I am thinking about doing debt consolidation, but am confused by all the different companies out there. I have heard that there are a lot of shady companies. Does anyone have some helpful advice. My debt is not a huge amount ($6000), but I am tired of paying and paying on them and never seeing a difference on the balances.

I heard this was a pretty interesting business and soemthing I may enjoy doing. For those who don’t know what a foreclosure consultant is. Basically, if someone is evicted from their home for missing home equity/loan payments, then then the bank usually hires a contractor or a consultant to give the home a price tag. Does anyone know how to become one of these guys and what required training is needed?
JJ Sotiera:

You must’ve mistaken me for some kind of moron. You didn’t even answer my question. I don’t know of any system or anything, especially one worth hundreds of thousands. I was simply asking what companies (for example) I would talk to about becoming one and what education is required.

I put an offer on a house in a high risk flood plain, knowing that we would have to carry flood insurance. We had checked the FEMA website offering gov’t insurance and got an estimate that put the payment around $100 or a little less per month. The real estate agent called and stated she had spoken with our potential mortgage broker and that they had said due to our ‘poor credit’ insurance would be between 200-300 per month. My credit is fair to good, but not in the 700’s by any means. My real estate agent thinks that is outrageous (and states that our credit is not poor enough to penalize us this way).
My question is, do most mortgage lenders only use certain companies? Why don’t they allow you to shop around and get the best rates if that is so? Or am I being set up so someone can make an extra $300/month????
Is there any way to make a lender let me shop around for flood insurance?

Lots of homeowners are now deciding to go for a mortgage refinancing to get a lower mortgage rate; shorten their mortgage term; or get extra cash.

When mortgage refinancing you should always shop around and speak to more than one lender. One way to get a better deal which will allow you to pay less each month is to tell the loans officer that you are shopping around for the lowest rate or best deal because you want to reduce your monthly payment. This openness at the start will let them know they need to give you their best offer to get your custom. This should result in you getting a great deal and slash you monthly costs.

Mortgage refinancing does cost money in the short term. It may cost as much as a few thousand dollars. Borrowers should expect to have to pay closing costs. Mortgage refinancing has the result of the existing loan being closed and a new loan being opened. Closing costs are therefore inevitable. Additionally, mortgage refinancing requires the same procure to be followed as was followed when the mortgage was taken out. Borrowers will need to have a good credit score to be able to get a good deal when mortgage refinancing. Therefore, only those who have an accurate idea of their monetary situation and who can afford to spend the necessary amount should consider mortgage refinancing.

A better credit score will mean you are more likely to get a better deal when mortgage refinancing. The key to credit scoring is verification. If information cannot be verified it should be deleted from the file. The great news is, if you do clean up your credit score, you are more likely to get a lower interest rate when you mortgage refinancing, applying for home equity loans or equity credit lines.

Mortgage refinancing loans can be fixed rate or variable rate and can be used for different purposes. Remember if you are just looking to cut your monthly bills then mortgage refinancing is not the only way of doing it; there are other ways.

Homeowners with bad credit may decide not to apply for a mortgage refinance. The majority of people assume that their application for a loan will be turned down due to a bad credit rating. However, many homeowners have succeeded in refinancing their mortgage despite having a low credit rating. In many cases refinancing your mortgage may improve your bad credit rate. The fact that a loan has been accepted is good for your credit score and if you use the loan to pay off debts such as unsecured loans and credit cards then you may recover from bad credit. Refinancing tips and advice can be obtained online.

I was on yahoo real estate recently, and I clicked on foreclosure and I arranged the prices of the homes from the cheapest to the most expensive. I found some homes in my area with a price of about three thousand. Now is that a buy in price to take over the mortgage or what? How does that whole thing work? What are the dangers?

Red lining by banks were considered racists and banks seem to have responded to bring on the present economic diaster.
Pfo, sorry, but obviously do not have a clue about these matters. Have a good day.

We don’t have a record of the material cost since it was done by a builer. I guess my question is what can we deduct from having our house built on a loan aside from mortgage interest? We paid the bank 400 for “construction fee” and 200 for “origination fee”(they’re not stated on our 1098 so I’m not sure of their deductibility). We didn’t pay any “points”. Thanks..

