Real Estate Wonk: Anti-fraud help for home buyers, refinancing owners If you've bought a house or refinanced a mortgage, you signed a lot of paperwork. Did you understand every word? (Did you even read it?) Civil Justice, a Baltimore nonprofit that offers legal help to people on real estate matters, has found the answer is a resounding no. (Mon, 29 Mar 2010 12:49:37 GMT)
Brooklyn paralegal sentenced to three years for mortgage fraud James Comtois - After pleading guilty to fraud charges connected to her role in a $200 million mortgage scam, a Brooklyn paralegal has been sentenced to two concurrent three-year prison sentences. From 2004 to 2007, the defendant, Marina Dubin, aided mortgage firm AGA Capital NY in a refinancing scam. (Mon, 29 Mar 2010 14:17:34 GMT)
LendingTree Launches Free Mortgage Rate Alert - Lets You Know the Moment Rates are Right for You LendingTree, the online lender exchange that has already helped more than 27 million customers get the right loans, today announced the launch of its Mortgage Rate Alert service. The free service takes the legwork and stress out of knowing when the right time is to lock in a mortgage by alerting customers the moment rates drop below their "target point." (Mon, 29 Mar 2010 14:58:00 GMT)
Get details on $75B mortgage aid plan The effort is designed to enable the government to reach its original goal of helping 3 million to 4 million homeowners avoid foreclosure by the end of 2012. (Mon, 29 Mar 2010 15:07:11 GMT)
Mortgage Loan Modification Myths Exposed Separating the myths from the reality in the confusing world of mortgage loan modifications. (Mon, 29 Mar 2010 16:07:22 GMT)
Royal, TD raise mortgage rates in sign era of historically low rates ending TORONTO - Two of Canada's biggest banks are increasing some of their residential mortgage rates effective Tuesday in the latest sign that the era of historically low rates could soon come to an end. (Mon, 29 Mar 2010 16:45:00 GMT)
Mortgage modification assistance The Obama administration has rolled out a new plan to help more Americans get mortgage modifications. The plan provides assistance to those who have lost their jobs or are underwater on their mortgage, owing more than their house is worth. (Mon, 29 Mar 2010 16:54:34 GMT)
Mortgage Brokers Assn spent $425K lobbying in 4Q The National Association of Mortgage Brokers spent $425,000 in the fourth quarter to lobby the federal government on housing and other issues, according to a disclosure report. (Mon, 29 Mar 2010 17:30:28 GMT)
Statement from Micah Green On Behalf of The Association of Mortgage Investors The Association of Mortgage Investors supports the program announced by the Obama Administration to provide a path for reduced principal through a refinancing program for homeowners who are "underwater" on their mortgage. (Mon, 29 Mar 2010 17:40:00 GMT)
Mortgage Brokers Assn spent $425K lobbying in 4Q The National Association of Mortgage Brokers spent $425,000 in the fourth quarter to lobby the federal government on housing and other issues, according to a disclosure report. The total is up from the $340,735 the group spent in the year-ago period, and an... Mortgage - Mortgage broker - Lobbying - Business - Financial services (Mon, 29 Mar 2010 18:14:59 GMT)
Stimulus dollars boost home sales Newlyweds, Charles and Naomi Hess, Randolph County residents, were tired of renting and really wanted to own their own home. They had been paying over $400 a month in rent and decided they could better spend their money buying a home of their own. They had heard about USDA Rural Development housing program through their parents and grandparents, who had applied or had a home loan with the agency ... (Mon, 29 Mar 2010 18:27:17 GMT)
Big banks raise mortgage rates in sign era of historically low rates ending TORONTO - Three of Canada's biggest banks are increasing some of their residential mortgage rates effective Tuesday in the latest sign that consumers should prepare for the era of historically low rates to soon come to an end. (Mon, 29 Mar 2010 19:17:00 GMT)
