Mortgage Insurance

Down Payment or Invest?

If you could pay for a home with cash without getting mortgage financing, would you?  Should you?  That decision is both an emotional one and a financial one.  Let’s look at a recent example…
We received a call from a potential customer, referred to us by a real estate agent we work with, who was looking [...]

FHA Changes 2010

Lots of changes coming down from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) on FHA Mortgage Loans.  Here is a quick snapshot of what is changing in 2010:

90 Day Flipping Rule Waiver (Feb 1)
Up-front Mortgage Insurance Premium Increase from 1.75% to 2.25% (Apr 5)
10% Down Payment Required for Credit Scores < 580 (Summer)
Max Seller [...]

Get Rid of My Mortgage Insurance

Nobody wants mortgage insurance.  The only reason people get mortgage insurance is to provide the opportunity to buy a home without a 20% down payment.  People went as far as doing 80/20 (80% 1st mortgage and a 20% second mortgage) financing to avoid paying mortgage insurance, even if the payment ended up a little higher.  [...]