Claude Ellesmere asked:




Ever since the bottom fell out of the real estate market a couple of years ago people have been running into trouble trying to keep up with paying for all of the financing that they may have taken out over the past decade on their current property. With home values dropping significantly, people from all across the country have been finding themselves “upside-down” in their homes and thus owing more than what the property was actually worth. The foreclosure rate across the nation has been rising significantly ever since this trend began to take effect, and many homeowners are left not knowing what to do when they have a second mortgage or home equity loan that they know that they cannot afford.

The good news is that you shouldn’t lose your home if only your second mortgage cannot be paid, and as long as you keep paying your first mortgage you should not worry about going into foreclosure. What typically happens when you cannot pay any secondary, or even tertiary mortgages involves a direct negotiation and settlement with the lender that holds the loan, and it is a rare occurrence for you to ever have to go into foreclosure.

The bank knows that if you cannot pay your first mortgage and your property does go into foreclosure that they will hold second position to the lender that holds your first mortgage, and they will thus only receive money that is leftover after the first mortgage gets paid off. They obviously don’t want this to happen because they can easily be left with nothing after the property is sold off, and it is thus in their best interest to work with you directly so that you can both come to some kind of agreement.

Dora

Robbie T. James asked:




Home is where the heart is. Home is where you hang your hat. Home… well, you get the picture. The home holds a dear place in the heart, minds and souls of pretty much everyone on the planet.

And yet, from a less sentimental perspective, the home can be seen yet another way: it is where we invest a heck of a lot of money.

Yes, besides the sentimental and practical value of our homes, they also represent a very significant financial investment for each and every homeowner. Not only are there the up-front closing costs and down payments associated with buying a home, but there are the ongoing, monthly expenses as well. No matter the value or price of your home, it is almost a sure bet that it wasn’t cheap to buy.

Maybe you have been able to make your mortgage payments for a number of months or years, but then something happens in life that makes it harder to keep up. Maybe you are able make your mortgage payments, but doing so causes you to sacrifice too much in other important areas of your life. Or, maybe you have been consistently late in making your payments – and may even be risking default.

In those cases, a mortgage loan refinance may be in order.

When To Consider Mortgage Loan Refinancing

Regardless of whether you actually have trouble making your monthly mortgage payments or whether you would just like to save some money like everybody else, an excellent way to reduce your payments is to refinance your loan.

While there is no single magic formula for knowing when it is best to refinance your home, there are some rules of thumb that can help. You should consider refinancing if:

a. you notice that mortgage rates (such as 15 year fixed or 30 year fixed) have gone down since the time you got your current mortgage by at least 0.5% to 1%

b. your credit score has improved since the last time you refinanced

c. you would like to extend the term of your loan to 30 years from 15 or 20 years

d. you have equity in your home that you would like to cash out (turn into cash)

Mortgage Loans Refinance: Home Loan Tips

If you are considering refinancing, the next step is to shop for the best deal. Here are 3 tips that can help you make the right decisions:

1. Research the best mortgage loan refinance lenders in your area: Start by making a list of at least 5-6 lenders who specialize in refinancing.

2. Figure out the ideal mortgage term for your new loan: Use an online mortgage calculator. By plugging in different payment terms (e.g., 15 years, 30 years, etc.) you can figure out how this will affect your future monthly payment amount.

3. Apply to multiple lenders: Be sure to apply to all of the lenders on your list. Remember, more lenders means more choices, which means a better chance of landing an excellent rate.

Follow these 3 tips to get the best-possible interest rate on your new mortgage loan refinance.

Jesus

John James Roberts asked:




The lending business has gone through an evolution over the past few years and many changes have been implemented to improve options for the homeowners. Even though excellent mortgages are offered today, there are now new forms of fraudulent practices surfacing as well. This becomes a hazard to the unsuspecting homeowner who ends up with a “toxic” mortgage.

Fraudulent practices usually begin as soon as the lender or bank approves your mortgage, and you pay the initial payment. As time goes by either your interest rate will change a higher rate than you had ever agreed on or you cannot make the payments on your house because you were approved for a loan outside of your current earning ceiling.

This is where a forensic loan audit comes into play. If you suspect your current home loan has been modified, there are inconsistencies or violations, or some supporting documents are missing, you may have a case of predatory lending.

You would want to get in touch with a forensic loan auditing company who will perform a soft preliminary soft audit that overviews your loan situation for any signs of predatory lending. If it is successful, you will undergo a full, in-depth forensic loan audit. From there the process becomes a series of legal steps, but your goal outcome could be a stalled or stopped foreclosure, lower, secured interest rate or lower monthly payments.

Right now, more and more homeowners are in a tight spot with their mortgages and now homeowners now have protection from predatory lending. If you have any reason to believe you may be a victim of predatory lending, consider starting the forensic loan audit process.

Ron