What Type Of Mortgage You Should Get To Avoid Foreclosure

June 2, 2008

Unlike the last generation, there are a number of influences that can go into your mortgage payment. These different factors have contributed to some homeowners losing their property entirely. When some of these influences catch the homeowner unaware, they can translate into foreclosure and bankruptcy.

The biggest warning that financial investors give to homeowners now days is to avoid biting off more house than your financial future can swallow. After all, there is more in your future than just a mortgage payment. It’s time to plan wisely.

In the past generation, there was typically only one income supporting the bills and mortgage payment. When one spouse lost a job, the other one could quickly get a new job to help support the family. This generation, however, has built their mortgage payments on the idea of a two income family. Therefore, when one spouse loses their job, the family as a whole can quickly spiral into financial chaos and disaster. Planning for a more conservative mortgage payment at the closing can help to shield the family should a job loss happen.

How can you determine if you have too much house? Most financial advisors suggest that you make your mortgage payment no more than 28 percent of your total income. By following these rules, you are more likely to keep your home and be on time with your home payments.

In addition to keeping your home mortgage payments within 28 percent of your income, you will need to analyze the rest of your financial obligations in future years. For example, will you need to save for kids college funds? How much will you need for these financial requirements? What about your retirement? Are you building two retirement plans?

In addition, there are a number of hidden costs in home ownership. Things like home maintenance, repairs and Home Owners Association fees can add up, in addition to your usual costs like insurance and taxes. There are additional expenses that might come into play, affecting your home mortgage payment. For example, if you have an expensive hobby like traveling, you will want to free up more of your income for these expenses.

Your income or the income of your familys breadwinner can be a strong influence in how much of a house you should buy now. If you do not have a consistent income or see your income hitting a plateau or lowering in the future, this can be a significant influence for your mortgage payment.

Unlike the previous generation, the average workforce individual changes employers over the years. Through this fluctuation, income amounts can change, affecting your mortgage payments. Making your mortgage payments more conservative can help you save more money during the wealthier times and help you stay afloat during the leaner months.

If you do not have to worry about retirement or are completely debt free, rejoice. Few people fall into this category, but for those that do, the mortgage payment is a direct outcome. With less money paying the interest on credit card debts and car loans, the more money will be applied towards the home, building equity.

If you did buy a house with a large mortgage payment and are now finding that you can not afford the mortgage, maybe even needing to stop foreclosure, then contact you local home buyer. Local home buyers are professional real estate investors who buy houses from people just like you. You can get a free, no obligation offer for any house with in 24 hours. If you are thinking how can I sell my house fast, then you have nothing to loose.


How Forclosures are Affecting the Rental Market – Stop Foreclosure Fast

May 31, 2008

As more and more foreclosures are being seen in the marketplace, more and more coverage is being spent on the homeowners losing their homes. However, the analysis on the impact of foreclosures shouldnt stop with the homeowners. Foreclosures have long term effects both financial and culturally. As more and more people are losing their homes, fewer individuals are able to leave their rental apartments to invest in a home of their own.

What happens to the rental market when it is saturated with former homeowners who have lost their houses to foreclosure becuase they can not sell thier house, as well as individuals who are too timid to step out to purchase their new home. And the worst case scenario of all, what happens to renters whose landlords miscalculate and lose their property and the renters lose a place to call home.

The rise in foreclosures hasnt been beneficial for renters. Although initially, it might seem as though renters have a safe enclave from the perils of foreclosure, many renters are stuck right in the middle of the dilemma. More and more individuals, couples and families have to compete for affordable, low cost rental space as a result of the foreclosure increase.

In addition, when the property they are renting from becomes a foreclosure, the individual, couple or family finds themselves suddenly homeless through no fault of their own. The emotional impact of this sudden loss of home can be tremendous. Nearly 20 percent of all foreclosure homes are investor owned rental properties. That means that one in four foreclosures involves renters who are immediately forced to move. Many of these foreclosed rental properties are occurring in low income and minority communities, influencing neighborhoods that are already dealing with economically vulnerable individuals and families.