LendingTree Launches Free Mortgage Rate Alert - Lets You Know the Moment Rates are Right for You CHARLOTTE, N.C., March 29 /PRNewswire/ -- LendingTree, the online lender exchange that has already helped more than 27 million customers get the right loans, today announced the launch of its Mortgage Rate Alert service. (Mon, 29 Mar 2010 19:19:02 GMT)
New mortgage plan still has holes, White House concedes Mar. 28--WASHINGTON -- The White House Version 2.0 mortgage-relief plan announced on Friday is a recognition that the moribund housing sector poses a grave threat to the nation's economic recovery. (Mon, 29 Mar 2010 19:36:20 GMT)
Mortgage Brokers Assn Spent $425K Lobbying in 4Q National Association of Mortgage Brokers spent $425K in 4Q to lobby on housing issues Mortgage - Financial services - Business - Australia - National Association of Mortgage Brokers (Mon, 29 Mar 2010 20:01:21 GMT)
4Q lobbying reached $850K for mortgage group Mortgage Insurance Companies of America spent $850,000 to lobby the federal government on housing and other issues in the fourth quarter, according to a disclosure report. (Mon, 29 Mar 2010 22:42:10 GMT)
4Q lobbying reached $850K for mortgage group Mortgage Insurance Companies of America spent $850,000 to lobby the federal government on housing and other issues in the fourth quarter, according to a disclosure report. That's up from the $495,000 that the trade group spent in the year-ago period, and less... United States - Lobbying - Federal government of the United States - Business - Trade association (Mon, 29 Mar 2010 23:14:59 GMT)
4Q Lobbying Reached $850K for Mortgage Group Mortgage Insurance Cos. of America spent $850K in 4Q to lobby on housing, insurance issues Insurance - Financial Services - Business - Mortgage - United States (Mon, 29 Mar 2010 23:16:47 GMT)
AIG Unit To Sell $1.8 Billion Of Existing Home Loans In 2 Deals AIG Unit To Sell $1.8 Billion Of Existing Home Loans In 2 Deals (Mon, 29 Mar 2010 23:20:42 GMT)
New Zealand’s Home-Building Approvals Increased 5.9% (Update1) March 30 (Bloomberg) -- New Zealand’s home-building approvals rose for the first time in three months in February as record-low interest rates encourage construction. (Tue, 30 Mar 2010 00:22:38 GMT)
New Mortgage Plan Still has Holes, White House Concedes WASHINGTON -- The White House Version 2.0 mortgage-relief plan announced late last week is a recognition that the moribund housing sector poses a grave threat to the nation's economic recovery. (Tue, 30 Mar 2010 00:23:51 GMT)
ConsumerFinanceReport.com Announces Site Enhancement with Addition of a Suite of Mortgage Payment Calculators and ... ConsumerFinanceReport.com, a consumer advocacy website that promotes advancement of consumer knowledge and awareness on personal finance issues and topics, announced today the addition of a new suite of mortgage calculators designed to help consumers evaluate mortgage refinance and home purchase scenario’s. The new calculators, according to a company spokesperson, are consistent with ... (Tue, 30 Mar 2010 01:24:40 GMT)
Rainbow secures US$7.5 mil loan RAINBOW Tourism Group (RTG) says it has secured a US$7.5 million loan from the African Export Import Bank (Affreximbank) to finance its regional expansion drive as well as refurbish existing hotels. (Tue, 30 Mar 2010 02:15:49 GMT)
Boca Raton Real Estate Home Purchase Guide For Beginners Investing in a residential property in Boca Raton real estate requires planning if you want to enjoy the successful purchase of a quality home at the right price. (Tue, 30 Mar 2010 02:22:26 GMT)
Home repair program more affordable now SPRINGFIELD - The Neighborhood Housing Partnership has made some changes to two of its home repair programs to make them more affordable. (Tue, 30 Mar 2010 02:29:43 GMT)
Palm Beach County the focus of resale probe: Time shares replace mortgage fraud as #1 complaint in state Palm Beach County the focus of resale probe: Time shares replace mortgage fraud as #1 complaint in state (Tue, 30 Mar 2010 03:09:11 GMT)
