Mortgage markets lost ground last week on inflation concerns and a general feeling that "the worst may be over" on Wall Street. As investors moved money into the stock market, mortgage rates ticked higher for the second straight week.The biggest story from last week was the rising cost of gasolin
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04/29/2008
RealtyTrac released Q1 2008 foreclosure statistics and the data follows an interesting statistical phenomenon most commonly known as the "80/20 Rule".The 80/20 Rule states that 80 percent of the effects come from 20 percent of the causes.In this case, 80 percent of bank repossessions in the first
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04/29/2008
Let me share a narrative from another industry that resonates with the mortgage industry. In his book, Blown to Bits, Philip Evans tells a fascinating tale about the evolution of Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc. The company built a dominant brand (Your family owned a complete set of Britannica’s, ri
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04/26/2008
Newspaper headlines rarely tell the full story and today's papers provide a terrific example. From the Baltimore Sun (and others): New-home sales lowest since 19918.5% March decline exceeds forecasts; prices also tumble As always, there's more to the story than the headline. The Census Bureau re
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04/25/2008
More than 130 million Americans will receive tax rebates this year as part of Congress' $168 billion economic stimulus package. Payments begin in about two weeks and range from $600 for individuals to $1,200 for couples, plus an additional $300 per child. Not everyone is eligible for a full reba
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04/24/2008
The National Association of REALTORS released its Existing Home Sales report for March 2008. An "existing home" is one that is not considered new construction. A sub-headline in the report showed that the median sales price of all homes sold in March increased by 2.5 percent to $200,700. But don
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04/24/2008
- Max of 4 properties financed including the subject for both 2nd homes and investment properties.- Min 6 months seasoning on a cashout- If you do a cashout followed by a rate/term, there is a 6 month seasoning on the cashout before you can rate/term itThings are getting uglier by the day for inv
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04/24/2008
Tips for Rebuilding Credit:• If you must buy a car, focus on transportation as opposed to style. Buy an inexpensive, used car, and try to get a loan for it. It’s a good idea to figure out what your budget allows in terms of a dollar amount first. This means obtaining financing prior to looking
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04/22/2008
Here are some additional steps you can take to make the bankruptcy process as painless as possible:• Save all paperwork regarding your bankruptcy, and keep it organized. This will prove beneficial after your bankruptcy as you now have all of the pertinent information in one place. Also, be sur
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04/22/2008
Bankruptcy is an uncomfortable subject for a variety of reasons. The most obvious is the potential havoc it can wreak on your finances. Running a close second is the negative stigma which is often attached to the process. This negativity is important to mention because strong emotions can sometim
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04/22/2008
