Overall Customer Satisfaction With Lenders Hits Seven-Year High

Overall customer satisfaction with mortgage lenders reaches a seven-year high, with satisfaction among first-time home buyers improving considerably from 2012, according to the J.D. Power 2013 U.S. Primary Mortgage Origination Satisfaction Study. Overall customer...

Interest-only loans becoming extinct?

The days of fogging up a mirror to get a home loan are over, but one remnant of that era of only five years ago will soon be gone: interest-only loans. Interest-only mortgages won’t meet new federal standards to be classified as qualified mortgages under new...

Mortgage lenders still locking rates and closing — for now

If shutdown drags on, home sales and closings will suffer Lou Barnes Contributor Oct 4, 2013   Credit markets are paralyzed by the shutdown, unable to handicap its outcome, whistling past the graveyard. Mortgages are holding near 4.5 percent and the 10-year...

How Fed’s latest message affects almost everyone

By BY PAUL WISEMAN ASSOCIATED PRESS WASHINGTON — The Federal Reserve’s decision to maintain the size of its economic stimulus could be a gift for car and home buyers, for Americans with 401(k) accounts and perhaps for developing economies. Yet for savers who rely on...

Pre-Approvals vs. Pre-Qualifications in the Home Buying Process

One of the first things a savvy home shopper does PRIOR to starting a serious home search is to explore mortgage options. An experienced realtor will encourage buyers speak with a lender and get “pre-approved.” This benefits all parties involved by...

Investor/All-Cash Purchases May Harm Housing Recovery

Across the country, investors are taking advantage of the nation’s foreclosure crisis to purchase homes at bargain prices, often beating out potential homeowners who remain sidelined. According to the Center for American Progress (CAP), in July, cash-on-hand...