How You Refinance Matters » home financing

Forbes Top Mortgage Companies

Robert Regehr — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 15:00:31 +0000

Forbes recently ranked their list of top mortgage companies of the year. Surprisingly, they’re nearly all banks. As you might know from watching my free Underground Mortgage Videos, banks are exempt from the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act and do not always have your best interests at heart when refinancing your mortgage. Banks routinely add [...]

Forbes Top Mortgage Companies is a post from Robert Regehr's Mortgage Refinancing Blog.

Origination Fee and Points

Robert Regehr — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 21:38:40 +0000

Here are several tips to help you avoid excessive points and fees when refinancing AND save you thousands of dollars in the process.

Origination Fee and Points is a post from Robert Regehr's Mortgage Refinancing Blog.

P.O.C Mortgage

Robert Regehr — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 01:08:27 +0000

If you are in the process of refinancing your mortgage you might encounter POC charges. POC stands for “Paid Outside of Closing” and is a fee paid to your mortgage broker. Why does your broker receive this money and should you be concerned about how it affects your mortgage rate? Here are several tips to [...]

P.O.C Mortgage is a post from Robert Regehr's Mortgage Refinancing Blog.

How to Read Your HUD-1 Settlement Statement

Robert Regehr — Sat, 05 Jan 2008 22:39:34 +0000

If you’re in the process of closing on a new mortgage loan to purchase your home or refinance an existing mortgage, you might find the paperwork provided confusing and misleading. You may have already received a copy of the Good Faith Estimate from your discount mortgage broker and are finding that the actual closing costs [...]

How to Read Your HUD-1 Settlement Statement is a post from Robert Regehr's Mortgage Refinancing Blog.

Yield Spread Premium for Dummies

Robert Regehr — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 22:46:34 +0000

Many homeowners have never heard of Yield Spread Premium and do not understand why their mortgage rate is marked up. Yield Spread Premium sounds complicated; however, once you understand why it’s there, you can avoid paying this unnecessary markup. Cutting the fat from your mortgage rate by as little as a quarter point can lower [...]

Yield Spread Premium for Dummies is a post from Robert Regehr's Mortgage Refinancing Blog.

Wholesale Mortgage Lenders

Robert Regehr — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 19:20:33 +0000

If you are in the market for a new mortgage either to purchase your home or refinance an existing loan, you might wonder if a wholesale lender could save you money. Most homeowners in the United States do not understand how the mortgage markets work and are unable to take advantage of wholesale rates even [...]

Wholesale Mortgage Lenders is a post from Robert Regehr's Mortgage Refinancing Blog.

Three Day Rescission When Refinancing Your Mortgage

Robert Regehr — Tue, 14 Aug 2007 20:29:54 +0000

Most homeowners have heard about rescission but do not understand how it works. The three day rescission allows you time to review all of your documents after closing to make sure the loan you got is the mortgage you were promised. You have until midnight on the third day to cancel your loan for any [...]

Three Day Rescission When Refinancing Your Mortgage is a post from Robert Regehr's Mortgage Refinancing Blog.

Mortgage Refinancing Problems

Robert Regehr — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 19:22:03 +0000

Mortgage foreclosures are on the rise and lenders are tightening up their standards for approving loans. If you’re in the market to refinance your mortgage there are several problems you’ll want to avoid. You may have seen in the news that lenders are taking a beating because of the collapse of the bad credit or [...]

Mortgage Refinancing Problems is a post from Robert Regehr's Mortgage Refinancing Blog.

Mortgage Refinance and Your FICO Credit Score

Robert Regehr — Thu, 03 May 2007 00:05:41 +0000

Before applying to refinance your home mortgage loan it is important to take stock of your credit reports and check for any inaccuracies. Your credit score is derived from your credit reports and any inaccurate or negative information will have a significant impact on your FICO score and the mortgage rate you will qualify. Here [...]

Mortgage Refinance and Your FICO Credit Score is a post from Robert Regehr's Mortgage Refinancing Blog.

How to Negotiate With Mortgage Brokers

Robert Regehr — Fri, 05 Jan 2007 00:51:12 +0000

If you are considering refinancing with a mortgage broker, negotiating with your broker is an important part of choosing the right loan for your situation. Here are several tips to help you negotiate with mortgage brokers and avoid overpaying for your next mortgage. Before choosing a mortgage broker you need to make sure that person [...]

How to Negotiate With Mortgage Brokers is a post from Robert Regehr's Mortgage Refinancing Blog.