The number of renters has increased drastically over the last year. Renters are up by nearly 1 million, which is more than four times more than the growth rate between 2003 and 2006. The demand for affordable, low cost housing has significantly increased, but the supply of these low rent homes is decreasing.

Currently, studies are showing that nearly half of all rental families are contributing 30 percent of their income to their housing, while one in every four families were putting 50 percent or more of their income towards their rent and associated costs. The economic impact of these families spending the majority of their incomes on rent cannot be underestimated. If these families were living in low cost, more affordable housing, the stability and overall economic stimulus would improve.

However, the renting landscape is not thoroughly grim. Due to a weak housing sales market, more and more homes, condos and units are being put on the market as rental properties instead of sales. While the debate still exists as to whether these rental properties offer the low cost housing options that are needed on the market, the availability of more and more rental properties assumes that the situation will be alleviated to a degree. No matter what, however, the foreclosure increase is showing an impact for renters as well as homeowners alike.

If you are an investor and own a home that you are going to loose to foreclosure you have options. There are ways you can stop foreclosure fast and save the little equity you have in your investment. To sell your house and receive a free offer for your investment property, contact your local home buyer. They exist in every major metro area and you can sell your house fast.


1st Time Home Buyers Can Not Get Financing

May 29, 2008

From mortgages, interest rates and rising foreclosure numbers, a first-time home buyer has a lot more to think about than simply choosing a house he or she loves. Two of the biggest challenges – where to buy and how to get help for your mortgage – are covered in this article. Getting tips and strategies to jump over these initial hurdles can help to ensure that the first-time home buyer not only gets what he or she wants, but also ensures that they can hold onto it for years to come.

The first hurdle to tackle will be the mortgage. Before looking for a new home, the savvy first-time home buyer knows to get pre-approved for a mortgage and fully assess their financial situation. After all, you can fall in love with the most wonderful house on the block, but if you can’t afford it, you will either be financially vulnerable or facing a foreclosure in the near future – a fate no first-time home buyer wants to consider!

For the first time in quite a few years, government assistance is becoming popular with first-time home buyers. Many first-time home buyers snubbed or ignored government assistance during the real estate boom, preferring to look at a subprime mortgage for their financial needs. Alt-A and piggyback mortgages were also considered from private mortgage lenders who didn’t require a great deal of money for a down payment, nor did these lenders pay much attention to a credit score.

Just as the saying goes, however, if the deal seems to be too good to be true, it probably is. In the case of these subprime mortgage, when the real estate boom deflated, first-time home buyers who had been so appreciative of the subprime rates and loose regulations were now facing serious financial troubles. All the easy money dried up and in many cases, the homes went along with it.

Nowadays, first-time home buyers with little cash for a down payment or a short or poor credit history have nowhere to turn for mortgage assistance. The traditional routes of home lending have been re-established to put the market back on solid ground. What are first-time home buyers to do for financial assistance? Look towards government agencies like the FHA or Federal Housing Administration. The FHA is known to help find loans for individuals who have average credit and a down payment that is less than the required 20% of the purchase price.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development can help first-time buyers with closing costs and with down payment assistance. In addition, the FHA’s assisted mortgages are set to potentially become even more affordable for first-time home buyers in the future as a response to the chaotic real estate boom.

Combine this help with mortgage next to the latest recommendations from realtors about which houses to avoid – and why. Studies have shown that three main factors can make selling your home difficult in the future and for first-time home buyers who will most likely upgrade in the future, these are important tips.

Avoiding environmental elements like landfills, noting the rate of foreclosures in the neighborhood and looking into the crime rate within the location of the new house can all have significant impact on the future of a first-time home buyers investment.

If you are thinking how can I sell my house quickly then contact ExpertHomeOffers.com


Will Lenders Pay for the Mortage Crisis?

May 18, 2008

If your community has been largely affected by the foreclosure rates around your home, you might be wondering how this could have happened and who will be held responsible for our real estate market mess. After all, someone must have foreseen the mortgage issues headed towards many of these former hot real estate markets. Why was nothing done sooner to prevent the huge losses?

