Home Equity Grew by $815 bln in Q1 – Housing Scorecard

  The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Department of the Treasury today released the May edition of the Obama Administration’s Housing Scorecard. The scorecard summarizes the current status of the nation’s housing...

Do’s and Don’t’s For a Smooth Mortgage Process

Every borrower wants their mortgage closing to be simple and stress free. While it may not always feel like it (between loan processors’ requests for your 2011 Schedule E and page 6 of March’s bank statement), lenders want the same thing. Here are some...

Mortgage Rates Move Convincingly Lower

  Mortgage rates moved lower at their fastest pace in 6 weeks today, erasing most of the losses seen so far this week.  Not all lenders have adjusted pricing at the same pace, however, and best-execution is still 3.625% for conventional, 30yr fixed loans.  That means...

What if the Mortgage Deduction is Eliminated?

As Congress looks for ways to close the growing deficit and curb spending, the mortgage interest deduction could be on the chopping block, and with good reason: it’s one of the largest expenditures in the tax code. But some worry taking it off the table will slow the...