Now is not the time to sit and wait for the best possible price. Have a serious talk with your real estate agent. Having experienced buying/selling transactions in your area, he or she can help you price your home accordingly. He or she can also help ensure that your buyers are pre-approved and stay pre-approved throughout the entire transaction.
Then, in 2006, a slowdown in real estate led to a deterioration of home values, an increase in inventories, and ultimately to today's tightening of credit guidelines, leaving many investors unable to sell or refinance out of their existing positions. Many Americans who had tapped into their equity were suddenly tapped-out and overextended as home values fell. Foreclosures followed in record numbers and a re-valuation of mortgage bonds and other financial instruments created the credit/liquidity domino effect we're now experiencing.
ARMs Borrowers: If your ARM is scheduled to reset in the next 2-18 months, you need to schedule an appointment with a mortgage professional right away. Whether your ARM is subprime, Alt-A, or even if you have a pre-payment penalty, don't let a default or foreclosure situation sneak up on you. Did you know that your monthly payments can increase anywhere from 30% to 100% once your loan resets? At the very least, give yourself the peace of mind of knowing what your adjusted payment will be.
Borrowers with less-than-perfect credit: Each week it seems lenders are shedding more and more mortgage products. Many lenders have stopped offering No-Doc loans and are reducing all forms of Stated-Income loans. While it might be challenging, borrowers with credit issues need to see a loan expert. Often they have credit repair resources and other strategies to help you reach your financial goals.
Finally, there's an important concept to embrace: all markets, while cyclical in nature, are self-correcting, be it credit, real estate, stocks, or bonds. For the last 6 or 7 years, real estate was booming and riding high. The correction we're experiencing now " while it seems harsh and could get much worse " is, in a sense, "natural" and directly related to the extremely loose guidelines and perhaps overzealous lending and leveraging during the boom cycle. Thou shalt follow the 30 day contact rule. Your customers, prospects and advocates (those who refer business to you) should hear from you every 30 days without fail. You should call them, email them, and send them postcards, note cards, a newsletter, or mortgage news and happenings.
Thou shalt not quit. Remember that Moses and the Israelites wandered the desert for some 40 years and did not give up. You owe it to yourself and your mortgage business to try any new marketing program or idea at least three or four times before moving on. Your contact or prospect could have been out of town the first time you ran it, and on vacation the second. Repetition is always your best friend.
Thou shalt steal good marketing ideas only from successful competitors. Add your personality and experience to the mix and make it your idea. Just be sure you do not violate any copyright laws.
Thou shalt set aside time to build a web presence and spend a little time each day promoting your site and building your Mortgage Business. The Internet has come of age and you can either join and prosper as a result, or be left behind to ponder your demise.
These ideal lending conditions persisted for several years, supported by high demand, historical real estate data, home prices, and massive trading volume/profits on mortgage-backed securities and other financial instruments on Wall Street.
What does this mean to you and your mortgage?Sellers: If you're planning on selling your home, be prepared for an even smaller pool of qualified buyers. While some experts predict a settling of this credit crisis over the coming year, tightened credit guidelines and diminishing mortgage products could knock out as many as 15%-30% of potential qualified buyers.
Then, in 2006, a slowdown in real estate led to a deterioration of home values, an increase in inventories, and ultimately to today's tightening of credit guidelines, leaving many investors unable to sell or refinance out of their existing positions. Many Americans who had tapped into their equity were suddenly tapped-out and overextended as home values fell. Foreclosures followed in record numbers and a re-valuation of mortgage bonds and other financial instruments created the credit/liquidity domino effect we're now experiencing.
ARMs Borrowers: If your ARM is scheduled to reset in the next 2-18 months, you need to schedule an appointment with a mortgage professional right away. Whether your ARM is subprime, Alt-A, or even if you have a pre-payment penalty, don't let a default or foreclosure situation sneak up on you. Did you know that your monthly payments can increase anywhere from 30% to 100% once your loan resets? At the very least, give yourself the peace of mind of knowing what your adjusted payment will be.
Borrowers with less-than-perfect credit: Each week it seems lenders are shedding more and more mortgage products. Many lenders have stopped offering No-Doc loans and are reducing all forms of Stated-Income loans. While it might be challenging, borrowers with credit issues need to see a loan expert. Often they have credit repair resources and other strategies to help you reach your financial goals.
Finally, there's an important concept to embrace: all markets, while cyclical in nature, are self-correcting, be it credit, real estate, stocks, or bonds. For the last 6 or 7 years, real estate was booming and riding high. The correction we're experiencing now " while it seems harsh and could get much worse " is, in a sense, "natural" and directly related to the extremely loose guidelines and perhaps overzealous lending and leveraging during the boom cycle. Thou shalt follow the 30 day contact rule. Your customers, prospects and advocates (those who refer business to you) should hear from you every 30 days without fail. You should call them, email them, and send them postcards, note cards, a newsletter, or mortgage news and happenings.
Thou shalt not quit. Remember that Moses and the Israelites wandered the desert for some 40 years and did not give up. You owe it to yourself and your mortgage business to try any new marketing program or idea at least three or four times before moving on. Your contact or prospect could have been out of town the first time you ran it, and on vacation the second. Repetition is always your best friend.
Thou shalt steal good marketing ideas only from successful competitors. Add your personality and experience to the mix and make it your idea. Just be sure you do not violate any copyright laws.
Thou shalt set aside time to build a web presence and spend a little time each day promoting your site and building your Mortgage Business. The Internet has come of age and you can either join and prosper as a result, or be left behind to ponder your demise.
These ideal lending conditions persisted for several years, supported by high demand, historical real estate data, home prices, and massive trading volume/profits on mortgage-backed securities and other financial instruments on Wall Street.
What does this mean to you and your mortgage?Sellers: If you're planning on selling your home, be prepared for an even smaller pool of qualified buyers. While some experts predict a settling of this credit crisis over the coming year, tightened credit guidelines and diminishing mortgage products could knock out as many as 15%-30% of potential qualified buyers.
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