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1). Mortgage Terms and Definitions
The mortgage process can be a little confusing if you aren't familiar with the terms used in the process. To help you out, here is a list of terms with corresponding mortgage definitions.

Broker: An independent mortgage professional that oversees the entire home loan process.

Lender: The business entity providing and funding the home loan.

Processor: Prepares your loan for underwriting.

2). Budget for Closing Costs – Loan Origination Fees and PMI
Once you reach an agreement on the purchase of a home, things start moving quickly. In the chaos, it is important to remember to budget for closing costs.

Budget for Closing Costs – Loan Origination Fees and PMI

Closing costs are fees associated with miscellaneous events associated with a home purchase, things such as property inspections. Even if you are purchasing a home for the first time, you are probably aware there are closing costs that have to be paid.

3). Budget for Closing Costs – Property Taxes, Legal Fees and Such
You probably spent a good bit of time getting disciplined to save money for your home purchase. You need to carry this financial discipline through the escrow period or you could run into problems.

Budget for Closing Costs – Property Taxes, Legal Fees and Such

When you decided it was time to purchase a home, you went through a number of steps to get your finances in order.

4). Mortgage Loan – Understanding FICO Scores
Apply for a mortgage loan and you’ll soon become familiar with FICO scores. Here’s a primer on the infamous FICO scoring process.

FICO scores are merely a mathematical representation of your credit record. Credit records are simply a recording of your debts and assets. Credit card balances, for instance, are a debt that appears on your credit record, as do late payments, bounced checks and so on.

5). Down Payments – Get Creative
One of the biggest hurdles to buying a home is the down payment. Saving up a chunk of change can be difficult, so getting creative is a key.

Down Payments

The amount of your down payment is dependent upon many potential issues, but two come to the forefront. Each of these can reduce or increase the amount of cash you have to come up with for the home of your dreams.

6). Understanding Prepayment Penalties on Home Loans
Mortgage lenders prefer certainty to chaos. Some lenders take this concept to its logical conclusion in mortgages by inserting prepayment penalty clauses.

Understanding Prepayment Penalties on Home Loans

When a mortgage lender evaluates a loan application, it performs a number of analyses to determine risk and profit scenarios. For many lenders, the analysis is based upon a certain period where they are absolutely sure you will be paying back the loan.

7). Home Loans and Negative Amortization
Owning a home is undoubtedly the American Dream and the bedrock of middle class. Negative amortization, however, can turn the dream into a nightmare if you are not careful.

Home Loans and Negative Amortization

When you apply for a basic home loan, you obviously must repay the loan to the lender. The repayment of the loan is typically set over a certain time period with a certain amount being paid monthly.

8). Using Points To Cut Your Interest Rate
The general mantra in the real estate world is you want to avoid paying points when obtaining a mortgage. As with most assumptions, this is not always true.

Using Points To Cut Your Interest Rate

When discussing mortgages, it is important to understand what points are. Points are essentially an upfront cost you pay a lender in exchange for getting the loan in question.

9). Renting – Making Other People Rich
Many renters say they prefer to rent because it is simple and doesn’t carry the stress of home ownership. In truth, they are simply making other people rich.

Equity

What if I told you that if you purchased a home, you wouldn’t have to make any monthly payments on it? On top of this, I’d promise you that when the house was sold, you would get to keep all of the equity gain in the home.

10). Mortgage Qualification Problems - Low Appraisals
The real estate market in the United States is undeniably hot, hot, hot. This toward pace has resulted in an odd mortgage qualification problem - low appraisals. Here are your options if you get a low appraisal amount.

Appraisals

An appraisal is simply an effort by a qualified person to put a value on a property. The process involves a review of the property, other properties in the area and so on.

11). Mortgage Factors: Loan to Value
When applying for a home loan, there are a number of factors you have to take into account. Loan to value is one of the key issues that will determine whether you get that loan.

Mortgage Factors: Loan to Value

When considering an application for a mortgage, lenders look at a number of factors. Regardless of the type of loan, they always look at loan to value ratios.

12). Mortgages – Points and Interest Rates Go Hand in Hand
When it comes to mortgages, many people tend to look at points and interest rates as to separate issues. In fact, they can almost always be used as leverage against each other.

Points and Interest Rates

Two critical components of a home loan are the interest rate and points charged at the outset. The interest rate is simply the cost of borrowing the money and applies to the total amount borrowed, to wit, six percent for example.

13). Federal Reserve Bank – Controlling Mortgage Interest Rates
Homeowners often become very interested in the Federal Reserve Bank system. Every time the board of directors meets, mortgage interest rates are at risk.

