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The Do’s and Don’ts When Financing Your Home; St. Louis Mortgage Watch

As the mortgage industry adjusts to new financial regulations, it is more important than ever to ensure that the financing of your new home goes smoothly. Your loan approval is subject to the financial information you provide at the time of your loan approval. Any subsequent [...]

Six Important Steps on How to Buy a Home; St Louis Mortgage Watch

STEP 1 Get pre-qualified for a loan:  talk with your mortgage banker.

Determine your “mortgage goals.”  Review your credit history and sources of income.  Do you have money set aside for a down payment?  Do you have an “ideal payment range” you would be comfortable with?   [...]

Which refinancing option is best for you?; St. Louis Mortgage Watch

Every borrower’s situation is different.  My goal is to provide various options/loan programs that are available to meet the borrower’s needs.  When considering a refinance, the [...]

FHA Expected to Announce Further Policy Changes to Address Risk and Strengthen Finances; St. Louis Mortgage Watch

In the next few days, look for FHA to implement further changes to strengthen its financial situation.  An audit in late 2009 showed that the capital ratio of its Mutual Mortgage Insurance Fund (MMIF) had fallen below its statutorily mandated threshold.  Over the past few months, [...]

Mortgage Tips From a Pro; St. Louis Mortgage Watch

A home mortgage is the largest debt of most consumers and is nothing to take lightly or approach without diligence and care.

Here are some tips to help guide you and help you avoid the pitfalls that are out there:

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Fannie Mae Tightens Rules; St. Louis Mortgage Watch

Fannie Mae Rolls out New Loan Quality Initiative (LQI) Program – Tightens underwriting requirements and aims to reduce borrower fraud.

These rules could derail some closings for buyers who rack up purchases or even take out new store credit cards before their home sales have closed. 

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De-Mystifying Credit Scores; Update on St. Louis Rates

WHAT IS A CREDIT SCORE?

Simply stated, credit scores area statistically-based tool to assess the future performance of a borrower.

Scores are derived from the history of a borrower as it is reported to the credit repositories from any creditor. Credit scores are a proven indicator of [...]

Questions Home-buyers should ask their lender; Update on St. Louis Rates

The mortgage industry has underwent some dramatic changes in the past year as has the regulations and rules the industry must comply with.  Lender’s are barely able to keep up with everything new so it’s not surprising home-buyers have many questions when it comes to obtaining a mortgage to buy a home.  [...]

Tax Credits and Flood Insurance Extended; St Louis Interest Rates Near Historic Lows

After a close brush with a deadline that could have impacted tens of thousands of home buyers, Congress passed an extension of the Home buyer Tax Credit closing deadline.

The extension is included in the Home Buyer Assistance and Improvement Act and will prevent as many as 180,000 [...]

Deadline Looms for Missouri's HOPE Tax Credit; St. Louis Interest Rates Drop

The state of Missouri funded a $15 million tax credit incentive program in January of this year to help spur home sales, but few have taken advantage of the program.

Now, Missouri home buyers must complete the purchase of their home by August 31, 2010 to take advantage of [...]

Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac Become Landlords; St. Louis Interest Rates Remain Low and Should Stay Low

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have become two of the nation’s largest landlords. Both institutions took over a foreclosed home roughly every 90 seconds during the first three months of the year. As of the end of March, they owned over 160,000 houses.

The inventory of Fannie [...]

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to Delist Shares on NYSE; St. Louis Interest Rates Remain Low

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac  notified the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE)  of its intent to delist its common and preferred stock.  The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), the conservator for Fannie and Freddie, has directed the companies to delist their common stock and their preferred stock from the NYSE.  “FHFA’s [...]

Bank Of America to Pay $108 Million to Countrywide Borrowers; Interest Rates in St. Louis drop this week

Bank of America has agreed to pay $108 million to about 200,000 homeowners who paid improper and inflated charges to the defunct subprime mortgage lender that became the poster child of the housing apocalypse, Countrywide Financial. The Federal Trade Commission said two mortgage-servicing units of Countrywide, which [...]

St Louis Mortgage Interest Rates Remain Low but obtaining mortgage is more challenging

After the problems we have seen over the past couple of years in the real estate, mortgage and banking industries it is not surprising we have seen massive legislative changes brought about which make it more challenging for a home-buyer to obtain a mortgage.  Some of the changes borrowers will see when they attempt to [...]

National Flood Insurance Program Expiring Again; St Louis Interest Rates Drop Again

The National Flood Insurance Program, known as the NFIP, lapsed March 28 this year and left many pending home sales in limbo.

Congress and President Barack Obama temporarily reinstated the program 18 days later on April 16 as part of a bill that also extended unemployment benefits [...]

St Louis Mortgage Interest Rates Remain Low; FHA To Make Changes

It’s all about Europe debt crisis…

Trading action in the mortgage markets have been and continue to be influenced by the ongoing concern over Europe’s debt crisis.  This uncertainty has overshadowed a growing amount of data flow from our own economy that is signaling or own recovery.   This uncertainty continues to drive capital into dollar denominated [...]

