1st Step To Buying a Home… Know Your Credit Score
Knowing your credit score or getting a recent copy of your credit report is one of the first steps that you can take toward knowing how ready you are to start the home buying process.
Make sure all the information listed on your report is accurate and work to correct any mistakes. The higher your credit score, the more likely you will be to receive a better interest rate for your mortgage. This will translate into more ‘home for your money.’
Many potential buyers believe that they need a 750 FICO® Score or higher to be able to purchase a home. The truth is that according to Ellie Mae’s Origination Report, over 53% of loans were approved with a FICO® score under 750 last month!
Here are some tips for improving your credit score:
- Make payments, including rent, credit cards, and car loans, on time.
- Keep your spending to no more than 30% of your limit on credit cards.
- Pay down high-balance credit cards to lower balances, and consider balance transfers to free up credit.
- Check for errors on your credit report and work toward fixing them.
- Shop for mortgage rates within a 30-day period — too many spread-out inquiries can lower your score.
- Work with a credit counselor or a lender to improve your score.
The bottom line…
Once you know your score, your next step will be finding a lender and getting pre-approved for a mortgage. Doing this will ensure that you know your budget before you start looking for your dream home.
Want to Buy a home? Text Buy to (714)880-8875
We’ll send you our latest E-Book: Things to Consider When Buying A Home
Walking away from your home…Short Sales are an alternative
In some areas, you have a homeowner on either side of you that's in a situation of "negative equity." According to economists, it's not going to get any better for a while....How long will it be before the housing market bottoms out is up for interpretation. Let's say...
Old Video…Pre Short Sale Days
Man...this is old!
DiTech Closes Headquarters in Costa Mesa, CA
The one time behemouth DiTech...part of GMAC closed it's operation yesterday February 03, just as the Tresuary pumps another $3.8 billion into finaniciers open wounds. These cutbacks by parent GMAC are in an effort to reduce 300 postitions and balance out it's big...
Short Sale 2nds Taking Illegal Kick Backs
Banks Taking Kick Backs Kim and I run across this all the time. IT IS ILLEGAL Most recently we have been requested from Citi and Bank of America Negotiator did not care...It's clearly in violation of REPA laws. FASLO Solutions is another violator...they go as far as...
Jim Cramer Speaks "Shadow Inventory" and Making a Profit
Shadow Inventory of Homes...How to profit? Jim Cramer says...
Short Sell Your Home…It's a Business Decision…VIDEO
Short Sell your home...it's a business decision!
DSNEWS Endorses Short Sales as The Alternative to Foreclosures
Default Servicing News has highlighted Short Sales as the alternative to foreclosure... HAFA (Homes Affordable Foreclosure Alternatives) ...a build on HAMP, was introduced November 2009. It is a tremendous stride forward to protect the American Homeowner who is in a...
Laguna Niguel Distressed Property At 50% Decline In Home Value…Short Sale!
I'm sure that many of you reading this will relate to what has happened in a lovely Laguna Niguel neighborhood over the past year. Because it's most likely happened to you or someone you know. We wanted to take some time and share this because so many homeowners are...
FHA Guidelines Buying A Home After A Short Sale
The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) released a letter to lenders regarding borrower eligibility for a new Federal Housing Administration (FHA) mortgage after pursuing a short sale. Here is the actual language from the new FHA Guidelines: FHA Guidance...
Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and Ginnie Mae Own 95% of Home Loans
The US Government probably owns your home mortgage loan according to a letter released by the Federal Reserve Bank. The huge resurgence of FHA loans is one of the reasons for the increases from 50% in 2006. Also, the fact that these governmental organization are...
Breaking News from the Treasury about Short Sales
Mortgage Modification Conversion Drive: New Changes: * Lenders to PRE-APPROVE short sales. * Lenders must FULLY RELEASE borrowers from any future obligation (no more deficiency judgment fear!) * No more money out of pocket demands from second lien holders….or any...
Housing Market…Robert J. Shiller; Case/Shiller Index
2010….real estate recovery or more of the same? This week we will be sharing with you what a few on the nations most influential leaders think will happen this year with housing. First up, Mr. Robert J. Shiller…co-creator of the respected S&P/ Case Shiller Home...
HAFA…Short Sales Are Preffered by Lenders Over a Foreclosure!
Short Sales are the new buzz word for home owners and their LENDERS..... Homeowners have been turning to Short Sales the past several years to help them avoid foreclosure, although it's not been altogether easy it's been working for most sellers that have gone down...
Owe More Than It's Worth…Short Sell Your Home Today in Newport Beach
If you owe more on your home than it is worth...call us. 877-391-2338 We can assist you in selling your home in any state in the country.
Tax Credit Bill Passed for New Home Buyers…and Move Ups
As promised….here are the details for the home buyer tax credit. It’s official. President Obama has signed a bill that extends the tax credit for first-time homebuyers (FTHBs) into the first half of 2010. This program had been scheduled to expire on November 30, 2009....
Senate Overwhelmingly Approves Homebuyer Tax Credit Extension
As predicted, the Senate approved the extension of the Home Buyers Tax Credit until April 2010. The approval is as follows: $8,000.00 for 1st time buyers added $6,500.00 for "Move-up" buyers An increase in qualified incomes were doubled from $75,000.00 to $125,000.00...
Short Sell and Buy Another Home At the Same time! It's Here!
The proceeding story is copy write protected: Breaking News*********Kim and I will be talking about this program this week on our coaching calls with Harris Real Estate University Sign up and Log in to the Thursday Call 10:00AM PST As our subscribers know...Kim and I...
Bank of America/Countrywide Streamlining Short Sale Process
BofA (Countrywide) have begun utilizing the Equator system (REOTRANS) to streamline the short sale process. This is great news for all homeowners that are strapped with a one of the formidable Countrywide Short Sales. We learned of this about 6 weeks ago and we are...