Federal Reserve Bank

The Federal Reserve System acts as the central bank of the United States. Created in 1913, the Federal Reserve sets monetary and financial policies for the financial industry and trades currency with foreign countries.

14). Mortgage Brokers – The Nuts and Bolts
Using a mortgage broker to shop for home loans can make the borrowing process a lot less stressful than doing it yourself. Here are the nuts and bolts on getting a good broker.

Competent Mortgage Brokers

There are a couple of obvious situations where going with a mortgage broker makes perfect sense. If you have less than perfect credit, a mortgage broker is going to be able to open your eyes to numerous loan options a traditional bank would never tell you about.

15). Budget for Closing Costs – Prepaid Loan Interest and Home Insurance Premiums
Entering into escrow on a home can be both exciting and stressful. The excitement comes from knowing you are close to moving into the new home. The stress comes from issues that will arise.

Budget for Closing Costs – Prepaid Loan Interest and Home Insurance Premiums

As part of any closing, you need to go through certain steps to make sure you are both getting what you think you have purchased as well as paying for it.

16). Balloon Home Loans – Be Careful
In this modern economy, lenders provide loans tailored to just about any situation. Balloon loans are one such loan, but carry a serious downside if you’re not careful.

Balloon Loans

A balloon loan has nothing to do with hot air or floating around the world in 80 days. Fail to plan very carefully when using one of these loans, however, and your financial world will definitely go down in flame like the Hindenburg.

17). Figuring Out Whether You Can Afford That Home
House hunting can be a brutal affair, particularly if you don’t know what you can afford before hand. No your price range in advance and you can avoid looking at really nice homes you’ll never get. .

Mortgage – Monthly Payments

The biggest costs associated with owning a home is the mortgage. Unless you are filthy rich, you are committing to apportioning a significant amount of your monthly income to that dream home.

18). Selling Your Home - Don't Be A Victim
Selling your home can be a complex process. If you make mistakes, you may be unable to sell you home or have seller's remorse. There's no need for this if you keep in mind the following.

Overpricing Your Home

It's important to be realistic about the value of your home. Sellers should insist their realtors present them with objective criteria for pricing.

19). Subprime Mortgages – Information
Undoubtedly, you’ve heard the radio commercial claiming you can get a mortgage despite having bad credit. Bad credit mortgages are better known as subprime mortgages.

Subprime

“Subprime” is a euphemism for a borrower who simply doesn’t qualify for a traditional home mortgage. Subprime loans used to be very difficult to get, but things changed in the 1990’s.

20). Credit Repair – From C to A Paper
If you’ve ever applied for a home loan with less than stellar credit, you know how much extra you have to pay. Even though it can take some time, credit repair is definitely worth pursuing.

Credit Scores

When considering your application for a home loan, a financial institution looks at your credit and assigns it a score. In the industry, these scores are loosely referred to as a type of paper.

21). FHA Mortgages - Federal Housing Administration
The Federal Housing Administration has been helping Americans get loans for over 70 years. Here’s an overview of the Administration, better known as the FHA.

Federal Housing Administration

The Federal Housing Administration is, ironically, more of an insurer than anything else. The FHA does not provide mortgage loans to you and me. Instead, it insurers mortgage and home loans provided to us.

22). Adjustable Rate Mortgages – Determining Rates
Adjustable rate mortgages are to home buyers as carrots are to bunnies – very tempting. The secret to figuring out if an adjustable rate mortgage is a good deal is the rate index used.

Indexes – Setting Rates

Lenders really want your business and are willing to create enticing loan products to get it. Occasionally, lenders will offer adjustable rate mortgages that offer a lot of carrot on the front end, but none on the back end.

23). Commercial Real Estate Definitions - From A to N
Commercial real estate is distinctly different from residential real estate. The terminology is very different and here is a list of new terms from A to M.

Commercial Terms

According to Value: The value of the property when computing property taxes.

Build to Suit: A customized design and build approach for a single tenant space usually resulting in a single occupant building which is then leased or sold to the tenant.

24). Reverse Mortgages and Government Benefits
Reverse mortgages are increasing in popularity as a way to turn home equity into a liquid asset. Before you jump on a reverse mortgage, you need to understand the impact it can have on government benefits.

Reverse Mortgages and Government Benefits

The beauty of home ownership is found in the value of time. The longer you own a home, the more valuable it becomes to you as an asset.

25). Adjustable Rate Mortgages – Interest Rate Strategy
Over the last few years, many people squeezed into new homes using adjustable rate mortgages. With interest rates going up, you now need a new interest rate strategy

Adjustable Rate Mortgages – ARMs

Adjustable rate mortgages carry a bit of a gamble for home owners. Essentially, you trade smaller interest rates and lower initial payments on the gamble rates will not increase over time.

