12 FebIs it Double Dipping?

On February 17, 2009, in Denver, President Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).  This bill had substantial changes to the federal First-Time Home Buyer Tax Credit, including eliminating the 15-year repayment obligation of the Borrower which was part of the 2008 Housing and Economic Recovery Act (HERA). However, and most pertinent, Section 1006 [...]

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05 FebWhy Buy Now?

We generally write about specific programs, changes and situations, but I want to recap some of the thingsI feel are important to consider in today’s market.  Let’s look at the reasons to buy now. Long term mortgage rates are at 20-30 year lows According to Freddie Mac, in a press release yesterday, the average rate on a 30-year fixed [...]

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01 FebFannie Mae Announces 3.5% Seller Assistance

Fannie Mae released the news on January 28, 2010 that they are offering a 3.5% incentive  for buyers who purchase and close on a Fannie Mae owned home between January 28 and April 30, 2010.  Buyers purchasing properties listed on the HomePath website that are closed within this period may receive up to 3.5% of the [...]

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01 FebCHFA FirstStep NOW Available

On January 28 we first told you about CHFA’s FirstStep and FirstStep Plus programs that were going to be available February 1, 2010.  It is now February 1 and we wanted to let you know the details of the program. CHFA FirstStep Through the sale of non-taxable mortgage revenue bonds, CHFA is able to offer [...]

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28 JanCHFA Changes

Colorado Housing and Finance Authority, commonly known as CHFA, has made a few notable changes we wanted to make sure our readers were aware of. FirstStep & FirstStep Plus No Gifts Allowed for Minimum Contribution No Cosigners Allowed Non-Traditional Credit Must Be Added to Credit Report Risk Score Card No Grossing Up Income 1.  FirstStep [...]

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15 JanDrop Your Rate from 5.5% to 4% – NO JOKE!

Would you like to drop your mortgage rate from 5.5% to 4%?  Crazy question, right?  In Colorado, qualified homebuyers can apply for the Colorado Housing and Finance Authority (CHFA) Mortgage Credit Certificate (MCC) to do just that.  That was a mouthful! Everyone knows that their monthly payments for the first several years of their home [...]

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08 JanDon’t have a lot of money for down payment?

(All stories shared on Lending A Hand contain fictitious names with changes to insignificant details.  The privacy and trust of our customers is our top priority.) I received a call from a customer who was interested in a condo and wanted a maximum monthly payment of $1,000.  We’ll call him Gaston (obviously a fictitious name).  [...]

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18 NovMoney for Buying a Home

Money, money, money.  Money is normally one of the biggest obstacles that stops renters from buying their first home.  I don’t think that would be the case if they knew there was money available to assist them with down payment.  The great thing is that there is just one website that you need to know [...]

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