The Merriam- Webster Online Dictionary defines hard as:

“1 a: not easily penetrated: not easily yielding to pressure b of cheese: not capable of being spread: very firm

2 a: of liquor (1): having a harsh or acid taste (2): strongly alcoholic b: characterized by the presence of salts (as of calcium or magnesium) that prevents lathering with soap

3 a: of or relating to radiation of relatively high penetrating power: having high energy b: having or producing relatively great photographic contrast

4 a: metallic as distinct from paper b: of currency: convertible into gold: stable in value c: usable as currency d: of currency: readily acceptable in international trade e: being high and firm

5 a: firmly and closely twisted b: having a smooth close napless finish

6 a: physically fit b: resistant to stress or disease c: free of weakness or defects

7 a (1): firm definite (2): not speculative or conjectural: factual (3): important or informative rather than sensational or entertaining b: close searching c: free from sentimentality or illusion: realistic d: lacking in responsiveness: obdurate unfeeling

8 a (1): difficult to bear or endure (2): oppressive inequitable b (1): lacking consideration, compassion, or gentleness : callous (2): incorrigible tough c (1): harsh, severe, or offensive in tendency or effect (2): resentful (3): strict unrelenting d: inclement e (1): intense in force, manner, or degree (2): demanding the exertion of energy : calling for stamina and endurance (3): performing or carrying on with great energy, intensity, or persistence f: most unyielding or thoroughgoing

9 a: characterized by sharp or harsh outline, rigid execution, and stiff drawing b: sharply defined: stark c: lacking in shading, delicacy, or resonance d: sounding as in arcing and geese respectively —used of c and g e: suggestive of toughness or insensitivity

10 a (1): difficult to accomplish or resolve: troublesome (2): difficult to comprehend or explain b: having difficulty in doing something c: difficult to magnetize or demagnetize

11: being at once addictive and gravely detrimental to health

12: resistant to biodegradation

13: being, schooled in, or using the methods of the natural sciences and especially of the physical sciences

14: of money: contributed (as by individuals or political action committees) directly to a particular candidate or campaign

Synonyms: hard difficult arduous mean demanding great exertion or effort. Hard implies the opposite of all that is easy . Difficult implies the presence of obstacles to be surmounted or puzzles to be resolved and suggests the need of skill, patience, or courage . Arduous stresses the need of laborious and persevering exertion .”

As used in this article, hard money is intended to convey the idea that because of the current economic conditions, many financing needs will be more difficult to accomplish. They will require great exertion and effort to overcome the economic obstacles of the current economy. Compared to 2006 and 2007, periods of relatively easy money, to obtain financing today you will have to have firm, definite facts to support your financing needs. And the cost of money will be more difficult to bear. Hard money is harder to find, harder to obtain and harder to repay. Nevertheless, hard money may be an economic necessity as a means to an end to grow a business or complete a real estate transaction.

Why is 2008 a time of hard money? This is a difficult question to answer. If you ask 3 experts you probably will get three different answers. It may be the economic equivalent of The Perfect Storm- a True Story of Men against the Sea. The phrase perfect storm refers to the simultaneous occurrence of events which, taken individually, probably would be far less powerful than the result of their rare combination. These occurrences are rare by their very nature, so that even a slight change in any one event contributing to the perfect storm would lessen its overall impact. The stock market crash of 1929 and following depression exemplifies a perfect storm of economic consequence.

What are these events today? 1) The Mortgage Melt-down. Major financial institutions in the United States are incurring billions of dollars in losses due to the loss in valuation of their investments in mortgage securities. The consequence for borrowers is that these institutions are less inclined to take risks when loaning money for fear of additional losses. And their regulators are demanding that regulated lenders raise their credit standards for borrowers to qualify for a loan. 2) The devaluation of the American dollar versus other world currencies. The U.S. government is spending ginormous amounts of money in excess of what it collect in revenue due to the political compulsion to spend taxpayers’ money, the war in Iraq, Hurricane Katrina (and other natural disasters) and the war on terrorism. This makes our currency less valuable. It makes importing to the U.S. more expensive. The American people have less money to spend on goods and services, and their money buys less than it did a year ago because prices of necessities such as gasoline are higher. 3) The current tendency of Federal and State governments to reduce funding for social services, health services and education because of inadequate revenues; this hurts individuals and businesses who have less money to spend on products and services which creates additional drags on our economy. 4) The diminishing value of residential real estate all across the United States. This is related to the mortgage meltdown and the fact that many people incurred debts that they cannot repay. The real causes of these events are complicated and beyond the scope of this article. Suffice it to say that these are hard times and hard times create needs for hard money loans.

