holding off until after the first of the year and/or the new president took office before venturing in to the waters to purchase a home. There were rumblings at that time that home loan interest rates might drop to 4.50%. Well, they did touch those levels for many qualified borrowers, creating a mini refinance boom for those homeowners with high credit scores, verifiable income/ assets they could qualify with, and strong equity positions in their … (0 comments)
oregon: Great Loan Option For Owner Occupied Buyers Purchasing Homes Needing Repairs
- 01/30/09 11:03 AM
Oregon Home Buyers and Real Estate Brokers, here's a tool you might put in your home buying chest. Did you know that if the property being purchased is an eligible property on the USDA Guaranteed Rural Housing loan program: •a) Not only are some lenders able to fund these loans right now even though allocation has been depleted; but •b) You may be allowed to purchase a home that needs repairs of up to $10,000 and still proceed and close your transaction? If the home being purchased by an eligible buyer is a short sale or foreclosure, this can be a … (3 comments)
oregon: Bye Bye 4.50% Mortgage Rates! 5.50% Here We Come?
- 01/29/09 09:30 AM
If other mortgage companies have been anything like mine, it's been a pretty busy time these past 4-5 weeks! When the 30 year conforming fixed rates being locked in hit the mid-high 4's, the phones lit up like I haven't seen in a while.
Well, they are still lighting up, with homeowners and investors trying to catch the tail end of this dip in mortgage interest rates before they are gone. Already, I've seen a 3/8% increase in the rates for most of these fixed rate loan programs over the past week. The USDA Guaranteed Rural Housing program eligible buyers … (0 comments)
oregon: Oregon Realtors®, Did Your USDA Lender Pull The Plug On Your Buyer’s Loan?
- 01/29/09 03:12 AM
Are you an Oregon Real Estate Broker whose buyer's financing has been affected by recent notifications that funding has been depleted for the 2009 allocation for the USDA Guaranteed Rural Housing program? Did you know that although many banks are just not funding these loans and waiting until funding is reallocated by Congress, there are still lenders who are continuing to just fund and close these loans without delay? They understand that this happens regularly, and funding will be reallocated eventually and they just keep closing these loans, doing business as usual. Don't delay the closing of your escrow unnecessarily! You … (0 comments)
oregon: Oregon Home Buyers, Did You Know There Is STILL 100% Financing Available?
- 01/29/09 03:00 AM
Are you an Oregon home buyer thinking that you need to come up with a large down payment in order to purchase a home? You pay your bills on time, have a little bit of savings set aside, feel pretty secure in your job and are tired of renting? You are looking at the amazing prices available on homes in Southern Oregon, and are beginning to realize you just might be able to own a home for what you are paying in rent? Have you heard of the USDA Guaranteed Rural Housing program? Here are some of its key features: 102% … (0 comments)
oregon: Yes, USDA Guaranteed Rural Development Loans Can STILL Be Funded in 2009!
- 01/07/09 08:21 AM
A notification came out this week about the USDA Rural Development program having received such overwhelming attention lately, they are already almost out of funds only a week in to 2009, and expect to have these funds depleted before the end of this week. First response was "Oh Bummer!... this will prevent Joe, Sally, Fred Borrowers from being able to buy the homes they are in negotiations on in Southern Oregon and California", as this program has been a great tool for the first time home buyer with no down payment, but it turns out that is not the case. Thank goodness, … (6 comments)
oregon: Need A Higher Loan Amount Than 2009 Conforming Loan Limit for Southern Oregon Allows?
- 12/23/08 10:02 AM
For a while in 2008, high dollar home purchasers and homeowners in Southern Oregon had a window of opportunity to get reasonable pricing if the loan amount they wanted was higher than $417,000, placing them in the "non-conforming Jumbo" loan category. Party's over folks. We're back to $417,000 as the maximum conforming loan limit for our area. The Agency High Balance Loan Limits will not be available to us here in Jackson and Josephine County like they are in high cost areas of California and other states that may go as high as $625,500 for a single family residence. But, good … (0 comments)
oregon: Rogue Valley Youth Choruses Bring Down The House
- 12/06/08 05:16 PM
The Holiday Spirit is in the air here in Southern Oregon, bringing with it the winter performance of the Rogue Valley Youth Choruses. What an amazing effort is made not only by these glorious singers, but the Directors, Rehearsal Assistants and Accompanists that all come together to produce this lovely event we get to experience at least twice a year.
