What Is A FICO Score
A credit score is most commonly known as a FICO score. FICO stands for Fair Isaacs Corporation. Its a company that developed the credit scoring software used to evaluate your credit worthiness.Most lenders use the FICO score to determine whether they should extend to you a mortgage, car loan, ... more...

How to Figure Debt to Income Ratio
Ever wonder how to figure out you debt to income ratio? Lenders use your debt to income ratio to help them evaluate your creditworthiness and debt load.Mortgage lenders use your debt to income ratio to calculate what percentage of your income is available for your monthly mortgage payment after ... more...

125% Home Equity Loans
Home equity loans are second mortgages and involve borrowing money against a home's equity. In most cases, homeowners obtain loans that correspond with their home's equity. However, it is possible to acquire a second mortgage for more than a home's worth.What is the 125% Home Equity Loan?The 125% ... more...

Following Conventional Wisdom Could Cause This Fatal Million Dollar Mistake
Conventional Wisdom States Buy a House Get a Fixed Rate Mortgage and Make Extra Payments to Pay Your Mortgage off as Fast as Possible. If you follow Conventional Wisdom you will be making a Million Dollar Mistake. Keep Reading to find out why.(This Example is Similar to one Used By Ric Edelman in ... more...

Home Loan Confusion Continues
Unfortunately, most Americans still do not understand how home loans work and how to take advantage of the wide array of programs available. The way I see it, people are still confused about mortgages in general and real estate finance, in particular.Just last week, a friend of mine told me he was ... more...

An Investment Real Estate Strategy Unknown To Most Is A Negative Amortization Loan
If you want to make the most of your personal or investment real estate, you should consider a negative amortization loan. Mortgage amortization is basically mortgage balance reduction. Consequently, when a mortgage has negative amortization, the loan balance not only is not reduced, it actually ... more...

Debt Consolidation Loans
Wouldnt it be nice to make just one payment per month instead of several? Most of us not only have a mortgage payment. We have car payments, credit card payments, student loans, etc.If you have been living in your home for a reasonable amount of time and you have acquired enough equity, you might ... more...

Common Real Estate FAQs: Are You Ready to Buy a Home?
When looking into anything new, it is normal to have questions. Here are some common questions and answers about real estate to help you gain that edge when deciding whether buying a home is right for you.Which is better: renting or buying? Before buying, you need to determine what will save you ... more...

To Refinance or not to Refinance -- Here is the Answer
I have written many articles on refinancing a fixed rate mortgage to an adjustable rate mortgage. I have helped people cut as much as $800 off their monthly payments by turning their high fixed rate mortgage loan into a much lower ARM. This may be the time, however, to put the strategy in reverse ... more...

Reducing Debt Before It's Too Late - How to Avoid the Pitfalls of Creeping Debt
Reducing debt usually isn't a high priority for people until they have already gotten into trouble with overspending. Using a few basic guidelines, and debt calculations, can help you see when your debt load is getting into the danger zone.Budgeting GuidelinesCreditors use budgeting guidelines when ... more...

Stop Using Your Credit Cards
The average household now carries an average of between $6,000 and $10,000 in consumer credit card debt. But there an unfortunate number of people who have more than $100,000 in debt from using multiple credit cards. Consumers rely on credit cards more than ever before and may pay interest rates of ... more...

10 Things You Shouldn't Do When You're Buying a Home
Home Buying Don'tsYour home buying process is well underway. The sellers accepted your offer to purchase. The home is officially under contract and you're counting down the days to closing. The lender pre-approved you, so buying the house is a sure thing, right?Not quite. Nothing is certain until ... more...

Total Cost Of Credit vs Monthly Payments
I read a press release the other day which points to the fact we need to be very careful with our finances. The subject of the release was home mortgages. A company was announcing the availability of 40 year mortgages for its customers. The stated purpose was to lower the monthly payments ... more...

Getting the Lowest Rate Home Equity Loan
Home equity loans have several advantages. For starters, they allow homeowners to tap into their homes equity and receive a lump sum of money. Money is useful for debt consolidations, home improvement, education, and so forth. Some people confuse home equity loans with refinancing. Nonetheless, ... more...