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Great article about how to get information and initiate disputes with your mortgage servicer.  Click Here

Fannie Mae is offering up to 3.5% in closing cost assistance for HomePath® properties beginning April 11 through June 30, 2011.

Several key housing indicators that predicted last year's double dip in metro Phoenix home prices are now showing the market could be poised to start a slow rebound. 

For about a year now I’ve had “Choose Your own Mortgage Rate!” on my website and in my customer mailings.  It’s a statement that’s been overlooked or met with skepticism to say the least.  Many have asked me how this is possible, or if it’s some kind of scam.  Choose your own Rate is certainly not a scam!  It’s real, and today I’d like to take the time to explain why this is possible and exactly how it works.          

Identity theft is a huge problem, and anybody can be a victim. The problem is, it usually takes close to a year before the victim becomes aware that their credit is now ruined.  Because of the number of clients I work with, I do see it sometimes.

Over the next few weeks, I'm going to give you some ways to keep this from happening to you.  Here's a couple quick, simple strategies to implement immediately.

Is There a "Secret Weapon" for Credit Repair? The Answer Is a Definite YES! There's a "secret weapon" for credit repair that credit reporting agencies don't want you to know about!  Have you got some negative items on your credit report that are preventing you from re-financing into a lower-interest loan and paying off all those credit cards that are sucking you dry? Now, you may have called your bank about this topic, and, if so, the likely response was, "There's nothing that can be done about those negative items." Well, that's true as far as it goes...which isn't very far or helpful, is it? What the bank was really telling you is that there was nothing they could do.  But there is definitely something that you can do, and all you have to do is use the information in a "secret weapon" that I got from our very knowledgeable attorney. 

FHA’s anti-flip rule was intended to prevent investors from defrauding the government by banning buyer’s use of FHA financing to purchase homes within 90 days of the investor’s purchase of the property. Unfortunately, especially in our current market, it also stifled the purchase and renovation of foreclosed homes by legitimate investors looking to upgrade and then sell a property for a reasonable profit. This extension should continue making post-foreclosure homes more readily available to buyers needing FHA financing.

Financial Reform changes will be delivered in phases beginning in late 2010 and followed with most major changes announced in 2011, 2012 or later.

The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) is giving homeowners and buyers until October 4 to lock in a low monthly insurance premium.  After October 4 the monthly insurance premium on FHA loans will increase by over 63%.

What does this mean for home buyers?
A home buyer purchasing a $200,000 home using a $193,000 FHA mortgage before October 4 would pay an insurance premium of $88.46 per month.  If the same home buyer waits until after October 4, the insurance premium would jump to $148.01.

Although the upfront mortgage insurance premium is going down after October 4, the real impact to buyers is actually a net increase in their out of pocket costs because the monthly premium is going up so much.  Remember, the upfront premium can be financed into the loan or paid for by the seller, so buyers rarely pay the upfront premium out of pocket, but the increase in the monthly premium will be paid out of pocket each month with the buyers mortgage payment. 

Government controlled mortgage lender Freddie Mac will auction 135 foreclosed Phoenix area homes to first-time homebuyers on Saturday August 7th.