Who do Credit Bureaus work for?

stoptheinsanity_73 asked:


I’m mad. Checking my FICO score from one of the 3 major credit bureaus, I see a score much lower than I expected. Upon review of the factors that impacted my score most, are 2 new factors I have never seen before. Both center around the idea that my home loan has too little credit available on the loan. Each just says it differently.

My home loan is a refinance. The financed amount does NOT reflect the value of my home. Therefore the “available” credit is technically much higher as you calculate my equity into the picture. In addition, as a refinance, there wasn’t a down payment. I did that on my initial loan many years back. Since they know many homeowners recently refinanced, it’s like they want to help credit lenders charge consumers more to borrow credit. They stack the chips against us. The fact I pay my bills on time and have for many years now and that I have zero negative marks apparently has less weight than my “newly refinanced mortgage”. It’s absurd and unfair.
Credit Bureaus, mandatory auto-insurance, the IRS, multiple overlapping taxes… these represent organizations & legal requirements that are proving time and time again that there are not enough protections in places for the average citizen. Remove the “power” given to them or put in place better consumer protections.
The age of the loan is about 2 years now. Since that time my score has gone up and now back down. I have no recent credit requests, no bad debt, and all payments are ontime. The only thing new is their 2 impact factors that didn;t appear previously 2 years ago when my home loan WAS new.

The different scoring methods sound far more complicated than it seems they should be, How would any consumer ever understand the impact on their credit when the playing field seems to change under their feet. Keep it simple: I pay my bills ontime. I have no bad debt. I agree, base it on available credit, but don’t add new reasons to lower my score conveniently around the time of the mass refinances in the past few years. Something is fishy.

Marcia

Home Refinance Stimulus Package - Look What Obama’s Stimulus Package Can Do For You

Katelyn Tuttle asked:




Under Obama’s leadership, the federal government has begun a series of steps to help alleviate the burden that the housing boom-then-bust has caused the American taxpayer and also the lenders. The home refinance stimulus package for mortgage refinancing and loan modification can do some amazing things for you if you are in need and qualify. What do you need to know about this package? Here is some needed information for you.

There are two main components to the package. They are: 1) refinancing and 2) loan modification. With the refinancing plan, the house must be occupied as the primary residence by the person who took out the mortgage. If that condition is met, Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac refinance the loans of any home that is upside down - that is, the owner owes more than the house is worth.

With the loan modification component, lenders and borrowers can agree on different terms for the mortgage. In order to qualify, again, the property must be your primary residence. Also, you must show economic hardship. Once you do that, the lender applies a formula and may lengthen the term of the mortgage up to forty years, reduce the interest percentage, and/or otherwise negotiate terms in order to get the mortgage payment down to no more than 31% of the household’s gross monthly income.

With Obama’s home refinance stimulus package, you may be able to keep your home rather than losing it to foreclosure, even if you are unable to meet your current payments.

If the bad economy has struck your household and you are having difficulty making your mortgage payments, do not wait until it is too late. Contact a professional who specializes in his type of arrangement or contact your lender directly yourself.

Jared

Finding the right FHA lender (in Texas)?

Lori O asked:


My husband and I live just a bit north of Dallas, Tx. I’ve been told that different lenders require different things when it comes to requirements. My husband’s score is 586, and mine is roughly 650-700. He signed for his brother’s home but he hasn’t lived there in years, but his brother hasn’t refinanced (even after 2 years of asking) and the bank won’t take his name off without a refinance. I am worried about how this will affect us getting a home. I’ve heard some lenders will not include this in your debt-to-income if you can show that they have been paying for 12 months+ without help. His credit is almost blemish free for the past 2 years (more, but I’m not sure exactly how long) and all house payments have been made on time for the past 6 years. Does anyone know of a great FHA lender in Texas (preferably around Dallas, but will travel if we need to) that will not include the other house into the DTI?

Louise

Refinance vs Home Equity Loan

J Suffie asked:




If you find yourself in need of a large sum of money for some reason, you may be considering using the equity in your home by either doing a cash-out refinance or getting a home equity loan in order to gain access to the money you need.

With the federal government beginning to slowly lower interest rates, you may be wondering if you should do a cash-out refinance in order to get that lower interest rate as well as gain access to the money you have in equity. This may be a tempting situation, but a lower interest rate is only one of the things that you should take into consideration.