Mortgage Refinancing: How to Read Your Good Faith Estimate

Robert Regehr — Thu, 23 Nov 2006 00:27:16 +0000

When comparison shopping for a new mortgage loan, it is important to compare everything about the loans, not just the interest rates. Many borrowers assume choosing the loan with the best interest rate ensures them a good deal when mortgage refinancing; however, these homeowners often overlook lender fees and closing costs. The best way to [...]

Mortgage Refinancing: How to Read Your Good Faith Estimate is a post from Robert Regehr's Mortgage Refinancing Blog.

Refinance Mortgage Loan: Why You Should Never Take a Mortgage From Your Bank

Robert Regehr — Fri, 27 Oct 2006 00:48:48 +0000

When RESPA legislation was passed to protect homeowners from predatory lending practices, the banking industry intensely lobbied to be exempt from mandatory disclosure laws, and they succeeded. Because of this lobby, your bank is not required to disclose to you what their profit margin is on your new mortgage loan. Banks in the United States [...]

Refinance Mortgage Loan: Why You Should Never Take a Mortgage From Your Bank is a post from Robert Regehr's Mortgage Refinancing Blog.

Sub Prime Mortgage Loans: What You Need to Know About Bad Credit Mortgages

Robert Regehr — Thu, 24 Aug 2006 00:08:55 +0000

For many individuals with poor credit home ownership feels out of reach. This is simply not true; people with bad credit can still qualify for competitive mortgage rates, you just need to know how to do it. If you are a homebuyer with poor credit you may need to secure your mortgage from a specialized [...]

Sub Prime Mortgage Loans: What You Need to Know About Bad Credit Mortgages is a post from Robert Regehr's Mortgage Refinancing Blog.

Mortgage Refinancing: Avoid Paying Unnecessary Lender Fees

Robert Regehr — Wed, 16 Aug 2006 23:57:21 +0000

If you are currently shopping for a new mortgage you want to avoid overpaying lender fees for the new loan. Using the Good Faith Estimate can help you avoid overpaying lender fees and closing costs for your new mortgage. If you neglect to review the Good Faith Estimate from your lender you could be throwing [...]

Mortgage Refinancing: Avoid Paying Unnecessary Lender Fees is a post from Robert Regehr's Mortgage Refinancing Blog.

Paying Points for a Lower Mortgage Interest Rate

Robert Regehr — Sat, 01 Apr 2006 00:43:15 +0000

Mortgage Points are pre-paid interest payments made to your mortgage lender at closing. A point is 1% of the mortgage loan value. If your lender requires you to pay 3 points on a $150,000 mortgage for example, your payment would be $4,500.00 Points are a fee you pay in exchange for a lower interest rate. [...]

Paying Points for a Lower Mortgage Interest Rate is a post from Robert Regehr's Mortgage Refinancing Blog.

Mortgage Loan to Value Ratio

Robert Regehr — Wed, 29 Mar 2006 00:12:22 +0000

When you apply for a mortgage loan or refinance, the lender will consider a number of factors when evaluating your situation. One of the key factors is the loan to value ratio. Loan to value ratio is a ratio of the value of your property against the mortgage amount. To calculate this yourself divide the [...]

Mortgage Loan to Value Ratio is a post from Robert Regehr's Mortgage Refinancing Blog.

Mortgages for Dummies

Robert Regehr — Tue, 14 Mar 2006 05:46:01 +0000

As a homeowner you may be interested in lowering your monthly mortgage payment or cashing out equity in your home. If you currently have an adjustable interest rate mortgage and are worried about your monthly payments going up, now is the time to refinance to a fixed interest rate loan. Lower Your Monthly Mortgage Payments [...]

Mortgages for Dummies is a post from Robert Regehr's Mortgage Refinancing Blog.

Mortgage, Escrow, and You

Robert Regehr — Sun, 18 Sep 2005 19:45:08 +0000

If you are in the process of refinancing your mortgage or taking out a second mortgage you many be required to make payments to an escrow account. What the heck is escrow anyway? If you’ve made escrow payments before, you might think that escrow payments are a method for letting someone else take your money [...]

Mortgage, Escrow, and You is a post from Robert Regehr's Mortgage Refinancing Blog.

Mortgage Refinance Fee Limits

Robert Regehr — Sun, 14 Aug 2005 02:21:14 +0000

In a victory for consumer advocates and the state, a federal appellate court ruled Friday that California’s limits on mortgage interest charges are not preempted by federal law. The ruling reverses a decision made more than two years ago by U.S. District Judge Garland E. Burrell Jr. in Sacramento. He found that California’s so-called “per [...]

Mortgage Refinance Fee Limits is a post from Robert Regehr's Mortgage Refinancing Blog.