Feds pulling support of mortgage market- will interest rates increase?

Dennis Norman

The Federal Reserve announced it will stop purchasing mortgage-backed securities by the end of March.

In November, 2008, the Federal Reserve announced, in an effort to help the housing market, it would purchase mortgage-backed securities. Then, in March, 2009, the Fed increased the total amount of money they would invest in such securities [...]

Mortgage rates increase; loan applications decrease

Dennis Norman

The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) released its weekly mortgage applications survey for the week ending October 9, 2009. The report showed an increase of 1.8 percent in mortgage loan applications from the week as interest rates inched back above 5 percent for the first time in four weeks.

Refi’s continue to dominate the mortgage [...]

Mortgage interest rates on 30 year loan stay below 5 percent for third consecutive week

Dennis Norman

By: Dennis Norman

The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) released its weekly mortgage applications survey for the week ending October 2, 2009. The report showed an increase of 16.4 percent in mortgage loan applications from the week before fueled by interest rates remaing below 5 percent.

Unfortunately interest rates seem to be doing more for existing [...]

Interest rates drop below 5 percent for 30 year fixed rate loan; applications increase

Dennis Norman

By: Dennis Norman

The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) released its weekly mortgage applications survey for the week ending September 18, 2009. The report showed an increase of 12.8 percent in mortgage loan applications from the week before fueled by interest rates dropping below 5 percent for the first time since mid-May.

The bulk of the [...]

Interest rates drop for 3rd consecutive week; remain at 3-month low

Dennis Norman

According to Freddie Macs weekly mortgage market survey the interest rate on home mortgages dropped for the third-consecutive week and remains at a three-month low in the US.

St. Louis is included in Freddie Mac’s Southwest Region in which the survey shows the interest rate on a 30 year fixed rate mortgage for the [...]

Mortgage rates drop; Borrowers refinancing jumps over 22 percent for the week

Dennis Norman

By: Dennis Norman

The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) released its weekly mortgage applications survey for the week ending September 4, 2009. The report showed an increase of 17.0 percent in borrowers applying for home mortgages to buy a home from the week before. This marks the largest gain in the index since early April, [...]

Mortgage interest rates increase slightly

Dennis Norman

By: Dennis Norman

The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) released its weekly mortgage applications survey for the week ending August 21, 2009. The report showed an increase in borrowers applying for home mortgages of about 1 percent from the week before for borrowers buying homes and an increase of almost 13 percent from the week before [...]

Interest Rates drop to lowest level in three months

Dennis Norman

According to Freddie Macs weekly mortgage market survey the interest rate on home mortgages dropped to a new three-month low. The survey shows the interest rate on a 30 year fixed rate mortgage averaging 5.12 percent with 0.7 percent in fees and points this week, down from 5.29 percent last week. Last year [...]

Mortgage rates decline this week on better than expected economic news

Dennis Norman

According to Freddie Macs weekly mortgage market survey mortgage rates decreased slightly for the week ending August 6, 2009 from the prior week. The survey shows 30 year fixed rate mortgages averaging 5.22% with 0.6% in fees and points, down from 5.25% the week before. Last year at this time, the 30 year [...]

Mortgage information and advice from a St. Louis Mortgage Banker – Final post of the series

Dennis Norman

By: Dennis Norman

Today we pick up where we left off yesterday with my E-View TM with respected mortgage banker, H. John Frank, President of Paramount Mortgage Co. here in St. Louis.

If you missed part one, two, or three, there are links to both at the end of this post. And now, the final [...]

Mortgage information and advice from a St. Louis Mortgage Banker – Part 2 of a series

H. John Frank, Jr., President, Paramount Mortgage Co.

By: Dennis Norman

Yesterday I did the first post of my E-View TM with respected mortgage banker, H. John Frank, President of Paramount Mortgage Co. located here in St. Louis.

Today we continue with part two of the E-View TM:

Q-How many states require mortgage brokers/bankers to be licensed? Does licensing [...]

Mortgage information and advice from a St. Louis Mortgage Banker – Part 1 of a series

Dennis Norman

By: Dennis Norman

It seems home mortgages are in the news daily lately: record-low interest rates, record-high foreclosure rates, the sub-prime mortgage mess, lack of jumbo loans and so on. It’s confusing at best and causing much concern for many people wishing to buy a home or refinance their existing home mortgage.

H. John [...]

Interest rates increase slightly this week

Dennis Norman

According to Freddie Macs weekly mortgage market survey mortgage rates increased slightly this week from the prior week. The survey shows 30 year fixed rate mortgages averaging 5.20% with 0.7% in fees and points, up from 5.14% the week before. Last year at this time, the 30 year rate averaged 6.63%.

Rates on 15 [...]

30 year mortgage rates this week at 5.14%; lowest since May

Dennis Norman

By: Dennis Norman

Freddie Macs weekly mortgage market survey mortgage rates dropped this past week, making it the third week in a row rates came down.  

The survey shows 30 year fixed rate mortgages averaging 5.14% with 0.7% in fees and points, down from 5.20% the week before. This is the lowest rate reported in Freddie [...]