Coming Soon : New, Mandatory Loan Fees For All Conforming Mortgages

New g-fees threaten low mortgage ratesBeginning as soon as next week, new, mandatory mortgage fees will push mortgage rates higher throughout Sacramento and nationwide. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are raising their respective “guarantee fees”.

Guarantee fees are fees that mortgage-backed securities providers charge to lenders for mortgage-related services including the bundling, selling and reporting of mortgage-backed bonds.  Continue reading

California Home Values up 4% – What About Sacramento?

The housing market recovery appears to turning the corner, but Sacramento is behind the curve and still playing catch-up.

According to the Federal Housing Finance Agency’s Home Price Index, home prices rose by a seasonally adjusted 0.7 percent between May and June 2012. The index is now up 3.0% over the past 12 months, and made its biggest quarterly gain since 2005 last quarter. Continue reading

How Will Buying or Leasing a Car Affect My Mortgage?

Should you lease a new car, or should you buy one? Like most financial questions, the answer depends on your situation. For some people, leasing a car presents distinct economic advantages. For others, buying a car is the way to go. Continue reading

Are Mortgage Standards Starting to Loosen?

Fed Senior Loan Officer SurveyThe nation’s biggest banks have started to loosen mortgage lending guidelines. Is this another signal of an improving U.S. economy?

As reported by the Federal Reserve, last quarter, no “big banks” reported stricter mortgage standards as compared to the quarter prior and “modest fractions” of banks reported easier mortgage standards.  Continue reading

HELP For Homeowners Underwater and What About New Homebuyers?

One month after posting a multi-year high, the Pending Home Sales Index retreated to 99.3 in June — a strong reading in its own right.

At the same time, millions of homeowners find themselves underwater, unable to refinance and take advantage of these historic low rates.

There is help now – click here !

And more help maybe on the way – click here ! Continue reading