Michael Mullin's Mortgage Musings

I'd like to extend an invitation to come out and help a very special young man this Saturday from 8:30am to 3:00pm. Boy Scout Connor Coates from Nine Mile Falls' Troop 19 will be coordinating a huge clean up project at John H. Shields Park.  For details CLICK HERE. Part of the work involves sand ...

I'm going to share a secret with you - my allowance is $60 per month.  That's right - $60 dollars to spend on dinning out, movies, coffee, and anything else I may want to treat myself to. I wasn't always this frugal. In fact, my family can overspend with the best of them!  Fortunately my wife and...

Seems every day brings to light another bizarre angle to this incredible mess - today I was made aware of the web site You Walk Away. Are they legit and can they help distressed homeowners?  I have no idea! I can tell you that if you are considering "walking away" from your home you had better co...

This is a continuation of my thoughts around the article Tracing The Collapse of WaMu published in the Spokesman-Review. In the mid 1990’s American Savings Bank and Great Western were niche lenders known for two products – the negative amortization loan (Option Arm is the “common” name for this p...

Steven Jacobs of the Associated Press penned an article under this title and it appeared in various newspapers and online sources.  To read the entire article CLICK HERE. Tying the $700 Billion bailout plan to the housing problem is a smoke screen and driving me crazy. Yes, there is a huge proble...

Forwarding a Saturday Night Live skit is not something I'd normally do but this is just so funny (as if a $700 Billion Bailout can be funny) I can't pass up the opportunity. You can view the skit on the NBC website HERE. Everyone needs to start the work week with a good laugh! Happy Monday!

A couple of items in today’s Spokesman-Review article on WaMu’s collapse offers clues not only to WaMu’s demise but to the current lending mess in general. The first item is WaMu’s purchase of American Savings Bank and Great Western in the late 1990’s. I worked for a competing bank during those y...

Spokane has been chosen one of the 100 Best Communities in America for young people, as judged by America’s Promise Alliance. What an encouraging endorsement of our community! Unfortunately it’s buried on page B4 of The Spokesman-Review so most people probably missed it. Why is it we give such li...

HR 3221 has passed and as of October 1st of 2008 there will be no more Nehemiah, AmeriDream, and other down payment assistance programs that have been so important to helping people buy their first home. Please take 3 minutes to watch my message and then take action to write your representatives ...

  Following is an announcement I jsut received from the Nehemiah Corp regards the imminent ceasation of their extremely successful down payment assistance program. If you have a loan that is dependent upon this program I'd be very concerned.  Other news articles I've read today state the program ...