Paralegal Sentenced to 3 Years in Mortgage Scam A federal judge has sentenced a paralegal who took part in a multimillion-dollar mortgage fraud and foreclosure scheme to three years in prison. From 2004 to 2007, Marina Dubin and 26 others, including mortgage brokers and loan processors at AGA Capital NY, submitted applications with bogus information to secure millions of dollars in loans. The subprime mortgage scam cost lenders roughly $11.6 ... (Tue, 30 Mar 2010 03:30:31 GMT)
Mortgage Bonds Present New Risks The Fed’s decision not to buy mortgage-backed bonds after Wednesday raises hazards for investors thinking of picking up the slack. (Tue, 30 Mar 2010 04:32:50 GMT)
Loan Changes Could Alter Market The Federal Housing Administration will enact a couple of changes in its loan procedures, including one going into effect next week, but how much they.... (Tue, 30 Mar 2010 05:12:22 GMT)
Tax: You can claim HRA and home loan benefits Let us evaluate various possible situations an individual can find himself in and understand what the Income Tax Act permits him to do. (Tue, 30 Mar 2010 05:37:03 GMT)
Gov't measures to limit foreign-currency loans to improve banking loan portfolios The measures taken by the Hungarian government to reduce foreign currency denominated lending in the retail segment could help to improve the currency structure of loan portfolios in the banking sector although the risks of the existing foreign currency loan portfolios will remain, Moody's Investors Service said on Monday. (Tue, 30 Mar 2010 09:10:18 GMT)
Can you save your home in bankruptcy? If you can't pay your mortgage loan, try getting a mortgage modification before filing bankruptcy. (Tue, 30 Mar 2010 10:00:00 GMT)
Two charged in home improvement scam The owner of a home improvement company and a mortgage loan officer were charged in a fraud scheme, U.S. Attorney Michael L. Levy said Monday. (Tue, 30 Mar 2010 11:07:50 GMT)
Banks raise mortgage rates Moves by two of Canada's largest banks to raise fixed residential mortgage rates suggest it may be a good time to lock in payments ahead of an expected hike in the overnight lending rate by the Bank of Canada, financial advisors say.[...] (Tue, 30 Mar 2010 11:13:59 GMT)
Big banks begin raising mortgage rates Three big banks raised their mortgage rates by more than half a point, effective Tuesday, and most industry watchers expect that's just the beginning of future small jumps that will hike the the cost of home ownership the rest of this year. (Tue, 30 Mar 2010 11:58:07 GMT)
Big banks begin raising mortgage rates Three of Canada's big banks have surprised homeowners by suddenly raising their mortgage rates, effective today. Most industry watchers expect it's just the beginning of a cycle of rate hikes that could see the cost of financing a home rise by 1.5 per cent within a year. (Tue, 30 Mar 2010 12:11:44 GMT)
Featured Stories from CSMonitor.com More>> KMIR 6 - Palm Springs News, Weather, SportsObama home-foreclosure relief: Do I qualify for a mortgage refinance? (Tue, 30 Mar 2010 12:47:48 GMT)
Knight Capital buys reverse mortgage co. Knight Capital Group Inc. will acquire mortgage company Urban Financial Group Inc., the financial services company said Tuesday. (Tue, 30 Mar 2010 13:19:53 GMT)
Home Owners Should Consider Making Simple Improvements Prior to Taking Out a 'Green Loan', According to Ratedpeople.com LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM--(Marketwire - 03/30/10) - Home owners looking to take out loans in order to make green home improvements should first consider cheaper alternatives according to Ratedpeople.com, the UK's largest match making service for home improvers and recommended tradesmen. Whilst recent news of the governments 'Pay As You Save' scheme means that steps are finally being taken to ... (Tue, 30 Mar 2010 15:00:00 GMT)
Obama home-foreclosure relief: Do I qualify for a mortgage refinance? Here's a look at who qualifies for a mortgage refinance under President Obama's new home-foreclosure relief plan. (Tue, 30 Mar 2010 15:15:49 GMT)