Almost 200 strong now, the Rogue Valley Youth Choruses are made up 4 smaller choruses:
The Discovery Chorus, which contains our ambitious 3rdgraders from throughout the Rogue Valley, directed by Sandy Roney
… (2 comments)
oregon: Have You Experienced Oregon’s Harris State Beach?
- 11/24/08 08:50 AM
If you are seeking solace in an incredibly gorgeous surrounding, Harris State Beach just north of Brookings Oregon is the place for you. Harris Beach is just a little over 2 hours from Medford Oregon, yet it is a world away.
Do you like to explore Tide Pools?
Hike through the forests bordering the ocean?
Walk along the beach?
Watch the sunset over the Pacific Ocean?
My family loves this quiet, well groomed campground with beautiful spaces arranged to gain the most privacy for each one - enough to break … (12 comments)
oregon: Calling all Rogue Valley Carolers, the Ashland Holiday Carolers Need YOU
- 11/21/08 06:49 AM
I attended the Ashland Oregon Greeters meeting this morning, kindly hosted byRick Harris and Krista Bolf, owners of Coldwell Banker ProWest in Ashland Oregon. We were given a treat to open up the holiday spirit by two of the Ashland Holiday Carolers. This group is recruiting singers who would like to volunteer to sing on the weekends during this holiday season, strolling through downtown Ashland sharing joy with us all. Look for them while doing your holiday shopping at the many wonderful Ashland shops or dining at the fantastic restaurants here. They'll be Singing in the Plaza from 6-9p.m. following the Festival of … (2 comments)
oregon: May God Bless The Truscott Family
- 11/14/08 09:18 AM
A dear friend of ours passed away last night. Dean Truscott, the broker who played such an important role in the changes in my family's lives that led us to Southern Oregon in 2004, succumbed to his valiant battle with the terminal lung cancer he was diagnosed with in April 2008.
Dean Truscott moved quickly from professional representative to us to friend. He and his wife Susie became like family to us, two of the most welcoming, caring people I have ever met. They stepped in and filled a gap myself, my husband and our youngest child all had … (2 comments)
oregon: Rogue Valley Home Sellers, Are You Looking At Plan B To Sell/Buy Your Southern Oregon Home? (Part 1 of 5)
- 11/07/08 04:49 AM
What happens when you've decided to move up, taking advantage of the many buying opportunities you are seeing in today's real estate market? You see the home that is just perfect for you - larger/ smaller, newer/upgraded, your ideal neighborhood, closer to work, more/less property, the pool you've always wanted, decorated as though the interior designer was inside your head, a view to die for? You put your home on the market, but the buyers just aren't getting off the fence to buy your home. Your home is always presented in its best light for when its buyer walks through the … (0 comments)
oregon: 2009 Conforming Loan Limits Are Changing
- 11/07/08 04:37 AM
In order to help stimulate sluggishness in the high cost real estate markets, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac had increased their loan limits for the second ½ of 2007 and for 2008 to $729,750. Based on declining values, they are adjusting these limits downward accordingly.
The new * Agency High Balance max conforming loan limit for the continental U.S. will be $625,500 for 2009
Here in Southern Oregon, this loan limit will cover most of our properties, as our medians are well below this limit. But, our neighbors to the South in the high-cost markets of California may still … (2 comments)
oregon: Can Eagle Point Oregon Buyers Still Find 100% Financing?
- 11/03/08 05:13 AM
Can a home buyer looking to purchase a home in Eagle Point Oregon still find 100% financing? You bet! The variety of program options we have had available to us in the past are not as prevalent, but there are options available, such as the Federal VA Home Loan program for eligible Veterans and the USDA Guaranteed Rural Housing program. These are not subprime mortgages; rather they are long standing programs that buyers' mortgage consultants just haven't told them much about for the past several years. Let's take a look at how a buyer looking to purchase a home in Eagle Point … (2 comments)
Loving the challenge of a career in mortgage|real estate since 1983, keeping up with the progression of changes in this industry keeps one on their toes. What doesn't kill us makes us stronger, right? Here's to a few more decades of strength building!
The recently passed 2009 stimulus packages included some good news for homeowners who have been considering making improvements to their homes to increase their home's energy efficiency. Homeowners who are replacing their windows with those that exceed Energy Star requirements, having a U factor of .30 or better (the lower the number, the better the energy efficiency). Do you think $1,500 would help make this energy efficient improvement to your home in Southern Oregon? Check in to this, because depending on where you are located in Southern Oregon, such as in Ashland, there may be additional credits available to you to help … (0 comments)
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