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Lenders Can Use Your Tax Credit!

Tuesday, June 2, 2009
by Liz Warren

The new regulations helping first time home buyers use their tax credits to purchase should give a breakthrogh for buyers in the Welches, Rhododendron and Brightwood areas. FHA loans require 3.5% for a downpayment. Lenders can tap the $8,000 tax credit to help with this downpayment. Lenders can get paid direct from the IRS when the buyer files and uses this credit! This should take the stall out from many buyers sitting on the fence without the actual cash to move forward. See the letter from HUD which you can down load here.

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New Hud info on Tax Credit for Mt. Hood Buyers

Tuesday, June 2, 2009
by Liz Warren

Here is the lastest info for you to download concerning the $8,000 tax credit. Take advantage of this opportunity today!

Click here to download

Call or email me now for area homes this program will work for. Selection is fantastic! Homes in Brightwood, Rhododendron and Welches will qualify!

Call me now at 503-705-3090!

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FHA 203K loans on Mt. Hood

Wednesday, May 13, 2009
by Liz Warren

Home renovations can be daunting, but financing them doesn’t need to be. Homebuyers considering a fixer-upper and homeowners thinking about doing major rehab work might want to consider an FHA 203K loan.

Often called rehab or renovation loans

, 203K loans differ from traditional mortgage loans. Buyers who want to purchase a home in need of repair usually have to secure a loan to buy the property, get additional financing to complete the renovation and then get a permanent mortgage to pay off the interim loans. 203K loans, however, are made based on the after-repair value and include an escrow account, in which the money is dispersed in draws as the necessary renovations are being completed.

Renovation loans can be used in three ways: to purchase an existing home (and the land attached to it) and renovate it; to pay off existing debt on a current residence and renovate it; or to purchase an existing property and move it to a new piece of land. The types of improvements allowed on 203K loans are extensive — painting, room additions, decks, bathroom and kitchen remodels, and even going green. Luxury items and improvements are generally not eligible.

 

Homebuyers need to work closely with their REALTOR®  as well as a contractor to get a detailed statement about the extent and general cost of the rehab work and the expected market value of the property after the completion of the work. After finding a HUD-approved lender — not all banks administer these loans — and inspections and appraisals, the work can begin. For more information, go to www.hud.gov .

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Eye Opener

Wednesday, May 6, 2009
by Liz Warren

Yahoo Finance had a reportfrom Zillow and it's a big eye opener. Unlike the Case-Shiller Home Price Indices that use 20 metro areas, Zillow takes a wider swipe and uses a much greater pool of data with 160 plus metro areas. Here are some of the highlights of the article.

Around 20% of homeowners in the US. owe more than the current market value of their homes. 

Over the past twelve months,  20.4% of home sales were foreclosures and nearly 12% were short sales.

Home values declined from 3rd quarter 08 to first quarter 09 by 3%.

From one year ago values have dropped 14% in the entire US.

Many areas have seen a 50% or more drop over the past five years such as areas of Florida, Phoenix, Stockton and Modesto.

Over the past five years 85 of 161 metro areas have seen no change or negative values from 2004.

About one third of potential sellers will place their homes on the market if they see any sign of an improved market for real estate.

If this one third place their homes on the market, naturally, that will extend the recovery and continue to supress prices.

To sell in today's market you must be agressive and realistic in pricing your property to sell.

If you need to sell today, give me a call for market knowledge and an agressive marketing plan.

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Will FHA loans be the next sub-prime?

Tuesday, May 5, 2009
by Liz Warren

Could it be that FHA and USDA loans will create the next sub-prime loan mess? Both of these loans are 100% government backed and guaranteed.

Currently, nearly one in three of all new mortgages are FHA and in Oregon, where 99% of homes qualify for the USDA loan, according to a seminar I went to with their representative, it looks a bit scary. Why does it look scary to me, well, FHA and USDA loans have very low downpayments and high risk borrowers.

One source, the Mortgage Bankers Association, tells us that 7.5% of new FHA loans are in serious delinquency. Serious Delinquency means the mortgage is at a minimum three months over due. One in eight FHA loans are delinquent-recently missed a payment. this is about three times the rate for conventional loans.

What does this mean? Hopefully, not another government bail out down the road. There's no doubt about it, buyers need loans to purchase homes but not at the expense of creating yet another problem!

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Foreclosure, Short Sale, Deed in Lieu Credit Questions on Mt. Hood

Monday, April 27, 2009
by Liz Warren

Credit Score Impact of foreclosures, Bankruptcy, and Short Sales

 

What does a foreclosure, bankruptcy, deed in lieu or short sale do to your credit score?