Home Owners Should Consider Making Simple Improvements Prior to Taking Out a 'Green Loan', According to Ratedpeople.com LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM--(Marketwire - March 30, 2010) - Home owners looking to take out loans in order to make green home improvements should first consider cheaper alternatives according to Ratedpeople.com, the UK's largest match making service for home improvers and recommended tradesmen. (Tue, 30 Mar 2010 15:16:44 GMT)
'Gangster' admits mortgage fraud An alleged Glasgow gangster admits defrauding more than £250,000 by lying about his income on mortgage applications. (Tue, 30 Mar 2010 15:35:44 GMT)
Treasury Group Expands Role to Agency, Mortgage Debt (Update1) An industry group that advises on trading in Treasuries said it will expand its role to the agency debt and agency mortgage-backed securities markets after unsettled trades in those markets climbed to a seven-year high. (Tue, 30 Mar 2010 15:41:07 GMT)
Mortgage competition stirring Improving funding markets are starting to help stir competition across the nation's mortgage market, the Reserve Bank says. (Tue, 30 Mar 2010 16:13:39 GMT)
Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta Announces the Opening of Its 2010 First-time Homebuyer Program Offering Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta announced today that it will make available up to $11 million as part of its 2010 First-time Homebuyer Program , which helps spur home sales and supports the housing market. (Tue, 30 Mar 2010 16:16:00 GMT)
Home loan market on mend: RBA Improvements in funding markets are starting to help stir competition in the mortgage market, the Reserve Bank says. (Tue, 30 Mar 2010 16:16:41 GMT)
Former Ore. mortgage broker sentenced to 2 years A former Oregon mortgage broker has been sentenced to two years in federal prison after pleading guilty to identity theft for making false loan applications to buy homes for his girlfriend. (Tue, 30 Mar 2010 16:36:53 GMT)
Boley Centers seeks no-interest loan from St. Petersburg for affordable housing ST. PETERSBURG Boley Centers will learn this week whether the city will give it a no-interest loan to buy and rehabilitate a foreclosed apartment complex for affordable housing. (Tue, 30 Mar 2010 17:47:40 GMT)
Vancouver loan officer sentenced to two years A Portland man who worked at a Vancouver-based financial firm was sentenced Monday to two years in prison after he pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft. A former loan officer at Lighthouse Financial Group, Kamau Herndon, 38, was indicted in February for submitting three false home loan applications for his girlfriend. (Tue, 30 Mar 2010 18:25:07 GMT)
Mortgage Rates Rise in Past Week; Current 30-Year Fixed Rate is 4.93%, According to Zillow(R) Mortgage Rate Ticker The 30-year fixed mortgage rate on Zillow Mortgage Marketplace is currently 4.93 percent, up thirteen basis points from 4.80 percent compared to this same time last week. The 30-year fixed mortgage spiked late Wednesday at 4.98 percent, before leveling off just above 4.90 percent over the weekend. (Tue, 30 Mar 2010 19:00:00 GMT)
Banks raise mortgage rates Moves by two of Canada's largest banks to raise fixed residential mortgage rates suggest it may be a good time to lock in payments ahead of an expected hike in the overnight lending rate by the Bank of Canada, financial advisors say.[...] (Tue, 30 Mar 2010 19:25:27 GMT)
Black Homeowners Less Likely To Get Loan Modifications: Survey Filed under: Personal Finance , News , Housing , Mortgage , Financial Aid , Lynnette Khalfani-Cox Does being African American reduce your chances of getting help from anti-foreclosure programs? It does indeed, according to a survey that found racial discrimination in loan modification initiatives . The study is called the NCRC Home Affordable Modification Program Survey 2010. Among its many ... (Tue, 30 Mar 2010 20:07:29 GMT)
Fed Pulls The Plug On Mortgage Purchases The Federal Reserve will stop buying mortgage-backed securities this week, ending a massive program that’s been helping the housing market recover. The Fed has bought more than $1.2 trillion of mortgage-backed securities in all. (Tue, 30 Mar 2010 20:29:23 GMT)
