Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI)
If your down payment on a home is less than 20 percent of the appraised value or sale price, you must obtain private mortgage insurance, known as PMI, with your lender. This will enable you to obtain a mortgage with a lower down payment because your lender is now protected against any default on ... more...

What the Bank Wont Tell You About Mortgage Refinancing
So you have a mortgage, and you need to refinance to get your interest rates low. Most people simply walk into their bank, ask to refinance, and then end up paying more money long term than they would have otherwise. Some banks would like everyone who is refinancing to remain ignorant, but I am ... more...

Utah Mortgage
If you live in Utah, undoubtedly you have heard of the bankruptcy problem pinching the whole state. For several years now, Utah has held the devious honor of ranking among the states with the highest annual bankruptcy filing rate. There is likely more than one explanation for such a phenomenon. At ... more...

Everything You Need to Know About a Negative Amortization Mortgage
Most Property Owners are conditioned to believe that a Negative Amortization Mortgage is a Bad thing. Before you get that next mortgage shouldn't you get the facts so you can decide for yourself what is best.The First Question many people have is what is a negative Amortization Mortgage. A ... more...

How Long Your Mortgage Runs Determines How Much You Pay
The first thing most of us think about when the time comes to take out a mortgage on a new home is the interest rate.Thats both perfectly natural and very sensible. The rate of interest we pay can make an immense difference a difference amounting to tens of thousands of dollars in what the ... more...

Should You Pay Off Your Mortgage Early?
In the old days, when a mortgage was paid off, it was happily burned. Those days seem to be long gone. Very few people will stay in their home for the length of time required to pay of a 30-year mortgage. And even if you can pay it off early, it might not be best for you.There is a sense of ... more...

Mortgage Delinquency Facts and Fiction
Kenneth Harney, a highly respected columnist for the Washington Post, expressed surprise in his column recently because home buyers in high-cost parts of the country like California, Hawaii, Boston and Washington, D.C. are not leading the nation in mortgage delinquencies.Mr. Harney stated (in near ... more...

Short-Term Interest Rates on the Rise; Adjustable Rate Mortgage Holders Prepare for Increase in Rate
Interest rates are on the rise and many home owners who have adjustable rate mortgages may see increases in their forthcoming annual adjustments.Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan made it clear in 2004 that the Federal Reserve would be increasing short-term interest rates at a measured pace. ... more...

Advantages and Disadvantages Of A Reverse Mortgage
Betty and John, are in their mid-seventies and are currently weighing the advantages and disadvantages of a reverse mortgage as a way of freeing up some cash. The couple purchased their home 45 years ago for about $14,000 since then home values have skyrocketed and recent single family homes in ... more...

Mortgage Research Good News for House Buyers
Figures from the Council of Mortgage Lenders show that in July gross lending in totalled 25.2 billion, with fixed rate deal mortgages are at their most popular for nearly six years.Nonetheless, "July's growth in lending to individuals slowed from the recent trend," said British Bankers Association ... more...

How and Why to Refinance Your Mortgage
Refinancing your mortgage can be a great way to reduce monthly payments, lock in a better interest rate, and gain additional time for repayment, but it should not be entered into lightly. Refinancing at the wrong time or for the wrong reason can actually result in you having a higher payment or a ... more...