 

Foreclosure, or a Deed in Lieu, which has the same effect as a "foreclosure" will drop your credit score between 200 and 300 points.

 

If you have a Notice of Default (NOD)-a foreclosure is started- this will be reported to credit agencies as a foreclosure in process and it will show up as a foreclosure for credit scores. This will be a 200-300 point hit also.

 

A mortgage broker in southern California, Catherine Coy said. "The effect on a consumer's credit report -- foreclosure vs. short sale -- is the difference between being hit by a train or a bus," in speaking about borrowers who are a few months in arrears.

What about buying a home again?

 

Foreclosure will cause a three to five year wait for a new loan.

 

Bankruptcy is now a four year wait for a new loan.

 

For a short sale, best case is getting your short sale classified as “settled” from your lender. You may be able to get a loan in two years vs. four years.

 

This table shows how your credit score impacts the interest rate you receive on a mortgage:

 

For more info on how credit and credit scores are determined, download a pamphlet here taken directly from www.myfico.com so you can understand how credit works and what you can do to improve your scores.

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First Time Home Buyers On Mt Hood Tax Breaks

Thursday, April 2, 2009
by Liz Warren

Catch a [Tax] Break On Mt Hood as a First Time Homebuyer!

There’s good news for first-time homebuyers who plan to purchase a home in 2009. Thanks to some of the provisions in the recently enacted American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, qualifying first-time homebuyers can earn a tax credit of up to $8,000 if they purchase a home before Dec. 1. They can claim the credit on either their 2008 or 2009 tax returns, according to the Internal Revenue Service. The best news is that the credit does not need to be repaid provided the home remains their main residence for 36 months after the purchase date. Buyers can claim 10 percent of the purchase price up to $8,000, or $4,000 for married individuals filing separately. The amount of the credit begins to phase out for taxpayers whose adjusted gross income is more than $75,000, or $150,000 for joint filers.

 

For purposes of this credit, you are considered to be a first-time homebuyer if you (and your spouse if you are married) did not own any other primary residence during the three-year period ending on the date of the purchase.

 

The new law does not affect individuals who purchased a home between April 8, 2008 and Dec. 31, 2008. For these homeowners, the maximum credit remains 10 percent of the purchase price up to $7,500 for individuals, or $3,750 for married individuals filing separately. In addition, the credit for these purchases must be repaid in 15 equal installments over 15 years, beginning in 2010.

 

For more information about the tax credit or to find out how the new legislation affects homeowners, visit www.irs.gov or consult your tax accountant.



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Buying on Mt. Hood? Know your credit score limits

Wednesday, March 25, 2009
by Liz Warren

Every day is an education day in the tightening world of mortgages and credit. Today we were notified that if you do not have a credit score of at least 620 you will not be able to get a loan anywhere. So, homebuyers for Government Camp, Welches, Brightwood, and Rhododendron....know your credit scores!

Also, if you are looking for a cash out refi on a non owner occupied property, in other words a second home or investment property, lenders will probably only give you maximum 65% of the appraised value of the home.

If you have an FHA loan, the maximum cash out refinance amount you will receive is 80% of value.

The box just got smaller for credit.

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Mt. Hood Buyers, Know Your Credit Scores!

Saturday, March 21, 2009
by Liz Warren

It's time to buy a home on Mt. Hood in Welches, Brightwood, Government Camp or Rhododendron. What is one of the most important things you need to know? Answer: your FICO score or credit score.

Why is this so important? Depending upon what your credit score is, your interest rate will be determined by this score.

Here is an example of Oregon interest rates as related to FICO credit scores:

As you can see this is nearly a 2% difference on your interest rate of your loan and a big difference for your payment.over the life of the loan.

This next chart will show you nationally where credit scores currently sit. This is taken directly from www.myfico.com which is an excellent source to lean about credit scores.

If you have a low credit score, work on getting this higher now. Not only will this have an impact on home buying but also car purchases, insurance rates and any other purchases where you need credit!

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Credit Ratings to Purchase on Mt. Hood

Friday, March 20, 2009
by Liz Warren

Are you looking to purchase a home in Welches, Government Camp, Rhododendron, or Brightwood? Know your credit score! Sun Trust one of the main lenders through Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac is requiring a minimum credit score of 660 to receive ANY loan. (loans under $417,000) Loans greater than this amount fall into the Jumbo catagory. Brokers are telling us the rest of the lenders will follow this trend. FHA loans will still allow 620 credit scores.

It is advisable for any buyer to go out and get a lender approval prior to purchasing a home so you know, not ony what you can afford, but which type of loan you will qualify for.

Credit is VERY IMPORTANT! Watch your credit score.

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Displaying blog entries 331-340 of 381

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