In fact, many real estate market experts have been vocal about the negative impact of the mortgage loans. However, despite warnings, many novice homeowners or uneducated buyers have found themselves in financial quagmires that are impossible to solve. As foreclosures are rising and our economy slows, lawmakers are turning their attention towards the mortgage lenders who originally propped up the cards to watch it all fall down.

Specifically, a Senate subcommittee has been formed to investigate the possibility that mortgage lenders abused the bankruptcy code to file loans for individuals who would not have qualified for the money previously. By misusing the bankruptcy system, mortgage lenders and companies were able to impose high fees whose legality is questionable. In addition, these high fees and misuse of the bankruptcy system directly played into the foreclosure problems that many homeowners are currently facing.

In essence, the Senate subcommittee is looking into whether mortgage lenders and companies intentionally played towards people who were too ignorant or overwhelmed to truly understand what financial situation they were getting into. By concentrating too highly on the property, but underplaying the fine print in the mortgage loan, these institutions were blatantly acting fraudulently and requesting too much money from individuals who simply did not have it. Although the mortgage lenders were aware that they were placing a nearly-impossible financial situation on these homeowners, they are accused of not exercising ethic restraint by giving out these loans.

The Senate subcommittee will look into not only past actions by these mortgage lenders and institutions for penalties, but also increase the level of penalties given to those lenders who manipulate the bankruptcy law for their own financial gain – and consequent ruin of other investors.

Originally, bankruptcy laws were initiated to give homeowners with financial issues the chance to keep their homes. However, with the questionably high fees demanded by these mortgage lenders and institutions, the ability to pay off the home was impossible, despite the bankruptcy protection clause. For this reason, more and more people were permanently removed from their homes while certain mortgage lenders and institutions pocketed the money.

One reason for the subcommittee investigation comes on the heels of a sharp increase in foreclosure filings. With an increase of 112 percent since last year, lawmakers are concerned that the problem will grow even worse as many mortgages will be reset and increased this year, causing numerous people who are just barely hanging on to lose control completely. With these extra fees putting the homeowner in a worse position and having them fall even more behind, the mortgage institutions are under direct scrutiny over the legality of these fees and their execution.


Where the Real Estate Market is Currently Growing

May 15, 2008

Read an article on the real estate market lately and you will find little more than tales of gloom and doom. Recession impact, the falling dollar, real estate bubbles bursting the hot markets – the combination of all these factors are the culmination of real estate gurus warning of an inflated real estate market for years now. These fears and vocal warnings have impaired the real estate market, stifling housing sales and highlighting foreclosure problems for banks in communities nationwide.

However, despite the bad tales of the real estate market that abound in the news, there are plenty of areas that are growing, improving and seeing positive changes in their housing sector. Although much of the nation will be either stagnant or continuing to show a decline, these regions are growing, boosted by local economic factors that are shielding the community from a housing bubble catastrophe and giving local investors in these areas something to smile about.

Take McAllen, Texas for example. With a 12 month forecast of 4 percent increase, this area of the country is sitting on strong real estate possibilities. The five year price change for McAllen has been a steady 23.3 percent, giving this region a slow but steady outlook on their housing market. This Texas region might see the strongest positive return for their housing market, but there are other states that will have multiple cities with positive growth predicted in the next 12 months.

Rochester, New York is already a popular place for families, but with real estate prices seeing a strong 2.7 percent increase in the next year, Rochester is looking even more financially fantastic. With a 20.1 percent rate of increase over the last five years and an admirable 5 percent change in the foreclosure rate, Rochesters real estate market is looking ideal to many investors and families alike. New York in general seems to be avoiding the real estate crunch as cities like Buffalo and Syracuse are also predicted to see steady 2.4 percent and 2.6 percent increases respectfully in the area.