Auto and mortgage lender GMAC spent $265,000 on fourth-quarter government lobbying WASHINGTON - Struggling auto and mortgage lender GMAC spent $265,000 on lobbying in the fourth quarter, much less than before it received a $17.2 billion government bailout. (Tue, 30 Mar 2010 21:06:51 GMT)
Wells most exposed to home equity: CreditSights SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Wells Fargo & Co. and Bank of America are the most exposed to home equity losses as pressure mounts on lenders to write down the value of such subordinate loans more aggressively, CreditSights, an independent fixed-income research firm, said Tuesday. (Tue, 30 Mar 2010 22:00:57 GMT)
Focus: President signs bill that changes student loan programs WASHINGTON -- Legislation signed today by President Barack Obama at Northern Virginia Community College brings major changes to the student loan programs across the U.S. (Tue, 30 Mar 2010 23:58:55 GMT)
Former Nevada Businessman Indicted for Mortgage Fraud A federal grand jury on Wednesday indicted a former Nevada investment company owner for mortgage fraud. (Wed, 31 Mar 2010 01:03:05 GMT)
Rate increases mean big decision for mortgage-holders Jennifer and Jeff Madigan have more questions than answers when it comes to their mortgage, especially now that seven banks have announced increases in their interest rates this week. (Wed, 31 Mar 2010 01:44:16 GMT)
Lose your job? They'll pay mortgage Some homebuilders, lenders and agencies offer insurance that will pay your mortgage for up to 6 months if you become unemployed. (Wed, 31 Mar 2010 01:52:46 GMT)
Nonprofit closer to securing loan An unprecedented deal to use public funds to help with a mortgage for a nonprofit was approved Tuesday. The future of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center at 1800 Market St. is in jeopardy if it cannot refinance its mortgage with a bank, and the only way the bank will do it is if... (Wed, 31 Mar 2010 04:18:57 GMT)
Fed Ends Its Purchasing of Mortgage Securities The $1.25 trillion Federal Reserve program has been credited with keeping interest rates low and slowing the fall in home prices that threatened to send the economy into an extended slump. (Wed, 31 Mar 2010 05:01:09 -0700)
Redwood Trust mulls sale of mortgage-backed securities: report Redwood Trust Inc is looking to float at least $200 million worth of securities backed by home mortgage loans, the Wall Street Journal said, citing people familiar with the situation. (Wed, 31 Mar 2010 05:37:09 GMT)
Obama Signs Overhaul of Student Loan Program ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- President Obama signed legislation on Tuesday to expand college access for millions of young Americans by revamping the federal student loan program in what he called "one of the most significant investments in higher education since the G.I. Bill." (Wed, 31 Mar 2010 06:32:25 GMT)
Mortgage Bonds Present New Risks The fact that investors seem remarkably relaxed about the end of the Federal Reserve's $1.25 trillion program to buy mortgage-backed bonds guaranteed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac could be a sign that complacency is seeping back into the financial system, Breakingviews argues. (Wed, 31 Mar 2010 09:00:15 GMT)
Glasgow 'gangster' admits mortgage fraud Edwards Lyons, 52, bought property in East Kilbride and Cumbernauld by self-certifying on mortgage applications. He claimed he was self-employed and earning up to £48,000 a year when he was actually working at a community initiative earning just £20,000. (Wed, 31 Mar 2010 09:50:50 GMT)
Should you buy an old or new home? Price and location aren't the only factors when buying a home. Its age might be just as important. (Wed, 31 Mar 2010 10:00:00 GMT)
Freddie's Not Afraid Of Post-Fed Mortgage-Backed Market The Fed pulls out of mortgage-backed securities, but Freddie Mac's CEO and others don't envision any major calamities as a result. (Wed, 31 Mar 2010 10:42:23 GMT)
