Home Equity Loans in Texas
A few notes of importance: This only applies to a homestead property, that is the customers primary residence LTV refers to Loan to Value, meaning the loan amount as compared to the value of the home. As an example, a loan of $75,000 on a home valued at $100,000 would be a loan at 75% LTV. These ... 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...

FSBOs The Secret of 'After Settlement Escrow' to Solve Problems
Most FSBOs (people who are selling their own homes) are aware of the conventional use of escrow. In this article, we look at ways to use escrow to solve problems.EscrowEscrow means different things in different parts of the country. In California its part and parcel of the settlement process. In ... more...

No Closing Cost Mortgage The Ugly Truth Could Cost You Thousands
There are a number of mortgage lenders advertising loans with no closing costs. These lenders brag that the mortgage comes with no closing costs, up-front points, appraisal fees, title insurance, or origination fees. If you sign up for this mortgage you pay nothing out of pocket at closing; ... more...

Closing Checklist
Getting a final approval is great but it's not the same as hitting a home run. You're still on third base until you make sure that all of the pre-closing responsibilities are being fulfilled in a timely fashion. The list of activities below are standard items that can be done to expedite loan ... more...

Home Mortgages: Does a No-Closing-Cost Loan Make Sense for You?
I have heard a number of radio ads and have seen many newspaper ads offering no closing cost home mortgages. These ads will tell you that you can get a new mortgage or refinance your existing mortgage at absolutely with absolutely no closing costs.. There are no points, no charges for an appraisal, ... more...

Life of an Escrow
Escrow is one of the last stages in the purchase or sale of a real property. When someone says that they are in escrow, it means that they have either accepted an offer on the sale of their property, or their offer to purchase has been accepted. The offer to purchase agreement is the instrument ... more...

Five Smart Ways to Eliminate Signing and Funding Delays
Engineering a successful loan closing and funding may be the final opportunity to solidify a long-term relationship with a client. Clients are often forgiving to mishaps if the orignal financing goal has still been met. However, if closing blunders and funding delays arise you are most certain to ... more...

Escrow Accounts, Do You Absolutely Need One?
With escrow accounts the money for your home insurance and property tax is added to your monthly mortgage payment and is paid out each year. With that said, you may think that having an escrow account takes the responsibility off your shoulders because the bank will make the payment for you each ... more...