New Orleans has been predicted to make a strong step forward this year with a 2.2 percent increase in the real estate market. With a 49 percent rate of foreclosure change, it seems this personable city has found its feet after hardship and will start its inevitable climb to being an enviable place to own a home again. Nearby Baton Rouge has also enjoyed a 1.9 percent housing increase predicted. Combined with their lower 14 percent rate of foreclosure change, Baton Rouge and New Orleans combine to make Louisiana a preferred housing market.

With 75 of the top 100 U.S. cities expected to see falling real estate prices in the next year, these housing areas are anomalies. With record foreclosure numbers and plummeting prices, the fastest growing real estate markets are nothing to sneeze at. Many real estate experts are predicting the full impact of the real estate bubble burst will not be finished until 2010. Areas like California and Nevada are clinging to their homes, but if you happen to live in McAllen, Texas and other hot markets, rejoice. Your homes are steady throughout the real estate crisis.

© ExpertHomeOffers.com 2008


How Inflation and the Dollar are Hurting Your Chances to Sell Your House

May 14, 2008

Paying a mortgage bill is one of the largest monthly bills the average family faces. When the economy dips into a recession, the mortgage payment can seem increasingly daunting. Our current economic situation couples the recession with increasing gas prices and a falling dollar. What does this mean for your mortgage interest rate, your monthly payments and your house value?

Currently, Fannie Mae is allowing some homeowners to refinance their house if they owe more than what their house is actually worth. How could they have gotten into this situation? The answer is interest rates and the decrease in the value of houses. If the interest rate on the mortgage was variable or subprime, the interest rate and consequent mortgage payments can jump vastly higher than what the actual value of the house is worth. Also in almost all major cities across the nation home prices have dropped, meaning now homes have mortgages that are higher than the value of the house. This move by Fannie Mae is significant because in essence, it means that Fannie Mae is willing to take some loss on the current mortgage loan situation for some homeowners rather than let them default and lose their home entirely.

This move by Fannie Mae may help people in many areas in the nation. Cities like Las Vegas, Stockton California, Detroit Michiga, Boise Idaho and others have seen a dramatic decrease in home prices. The bad news is not all home owners will quialify for the refinance help. In order to qualify you have to meet standerds like good credit, have an certain type of existing mortgage and that mortgage had to be put in place at a certain time.

Homeowners and new home builders are in a pinch. Census data seems to have underestimated the number of new homes that have not been sold and foreclosure rates are steadily climbing. In addition, the inflation rate is growing. This pinch on the everyday homeowner can be significant, causing some homes to question whether they can survive during this treacherous time to keep their home through this recession. With the falling dollar in the market, investors are pulling funds from national banks and putting their money abroad, causing national banks and investments to feel the pinch as well. Mortgage rates are unlikely to spike any time soon, but even a small increase could spell bad news for those homeowners just holding on to making their payments on time and avoiding foreclosures.

What else could possibly affect our mortgage interest rates and the housing market overall? The weak labor market plays a large role in the housing market. The economy is in a virtual hiring freeze, while some companies have already started laying off workers. Job loss has always precipitated trouble in the housing market. In addition, overall job loss in the community makes workers and homeowners scared, limiting the housing sales. Any time the general feeling is to hold onto the house you have instead of try to sell it or take on a larger mortgage payment, we are experiencing a weaker housing market. As employers and workers feel more confident about their employment possibilities, the housing market will improve as well.

Interest rates will be dictated by the Federal Government. In early May 2008, the Fed cut the interest rate, which pushed the 10-year treasury rate up. The 30-year mortgage rate follows the treasury rate, so an increase in the payments due would have accompanied this move in the financial sector. In general, homeowners and workers are trying to maintain what they have instead of pushing to take on something new and stagnant movement like this can spell trouble for mortgage rates.

If you are in a financial situation and thinking how can I sell my house fast, then contact your local home buyer. Every major metropolitan area has professional home buyers that help solve home seller problems. They help people avoid foreclosure, with short sales, sell because of divorce, cash out of investment properties, or sell if you have no equity. So contact your local home buyer and receive a free offer for your house, you have nothing to lose.


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