26). Understanding Mortgage-Backed Securities
The housing boom of the last seven years has been one of the biggest ever. Mortgage-backed securities are one reason for the torrid pace of real estate growth.

Understanding Mortgage-Backed Securities

A mortgage-backed security is essentially a bond. Investors purchase interests in the mortgage security and your monthly mortgage payment is the revenue earned from the security.

27). Adjustable Rate Mortgages and Negative Amortization
For many borrowers, adjustable rate mortgages are an attractive means of qualifying for a home. Fewer borrowers realize the potential negative amortization problems these loans can create.

Adjustable Rate Mortgages

Adjustable rate mortgages are very popular with home buyers. The popularity arises from the fact the initial interest rate on such loans is typically much less than one finds with fixed rate loans.

28). Picking A Home Loan – Short Term
You’ve found a home, your credit is in good shape and you have money for a down payment. So, how do you go about picking the right home loan for you?

Picking A Home Loan – Short Term

There are more than a few issues that go into picking a home loan. One of the key factors is the amount of time you intend to live in the residence. If you expect to sell within a few years, then picking a home loan for a short term scenario is going to be relatively easy.

29). Honey, I Eliminated The Mortgage Interest Deduction – Plan 2
A bipartisan committee has made two recommendations to President Bush regarding tax reform. In this article, we take a look at the second option.

Tax Reform

A year ago or so, President Bush decided to spend his political capitol on tax reform and fixing social security. Social security reform went down in flames, so now it is time to see if tax reform is an option.

30). Modular Homes - Affordable Housing
With soaring real estate prices, many Americans are looking to alternative home options. Modular homes are one of the popular affordable housing options.

Modular Homes

Modular homes represent almost 8% of all new U.S. home sales, with nearly 43,000 of them built in 2004 alone. In the Northeast today, 10% of the houses constructed are modular. It is primarily the states of North Carolina, Michigan and New York that make up the most popular locations for modular construction.

31). Fannie Mae – Supporting Homeownership Through Mortgages
The federal national mortgage association, better known as Fannie Mae, is an integral part of the mortgage industry. Here’s an overview on Fannie Mae and what it does.

Fannie Mae – Providing A Little Help

Throughout the history of the United States, federal and state governments have used financial programs to modify our behavior. While it sounds draconian, it is actually a fairly bland concept.

32). 30 Year vs. 15 Year Mortgages
Discussions of mortgages often focus on interest rates, but there is a much more basic decision to make. Should you go with a 30 year mortgage term or a 15 year mortgage term?

30 Year vs. 15 Year Mortgages

Any discussion of mortgages tends to turn on two points. How can you qualify for the most money with the lowest payment? How can you get the lowest interest rate for the mortgage? While these are two important issues, there is an addition one that people fail to consider, resulting in significant wasted money.

33). Ben Bernanke – Replacing Alan Greenspan
The reputation of Alan Greenspan as the Chairman of the Federal Reserve was one of brilliance or incredible luck. Now it is the turn of Ben Bernanke.

Ben Bernanke

Alan Greenspan reigned as Fed Chairman for nearly 20 years. During this time, the economy in the United States performed at fairly stable and consistent levels. Yes, there were recessions and stock market crashes, but these were minor hiccups in an otherwise solid economic run.

34). ARM – Adjustable Rate Mortgages
Traditionally, homebuyers could look to two forms of mortgages – fixed rate and adjustable mortgages. While there are now many more options, this article takes a look at the adjustable rate mortgage.

What is an ARM Loan?

An adjustable rate mortgage [“ARM”] is a basic mortgage with one important exception. With an ARM, your interest rate will start low but typically move up throughout the link of the loan.

35). Mortgage Refinancing Tips
As interest rates continue to creep upwards, many home owners are looking at refinancing options. Here are some mortgage refinancing tips.

Mortgage Refinancing Tips

Rates have been increasing steadily for the last six months. These increases are expected to continue into 2006. Such increases are putting pressure on homeowners who took out adjustable rate mortgages or have been borrowing money against a home equity line of credit.

36). Types of Mortgage Loans – The Basics
In the past, homebuyers more or less had limited mortgage loan options. These days, there are more options than you can shake a stick at, but here’s a primer on the basics.

Mortgage Loans

With the real estate market explosion over the last 10 years, a call has gone out for unique mortgage loan programs. Bankers have been more than happy to answer the call.

37). Home Loan Pre-Qualification vs. Pre-Approval
Once you've decided to buy a property, the first step is not to go house hunting. Instead, you should find out what you can borrow. In doing so, it is important to understand the difference between loan qualification and approval.

Pre-Qualified

Getting pre-qualified for a home loan carries little if any weight when it comes to actually getting the loan issued.

