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Series of Workshops to Promote Loan Modifications

By:: Kirk Haverkamp - MortgageLoan.com | Tue, 06/30/2009

Need help reducing your mortgage payments? Been trying to get approved for a Making Home Affordable loan modification or refinance without success? Help could be coming to a town near you.

Is It Worth It to Refinance Your Mortgage?

By:: Kirk Haverkamp - MortgageLoan.com | Mon, 06/29/2009

Is it worth it to refinance your mortgage? With recent signs that interest rates may be headed back down again, many people may be wondering if refinancing would make sense for them. As always, the devil is in the details.

Advantages and Disadvantages of a 15-Year Mortgage

By:: Kirk Haverkamp - MortgageLoan.com | Fri, 06/26/2009

So you missed out on last spring's ultra-low rates, those dizzying few weeks when 30-year fixed -rate mortgages could be had at interest rates below 5 percent, an all-time low. But you may have noticed that it's still possible to get one of those ultra-low rates - by locking into a 15-year mortgage instead.

FHA, VA Mortage Holders Can Reduce Payments With Streamline Refinance

By:: Kirk Haverkamp - MortgageLoan.com | Thu, 06/25/2009

With all the attention that's been focused on the Making Home Affordable program, it's easy to forget there are other options out there for reducing your mortgage payments. And if you have an FHA or VA mortgage, there's one that's simply fantastic - a streamline refinance.

Credit Counselors See Progress on Making Home Affordable

By:: Kirk Haverkamp - MortgageLoan.com | Wed, 06/24/2009

So you've been thinking about seeking a mortgage loan modification through the Making Home Affordable (MHA) program, but have been discouraged by reports of long delays, conflicting advice and nonresponsive lenders? Well, all that may be changing.

Refinace vs. Loan Modification: What's the Difference?

By:: Kirk Haverkamp - MortgageLoan.com | Tue, 06/23/2009

With the ongoing foreclosure crisis, there's been a lot of talk about loan modifications and refinancing mortgages as ways of helping at-risk borrowers stay in their homes. Together, they're the twin pillars of the Obama Administration's Making Home Affordable (MHA) program. But there's still a fair amount of confusion among consumers about the differences between the two and what they both involve.

Many Homeowners Fail to Seek Foreclosure Avoidance Help

By:: Kirk Haverkamp - MortgageLoan.com | Mon, 06/22/2009

There's been a lot of frustration among homeowners over delays in getting the administration's Making Home Affordable foreclosure prevention program up and running. But that's not the biggest issue preventing at-risk homeowners from getting mortgage assistance - many aren't even seeking help in the first place.

Reporting Mortgage Fraud

By:: Kirk Haverkamp - MortgageLoan.com | Fri, 06/19/2009

If you think you may have been a victim of mortgage fraud, or simply think you got a raw deal in a real estate transaction, it helps to know where to complain.

What Fees Will You Pay to Refinance Your Mortgage?

By:: Kirk Haverkamp - MortgageLoan.com | Wed, 06/17/2009

So you've been thinking about refinancing your mortgage? It's not enough just to obtain a lower interest rate - whether you'll save money or not depends in large part on the fees you'll pay to refinance.

Helpful Hints for Buying a Foreclosure

By:: Catherine Brock - MortgageLoan.com | Tue, 06/16/2009

Foreclosure and short-sell deals can get you into a home on the cheap. Are you prepared for a potentially convoluted transaction?

Inside the New Mortgage Anti-Predatory Law

By:: Tom Kerr - MortgageLoan.com | Mon, 06/15/2009

Congress moved closer to approval of the Mortgage Reform and Anti-Predatory Lending Act, a new law to regulate the mortgage industry. The proposed mortgage reform legislation is intended to help better protect consumers from mortgage fraud and predatory lending practices.

Tax Amnesty: The State's the Thing

By:: Catherine Brock - MortgageLoan.com | Sun, 06/14/2009

State governments are hoping to fill their coffers by offering perks to taxpayers who voluntarily pay up past-due taxes.

Do You Qualify for a Fannie Mae Mortgage Refi Plus?

By:: Catherine Brock - MortgageLoan.com | Fri, 06/12/2009

Fannie Mae is tackling the Home Affordable refinancing program with RefiPlus and DU RefiPlus. One of these could be your ticket to a quick and affordable mortgage refinance-but only if you qualify.

Buying a Second Home becomes more Challenging

By:: Tom Kerr - MortgageLoan.com | Thu, 06/11/2009

A few years ago, many Americans leveraged their rising home equity to purchase second home or vacation home properties. Right before the real estate bubble burst, for example, most of the residential sales involved a second home. But that holiday home era is now a relic of the past.

Are FHA Loans the Next Subprime Bubble?

By:: Tom Kerr - MortgageLoan.com | Wed, 06/10/2009

As the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) prepares to ask Congress for another $800 million in rescue funds, many industry experts predict that FHA loans will soon become the new version of bad credit subprime mortgages. That could trigger a new foreclosure avalanche.

Selling a Vacation Home

By:: Catherine Brock - MortgageLoan.com | Tue, 06/09/2009

The housing market is rough right now, but the market for vacation homes is even worse.

Buying a Home: A How-to Guide

By:: Catherine Brock - MortgageLoan.com | Mon, 06/08/2009

Becoming a first-time homebuyer and getting that first mortgage isn't hard when you know what to expect.

Don't Use Home Equity like an ATM

By:: Greg Mischio - MortgageLoan.com | Sun, 06/07/2009

Your home provides shelter and warmth. Your ATM machine provides easy access to cash. If anything should be learned from the recent housing market crisis, it's that the two must never be confused.

For Owners of Second Homes: Dealing with Your Mortgage

By:: Catherine Brock - MortgageLoan.com | Sat, 06/06/2009

Options are few and far between for second homeowners who can't afford the mortgage anymore. But you can always attempt the refinance second home process.

Homebuyer Protection: The Mortgage Reform and Anti-Predatory Lending Act

By:: Catherine Brock - MortgageLoan.com | Fri, 06/05/2009

Sparse oversight in the mortgage industry is likely to have played a role in the current mortgage crisis. Mortgage fraud and predatory lending are now a hot topic on Capitol Hill.

Loan Modification Programs adds Second Mortgages

By:: Tom Kerr - MortgageLoan.com | Thu, 06/04/2009

A brand new loan modification initiative that's aimed specifically at home equity loan products has just been launched by the Obama administration. The program hopes to alleviate the burden of second mortgages, and offers financial incentives for lenders who successfully rework bad loans.

Lower your Expenses: Refinance your Mortgage

By:: Catherine Brock - MortgageLoan.com | Wed, 06/03/2009

Taking advantage of historically low mortgages rates with a refinance mortgage could save you thousands on your mortgage loan.

Advice for Using Home Affordable Program

By:: Catherine Brock - MortgageLoan.com | Tue, 06/02/2009

"Home Affordable" refinancing can create some economic relief in your household by lowering your interest rate to today's historically low levels. Do you know how to navigate through the Home Affordable funding process?

Mortgage Refinance Surge causes Surge in Lending Jobs

By:: Catherine Brock - MortgageLoan.com | Mon, 06/01/2009

Job creation in the mortgage industry looks promising as a major industry association predicts growth in mortgage originations this year.