Home loan demand up as purchase activity gains NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. mortgage applications rose in the latest week for the first time in three weeks as demand for home purchase loans reached the highest level since October, data from an industry group showed on Wednesday. (Wed, 31 Mar 2010 11:04:40 GMT)
Home loan demand up as purchase activity gains By Julie Haviv (Wed, 31 Mar 2010 11:04:40 GMT)
Mortgage Brokers Required To Pass National Test To clean-up the mortgage industry, the federal government now requires every mortgage broker to take a test on basic skills and concepts of home lending. It's a requirement whether they've been lending six months or 30 years. Many states, like Oregon, already had such requirements. (Wed, 31 Mar 2010 11:14:13 GMT)
US MBA mortgage applications reverse a two-week slide FXstreet.com (Barcelona) - US MBA mortgage applications decreased by 1.3% in the week ending on March 26, thereby reversing two consecutive weeks of declines. (Wed, 31 Mar 2010 11:16:19 GMT)
U.S. MBA Mortgage Applications Index Rose 1.3% Last Week March 31 (Bloomberg) -- Mortgage applications in the U.S. rose last week as purchases increased to the highest level since October, indicating buyers may be re-emerging to take advantage of the extended federal tax credit. (Wed, 31 Mar 2010 11:30:52 GMT)
Leeds launches 5-year fixed rate mortgage Martin Richardson, general manager marketing and business development said, "We are very pleased to announce the launch of a new market leading 5 year fixed rate mortgage product at the best buy rate of only 4.59%. At a time of historically low interest rates, an increasing number of borrowers are looking to secure fixed rates to protect their monthly payments and lock in to low repayments. (Wed, 31 Mar 2010 11:35:53 GMT)
US home loan demand up as purchase activity gains US home loan demand up as purchase activity gainsUS home loan demand up as purchase activity gains (Wed, 31 Mar 2010 11:44:09 GMT)
Bank Sues State Lawmaker Rep. Michele Reagan is sued by mortgage company after she tried to refinance her loan. (Wed, 31 Mar 2010 13:13:49 GMT)
Federal Reserve pulls plug on mortgage purchases: How much could rates rise? The Associated Press Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke testifies on Capitol Hill in February. The agency plans to stop purchasing mortgage-backed securities. (Wed, 31 Mar 2010 13:21:51 GMT)
VT settles with Countrywide over home loans Associated Press - March 31, 2010 9:45 AM ET MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) - The Vermont Attorney General's office says a $100,000 settlement over the home loan practices of Countrywide Financial Corp. (Wed, 31 Mar 2010 13:52:39 GMT)
Free Reno Event to Help Residents With Mortgage Information Residents needing help with mortgage-related information can attend a free event April 6th at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center. (Wed, 31 Mar 2010 14:05:21 -0700)
Mortgage activity flat in week WASHINGTON, March 31 (UPI) -- The volume of applications for U.S. mortgages rose marginally in the week, while refinancing activity fell, an industry group said Wednesday. (Wed, 31 Mar 2010 14:53:59 GMT)
Home Loan Demand Up As Purchase Activity Gains Mortgage applications nationwide rose in the latest week for the first time in three weeks as demand for home purchase loans reached the highest level since October, data from an industry group showed on Wednesday. (Wed, 31 Mar 2010 14:56:00 GMT)
Vermont settles with Countrywide over home loans The Vermont Attorney General's office says a $100,000 settlement over the home loan practices of Countrywide Financial Corp. will be used to help people whose loans have been foreclosed on. (Wed, 31 Mar 2010 15:05:19 GMT)
Federal HomeLoan Bank of San Francisco Releases February 2010 Cost of Funds Index SAN FRANCISCO----The Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco announced March 31, 2010, that the 11th District Monthly Weighted Average Cost of Funds Index for February 2010 is 1.614%. (Wed, 31 Mar 2010 15:07:00 -0700)
Birmingham starlet extends Doncaster loan deal Birmingham midfielder Jordon Mutch has extended his loan deal at Championship outfit Doncaster by a further month.
