Posts Tagged ‘Market’

VA home loans in today's market

January 1st, 2011

Many service men and women, along with their fellow Americans, are often asking themselves – when is the right time to buy a house? The common misconception seems to be that now is not the right time to buy. This is unfortunate, because that simply is not the case.

Contrary to what many people seem to think, it’s a very good time for all Americans to buy or refinance their home.

The main reasons why it’s a great time to buy are: Historically low mortgage rates, reduced home prices and an increase of bank owned properties. Veterans and active members of the military get to add another reason to their list – the VA loan.

The VA loan is one of the top benefits of military service and can be used to purchase or build a new home or refinance your current home in order to lower your monthly payment or make home improvements.

VA loans are one of the best loan programs out there because they almost always require no down payment, have flexible credit and documentation requirements and have a streamline refinance option, allowing service-members to lower their payment quickly with a reduced funding fee.

If you only look at the market, there is no question – the time is right to buy or refinance with a VA loan. But a lot of veterans and active members of the military are also asking themselves if the time is right for them on a personal level. This question is not as easy to answer.

If you’re thinking about shopping for a home, make sure your life and finances are stable enough to commit to a home purchase. If they are, don’t get discouraged by the home buying process. You may find and lose your first “dream” home. Don’t worry – there will be another house out there that will meet all of your needs. If your life seems too hectic at the moment, that doesn’t necessarily mean you shouldn’t seek the stability that homeownership can bring. The right home loan expert to help make the process easy and painless.

Only you know whether it is the right time to buy a home with a VA loan. Be sure to discuss all your financial and personal reasons, educated home loan expert. When it feels right, it usually is.

Despite depressed domestic market, loan program Virginia Stands Strong

December 9th, 2010

In the current economy, many homeowners have not been fairing well. Homeowners who cannot make their monthly mortgage payments are becoming delinquent on their mortgages and facing possible foreclosures on their homes. But in the midst of the mortgage crisis, the VA loan program has still been successful. VA loans, which are exclusively available to veterans and men and women serving in the military, provide multiple benefits to borrowers that enable them to finance their homes and stay grounded in the struggling home market.

VA Loans Have Lower Delinquency Rates Compared to Other Home Loans

This type of financing remains a popular option for qualified applicants who want to finance their home in an affordable way. In 2009, the Department of Veteran Affairs guaranteed 325,673 VA loans, proving that the sinking economy was no match for the program. These loans have a delinquency rate of only 5 percent. This is quite low when compared to the delinquency of other types of home loans, which are as high as 30 percent! This shows that the VA must be doing something right with its home mortgage program to be able to maintain such a low delinquency rate.

Why VA Loans Continue to Be Successful

VA loans offer many benefits to both current homeowners and prospective homeowners that allow them to save money upfront and over the life of the loan. This type of financing is unique in that it does not require borrowers to make a down payment on purchases. Many lenders are reluctant to offer this type of incentive because they consider it to be risky in this unstable housing market. The elimination of the down payment saves first-time home buyers thousands of dollars in out-of-pocket costs, which allows them to have more money for other expenses associated with buying a home. Homeowners who already have a mortgage can refinance their loan into a VA loan to receive a lower rate, cash or to consolidate their debt!

Currently, mortgage rates are at historical lows, which makes now a great time for individuals to get a VA loan. Compared to other types of home loans, these loans can offer even lower rates. With a low rate, homeowners can reduce their monthly mortgage payment and have more money available for other expenses. This type of financing also does not require mortgage insurance, so borrowers can save even more money over time.

Eligible Applicants Should Take Advantage of This Great Opportunity!

This type of financing is also easy to use because it has lenient credit and income requirements; applicants do not have to have perfect credit to be eligible! This is good news for those who may have been turned down for a conventional loan. Applicants will need to have a credit score of at least 620, and they must have gone a year without overdue payments. Consider funding a VA loan to get a low rate and save money! Interested veterans and service members need to speak with a loan specialist to learn all its features and how they can get started today!

My Home Value Has Decreased Is There A Loan Modification To Adjust My Payments To Reflect Market Value?

February 15th, 2010

I have found loan modification that will lower my interest rate, but I’d like the amount of my loan lowered or forgiven. If there are program that does this?

There are many different types of home loans and mortgage loans on the market

February 4th, 2010

Everyday the home loan market launches new products. As a result there is hundreds if not thousands of choices and it can be overwhelming if you need to choose a home loan.

Basically, they can be broken down into the following 8 types.

1. Standard variable home loan (with 100% offset)

2. Basic variable home loan

3. Fixed rate home loan

4. Low-doc home loan

5. Introductory home loan

6. Line of credit mortgage

7. Non – conforming home loan

8. No deposit home loan

When looking out for a home loan, which home loan is going to suit your requirements?

You can get online and use a mortgage calculator to give you an indication of how much it will cost to have a home loan and what the repayments will be. This is a very useful tool to estimate if you can afford a loan or not.

This indicates the major types of loans available. The important thing when looking for a loan is to ensure you know what you are signing up for and you are comfortable with being able to make the repayments.

If you are pushing your finances to the limit with a high repayment amount you should be very careful as you don’t want to default on the loan and give yourself a bad credit rating.

You should consider a fixed interest rate if you are at the upper end of your limit as this will then make sure that your repayment amounts don’t change. If you choose a variable loan and your repayments are taking up a major portion of your salary, then if interest rates rise you really will struggle to be able to make your repayments. The last thing you want is the bank coming around to your house and asking for it back.

So make sure you do your research when looking for a loan. There are so many opportunities online that it is worth investigating all your options online as well as seeing your local bank.

What Is A Bridge Loan? We Have Our House On The Market And Want To Put An Offer On A Brand New Bank Owned Home

January 17th, 2010

We cannot afford 2 mortgages but love the bank owned home. They of course will not accept contigency offers. Is a bridge loan a good idea or are there other financing options out there? Or do we just be patient and wait until our home sells and possibly miss out on the deal? Thanks!