What exactly is hard money? Here are seven examples:

1) A commercial real estate loan where the borrower receives funds based on the value of the property, usually 50% or less, at an interest rate higher than a bank would charge. This is the most commonly understood type of hard money. In this financing, neither the income from the property or the borrower demonstrably supports the repayment of the loan.

2) A real estate loan to buy a residential property where the borrower cannot prove their income. This may be accomplished with financing from a seller, the only party willing to take the risk of non-payment.

3) A small junior lien on income producing commercial real estate where the first lien is very large. For example, a million dollar second lien behind a ten million dollar first lien. Most lenders simply do not want to consider a loan of this type because of the potential liability for repayment of the first lien. It is ten times the risk of the secondary loan.

4) Most loans to people with less than excellent credit. Many loans are based on credit scoring. If you do not have a credit score that is high enough for the lender’s requirement, you simply do not get their loan and you may or may not be able to find a hard money loan to accomplish your objective.

5) Accounts receivable financing to construction contractors, medical providers and sellers of agricultural products. Most factors do not offer to these sectors of the economy because of the risks and complexities that are involved.

6) Purchase order financing for items with gross margins less than twenty percent. The twenty percent margin is a benchmark for sufficient profitability in a transaction to pay all financing costs and create profits for the business after all costs are paid. During hard economic times margins are squeezed. It is a vicious cycle.

7) Loans to businesses that are particularly negatively affected by the current economy. For instance, a loan to build a new lumberyard is impacted by the downturn in new real estate construction and a lower need for lumber. Most banks would simply decline to consider such a loan. The same is true for developers seeking to build new housing tracts or office building developments. This is not a good time to try to start a new mortgage brokerage company; although it may be a good time to be a hard money lender provided that you are very, very careful in assessing your transactional risks.

What do all of these situations have in common? In times of easy money these situations would be less costly to finance and more likely to receive funding. Today, the lender’s answer to your request for funding is more likely to be a polite but strong “no way”. Many lenders have effectively (if not actually) shut their doors. Many lenders will simply decline to lend on hotels/motels, gas stations, owner/user properties, properties with any environmental issues. Borrowers who do not have FICO credit scores above 680, with substantial net worth and income will find it is very difficult to obtain many types of loans. Fortunately, the door for accounts receivable financing is still wide open.

The bottom line: Hard times in our economy will tend to force more individuals and businesses to borrow hard money- if they are able to get any money at all. Commercial financing with hard money will tend to grow as traditional sources of financing from banks and institutional lenders simply will not be available.

Copyright © 2008 Gregg Financial Services

www.greggfinancialservices.com

Many new investors thrilled by the novel idea of making money by buying and selling real estate, are persuaded by short sales or sometimes called “foreclosures”. Short sales are the real estate equivalent of repossession auctions.

Occasionally, homeowners are forced to sell their property for less than the mortgage they own on it. This is what a short sale is.

The main consequence of a short sale, for the property owner in particular, is that the bank sets the final guide price and the terms of sale.

Banks and other mortgage suppliers dislike short-selling so it can take a long time for them to approve any offer made on a short sale property. This usually amounts to a wait of up to six weeks for the mortgage-provider’s approval.

During this period, in the current market, mortgages will have changed. Interest rates will have risen and it is possible that you will be unable to buy the property that you bid on six weeks previously.

Obviously, for any sort of speculator, time is money. Even for buyers interested in personal property as a home, this is a lot of time on such a risky deal.

Fortunately, there are other strategies available to investors that allow for changes in the market.

Investing in a buoyant market such as the one in Las Vegas now, is sure to build a very positive portfolio in the years to come. There is no harm in buying property for a high price if you are confident that the value of that real estate will grow. A true investor understands this and so will usually avoid the temptingly low prices of short sale real estate.

In fact, Las Vegas provides decent profits for any sensible real estate investor for reasons pertaining to the current market. Constant developments and new employment opportunities make it a reliable market.

You are likely to find many examples of short sale properties in Las Vegas because to the current market conditions. There are a lot of people that paid too much for his or her property originally; or who has altered the real property state in a way that was damaging to its value.

The key point to take away from this article is while short sales are risky, the can be very profitable if you have patience in the market. The key is to find a buoyant real estate market like the one that exists in Las Vegas. Sensible investments in a good market will repay you with a nice profit margin. Equally, people buying real estate as a permanent home may want to ensure that they don’t waste their family’s time on short sales or markets that will lose them money.

I hope this has helped you in your efforts to make money from real estate.

what is a web site that cheaks for goverment approved loan modification helpers?????for example companies
like people that help you with foreclosure and home loan modification