19 Aug 2014
By Mark Feder

Scam Alert! Three Mortgage Modification Scams to Watch out for (And How to Avoid Them)

Home Mortgage Tips
As if homeowners who are facing foreclosure don't have enough to worry about, a multitude of loan modification scam artists have invaded the internet, public files and even foreclosure notices in newspapers in hopes of targeting their next victim. By identifying the top three modification scams and learning how to avoid them, at-risk homeowners can protect themselves (and their homes). Never Pay For Mortgage Modification Assistance Many desperate homeowners fall victim to scam artists who offer to provide them with assistance in the loan modification process for an exorbitant fee. Many times the scam artist who promises to provide assistance…
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30 Jul 2014
By Mark Feder

S P Case-Shiller Home Price Index: May Home Prices Rise

Mortagage Tips
May home prices rose in all 20 cities tracked by the S&P Case-Shiller 20 City Home Price Index. This was the second consecutive month in which all cities posted gains. On average, national home prices rose by 1.10 percent in May as compared to April's reading. Year-over-year, home prices rose, but at a slower rate of 9.39 percent in May as compared to 10.80 percent year-over-year for April. Nevada, Florida and California Cities Post Highest Gains  Cities posting the highest year-over-year price gains in May included Las Vegas, Nevada at 16.90 percent, San Francisco, California at 15.40 percent, Miami, Florida…
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22 Jul 2014
By Mark Feder

Is Now the Time to Consider a 15-Year Mortgage? Five Reasons to Give the 15Y Another Look

Home Mortgage Tips
A 15-year fixed mortgage is, as its name suggests, a mortgage that's paid off after 15 years. Since it amortizes fully, after that amount of time you won't have to pay anything else. This type of mortgage has a lot of benefits, and below we'll share just a few of them. 1) No Need For Payments After Retirement Here it highly depends on when in life you choose to take on the mortgage. However, most people decide to take on a mortgage at around 30 years of age. If this is the case for you, then it means you'll be…
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07 Jul 2014
By Mark Feder

What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week – July 7, 2014

Market Outlook
Last week's economic news was mixed, but economic reports for Non-Farm Payrolls and the National Unemployment rate suggest a strengthening labor sector. Pending Home Sales surpassed expectations in May and conversely, construction spending was lower than expected. Here are the details. Pending Home Sales Reach Highest Level in Eight Months The National Association of REALTORS® reported that pending home sales in May rose by 6.10 percent over April's reading. May's reading was 5.20 percent lower than for May 2013. The index reading for May reached 103.9 as compared to April's index reading of 97.9. Results for all regions were positive…
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