The VA Funding Fee is an essential component of the VA home loan program, and is a requirement of any Veteran taking advantage of this zero down payment government loan program. This fee ranges from 1.25% to 3.3% of the …
Why Do I Need Mortgage Insurance?
Mortgage Insurance, sometimes referred to as Private Mortgage Insurance, is required by lenders on conventional home loans if the borrower is financing more than 80% Loan-To-Value. According to Wikipedia: Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI) is insurance payable to a lender or …
Understanding An Amortization Schedule
By committing to a mortgage loan, the borrower is entering into a financial agreement with a lender to pay back the mortgage money, with interest, over a set period of time. The borrower’s monthly mortgage payment may change over time …
How Do I Calculate My Mortgage Payment Without Using A Mortgage Calculator?
Calculating an exact mortgage payment without a calculator on a loan is no small task, but there are some simple rules-of-thumb you can use to get a close estimate. With the exception of the MIT Blackjack Team, performing this type …
Do I Have To Continue Making My Mortgage Payment If My Lender Goes Bankrupt?
When mortgage lenders go out of business and are essentially taken over by the FDIC, homeowners are left wondering if they still need to make a monthly payment. Great thought, and a very common question for many borrowers in the …
Shopping For A Hazard Insurance Policy
When shopping for a hazard insurance policy, something called “bundling” can actually save you quite a bit of money that most people aren’t aware of. Many of the big insurance companies price their insurance rates to attract a particular segment …
Ten Things You Can Do To Protect Your Identity
Facts About Identity Theft: It’s estimated that there were 10 million victims of identity theft in 2008, and 1 in every 10 U.S. consumers have reported having their identity stolen. The U.S. Department of Justice reported in 2005 that 1.6 …
Is There A Rule-of-Thumb Regarding The Number Of Credit Lines To Have Open?
While the actual credit score has a big impact on a loan approval, it’s not the only component of the credit scenario that underwriters consider for a mortgage approval. Since loan programs, individual lenders and mortgage insurance companies all have …
Alternate Sources For Establishing Credit
While the basic Rule-of-Thumb for acceptable credit history is a minimum of four trade lines documented on a credit report, there are alternative methods of building a credit picture that an underwriter can use to make a decision for a …