Upside Down On My House...

Are you upside down on your house? (Upside down means you owe more to the bank thatn the house is now worth.) Well, I have heard from two people now who have had their banks contact them and ask them if they want to refinance to a lower rate. Not only that, but for those who qualify they will be able to get a reduction in the amount of their loan too! YES! It's true. Part of the stimulus package that Obama has created allows banks for those of us who have not defaulted on our loans but are upside down. They are allowing a forgiveness of 20-25% for those who fit their criteria too! People to have to get PMI insurance but who cares! My friend paid a tad over $620,000 for her home and owed about $550,000 at 8.5% on it when the market tanked. Now she had it reduced to 5% and $430,000!!! Not bad eh?!

If you don't understand something in this post let me know and I will do my best to send you an explanation. Just remember there is hope!

Mariaaaaaaaaaaaa
:)

Signs of Spring...

Finally, some hopeful signs for the spring market

Last week the stock market began to rally. It’s anyone’s guess how long this spring thaw on Wall Street will last, but we have to take the good news as it comes. It's like the little green shoots that s-l-o-w-l-y start ripping through the winter's debris. Any good news at this point on the economy is bound to provide a boost of some sort to the battered housing market.

And the stock market is not the only thing to watch! There are other signs as well. Residential construction, after falling for countless months, rebounded by a surprising 22 percent in February. Apartment construction led the way – not surprising since the falloff in demand for new condos and homes has created renewed interest in lending.

Other signs are that residential sales have also slowed in their decline.

The latest nudge to the economy is the Fed’s equally surprising move to infuse an addition $1 trillion into its campaign to warm up still stagnant lending markets. The Fed will buy an additional $750 million in government-guaranteed mortgage back securities and another $300 billion in longer-term Treasury securities.

All this should further lower interest rates on all loans, including mortgages, the NY Times reports in its story on the Fed’s move.

For those of you who are looking to buy, the water is getting warmer...seems that a lot of your fellow buyers have stuck in their toes and are now jumping in!

Mariaaaaaaaaa
:)

Mortgage Lifeline For Those Who Are Current WithTheir Mortgage! YEAH!

Here is some exciting news from one of our mortgage broker friends, Mona Wong, mom of adorable twins...

Mariaaaaaaaaaaaa
:)


Hi-

March 4th is when the guidelines will be rolled out for the housing plan. This will allow some of those who are in a situation where they are current with their mortgage but can not refinance because of the value. If you or someone you know who can benefit from this please have them contact me so that I can help them get their documents together and ready for march 4th. It may not be able to help everyone, but it looks promising….

Any questions please contact me.

Thank you!
Mona

Thank you for your business!

Mona SooHoo Wong
Mortgage Consultant
mwong@village-capital.com
c) 617-818-7430
f) 877-504-8357

QUICK MOM TIPS FOR HOW TO QUALIFY FOR A GOOD MORTAGE

Qualifying for a mortgage is certainly not as easy as it used to be. The actions of the money-hungry folks who put money before their humanity is affecting all of us. It has led to lenders tightening their approval standards. But while it is more difficult to qualify, it is important to know that it is still very possible to get a loan.

Here are four quick tips to help you immediately improve your chances of getting a mortgage:

1. Put money aside for a down payment. Stash at least 5% to 10%. BTW, no-down-payment mortgages, a staple of the housing boom, have virtually disappeared. To qualify for a government-insured Federal Housing Administration loan, you’ll need to put at least 3% down.

2. Get REAL about your budget. Your mortgage payment should be about 25% of your monthly household income. Choose a price range that fits this. If you make $4,000 a month, don’t take a mortgage out for much more than $1,000 a month. This will ensure that you have adequate reserves to make your payments.

3. Check your credit reports. The three main reporting agencies are Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. Make sure that all the information on these reports is correct. You would be amazed at how many mistakes they make. For me they listed my student loans twice! NOT FUN! My credit score went up after that was cleared up. If you too find some information that is incorrect, report the discrepancy immediately to all three reporting agencies. Anything negative on your credit report will hurt you, even if it’s not right.

4. Boost your FICO score. Mortgage lenders use the FICO score to help determine the chances of you defaulting on a loan. Because the score measures your ability to repay a loan, there are simple steps you can take to improve it. These will show that you are serious about becoming a homeowner.
*Pay down your debt
*Pay all your credit accounts on time

Remember that simple actions over time create the biggest change. Grab a friend and your calendars. Mark a day that works for you and start implementing these simple steps in no time at all you will see some very incredible changes...Be the change you want to be! Once you have these and other successful habits set up you are on automatic pilot for success. It feels sooooooo good! Come join us! You can live happier and more meaningful this way.....Now go grab!

Wishing a fantastic day!
Mariaaaaaaaaa
:)

PUT "FUN" BACK INTO HOME BUYING...Here Are The Simple Steps

For many, the home buying process can be so confusing that even running the Boston Marathon -and winning - would seem like a simpler task! In reality buying a home (yes, even in this market) is a simply a serious of steps that get you to where you want to be. Whether someone is new or has bought before, it is always a good idea to get a good outline of the process. For years I looked for something I could share with my clients to no avail so in my "spare time" I decide to create something fun for the world, something that breaks down the steps of home buying into fun, bite-size pieces. I even added cartoon-like figures and (hopefully) some humor.

Let me know what you think of it. I'm always open to suggestions. I present to you the funny way to buy your next home...http://www.brickhouserealty.com/html/gameboard.html! ENJOY!

Big hugs,
Mariaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
:)