38). Honey, I Shrunk The Mortgage Interest Deduction – Plan 1
The political landscape this year has been nothing but ugly. It promises to come to full boil with the proposed tax reform eliminating or reducing the mortgage interest deduction.

Tax Reform or Raising Taxes

There is an old saying about the two political parties. Democrats raise taxes while Republicans reform taxes. In both instances, we end up paying more money.

39). Getting Pre-Approved for a Mortgage Makes Buying Easy
Whether buying or selling a home, the real estate transaction process can be seriously stressful. Hey, no pain, no gain. Getting pre-approved for a mortgage can seriously reduce stress levels.

Lender Approval

Many people make the mistake of going house hunting without knowing exactly how a large a mortgage they can get. This leads to incredible frustration when a dream home is found, but you can’t get a loan.

40). Real Estate Boom To End? - No!
The naysayers are proclaiming the end of the real estate boom once again. Once again, they are wrong.

Boom, Boom, Boom

In recent years, it's impossible to turn on the television or read the headlines without seeing a warning of impending doom. Experts claims there is a housing bubble and it is about to burst. Should first-time and move-up homebuyers be concerned? No.

41). An Overview of the Mortgage Process
House hunting can be an exhilarating process as you try to pick that perfect property. Applying for a mortgage isn’t nearly as much fun. Following is an overview of how the mortgage industry works.

An Overview of the Mortgage Process

You have a nice chunk of money saved away for a down payment. You have started shopping for a home or have found the perfect property.

42). Reasons to Refinance Your Home
Many people will take whatever mortgage they can get when trying to purchase a home. Sooner or later, you will start wondering if you can get a better deal. Welcome to the world of refinance.

Reasons to Refinance Your Home

Traditional mortgages are like any other loan in one important respect. You can pay them off early, although mortgages will sometimes have prepayment penalties for the first few years of the loan.

43). Home Loan Basics
If you’re getting ready to apply for your first home loan, you’re going to need to understand the home loan basics.

Home Loan Basics

When you go to apply for a home loan, you need to understand the terminology. Let’s start with the most basic of terms.

1. Principal – The principal is simply the amount you borrow to move into the home of your desires.

44). Tax Reform – Limit of Mortgage Tax Deduction
A committee appointed by President Bush has come up with an alarming recommendation. They want to limit the tax deduction for mortgage interest!

Reform

Following his re-election, President Bush set up an aggressive agenda in which he hoped to reform social security and the tax code amongst other things. As with many things in the political world, this sounded easier done than it really was.

45). Mortgage Qualification Problems - Not Enough Income
Qualifying for a mortgage can be a stressful affair. A common problem that can occur is not having enough income to qualify for the loan amount. If you have this problem, here are a few possible solutions.

Mortgage Creativity

You find the house of your dreams and need to get a home loan. You have great credit, almost no debt and have been employed for five years with the same company.

46). Adjustable Rate Mortgages – Talking About Interest Rate Caps
Many people have jumped on adjustable rate mortgages to take advantage of the historically low interest rates we have seen over the last few years. Rates are now rising, which means you need to understand caps.

Adjustable Rate Mortgages – Talking About Interest Rate Caps

An adjustable rate mortgage is just what it sounds like. The interest rate can be adjusted to match certain interest rate standards.

47). Commercial Real Estate Definitions - From O to Z
Commercial real estate is distinctly different from residential real estate. The terminology is very different and here is a list of new terms from O to Z.

Commercial Terms

Operating Expenses: Just as it sounds, operating expenses are those costs associated with operating a commercial property. Contract and state law typically govern the exact nature of the operating expenses.

48). Alan Greenspan – A Retrospective
No one person has been praised or criticized for the economic progress of the United States over the last 20 years than Alan Greenspan. Here’s his story.

Alan Greenspan

Alan Greenspan has led a prolific life in the financial industry. Many people consider him the single most powerful person in the country. With his February retirement approaching, let’s take a look at this very interesting man.

49). Bridge Loans – From One Home to the Next
You’ve lived in your home for some time and circumstances such as an expanding family mean you need a new one. This brings up the subject of bridge loans.

From Here to There

You have two basic options when you are considering selling one home to move to another. The first option is to sell your home, make sure it closes and then find a new one. This is by far the safest option.

50). Mortgage Borrowing Tip - Length of Loan
When borrowing money for a mortgage, homebuyers are primarily concerned with simply qualifying. Still, paying attention to the length of the loan is a borrowing tip that can save you a ton of money.

Home Loans

In the mortgage industry, the length of your loan used to be the only major issue you had to deal with. How times have changed! In the current market, the variety of loans that exist are simply stunning.

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