When you refinance your home, you are taking out an entirely new mortgage. You use this new mortgage in order to pay off your original mortgage. In the case of a cash-out refinance, you borrow more on your home than the original mortgage balance, using your equity as collateral. You can then use the money left over after the refinance is completed to do anything you’d like. You can pay off credit cards, take a vacation, make home improvements, etc.

There are drawbacks to cash-out refinancing. First of all, your mortgage balance will be bigger and will most likely be extending your loan term. Mortgages are written with either 15 year or 30 year terms. If you only have 8 years before you pay off your mortgage, refinancing to even a 15 year mortgage is nearly doubling your loan term.

There are also considerable fees involved when you refinance. It would be worth your time, and sometimes a great deal of money, to find the best deal on fees that you can find.

With a home equity loan you are using the equity in your home as collateral on a loan. Home equity loans can be for a set amount or you can get a home equity line of credit, which is an open-ended loan that can be used just as you would use a credit card, keeping in mind that when you use that line of credit, you are using the equity in your home.

Home equity loans are easier to get than a refinance, especially if you have bad credit. The interest rate is also usually lower than a refinance, and the payments sometimes qualify as being tax deductible.

No matter whether you choose a cash-out refinance or a home equity loan, be sure to do some research on the companies you are considering working with. The best way to choose a good company to work with is to ask your friends, family and coworkers for recommendations. Ask not only about the process itself, but about how they were treated by the people they were working with. Were they rushed into decisions, or did they feel that they were given good information so that they could make the final decisions themselves? Remember that you are the customer, and when you are taking a large amount of money out against your home, you shouldn’t be rushed into anything.

Tommy

How to Refinance a Home Loan With Bad Credit

Julian Lim asked:




With proper research, people with bad credit who wanted to go for home refinancing can definitely locate a lender that can provide them the loan with favorable terms. Here is an article that you should go through if you are interested in acquiring such a loan.

When you have poor credit, acquiring a refinancing home loan will not be an easy task. However, if you do your homework properly, you can definitely locate the right lender who is willing to work with you closely to help you acquire the right refinancing option that can help you with your current financial situation.

Carry Out Your Research Online

With the convenience of the internet, you can now carry out your research online. Try to locate a lender that provide the refinancing home mortgage at terms favorable to you. You do not need to settle on the first lender you come across online. Remember, you are just carrying out your research and have no obligation to sign up with any yet. Get the quotes from a few lenders and compare their rates. Also look at the overall cost in acquiring such loan. Do all the proper calculation and make sure that the new loan you acquired will not require you to pay more than the current loan.

Call Up Or Proceed To Lenders’ Offices To Clarify

Once you have decided on at least 2-3 companies that provide the best options, you should call them up personally or go to their offices to finalize any doubts that you may have regarding the refinancing home mortgage options they offered. Remember not to sign up with any yet. Get the final quotations from all the companies you have listed and compare them. Once you have decided on the best lender, you can then go ahead to submit the necessary application form and documents. Most of the lenders these days allow you to do this online.

If you are one of those people with bad credit thinking that refinancing your home mortgage can help you out too, do not hesitate to do so. Acquiring one with terms better than your current one not only can help you to repay your new loan on time, it can also help you to improve your credit rating. By improving your credit standing, this will make it much easier for you to acquire any loan in the future because of an improved credit rating.

Eugene

Bankruptcy and Home Loan Refinance Options

Nazimabee Woozeer asked:




Home loan refinance opportunities may be difficult to find if you have filed for bankruptcy. The loaning company may not be helpful in providing an adapted financial security for you case. You may need to look in to all available options in order to find a programme that will suit your financial status.

If the loaning company can help you out with your refinance programme, and there are no hidden clauses that may create financial obstacles, then this could be a solution for you. It is however, important you investigate all your options and if they are not favourable, avoid engaging in the refinance programme suggested by any given loaning company. Avoid all loaning companies that tend to be pushy; there may be some hidden clause that can create more problems than you already have. Why not consider changing the company, if the relationship with your previous one has gone stale.

There are many other options for refinancing, you will just have to do some research work amongst possible financing companies, which may be able to offer a more favourable plan for your particular case of bankruptcy. Financing companies usually offer better deals as far as interest rates are concerned, but it is still important to research all possibilities before choosing your bankruptcy home loan refinance program.

Whereas some refinancing programmes may seem ideal, for they may offer to lower your payments by extending the period of refund, giving you some breathing space, this is not always a good idea. By choosing this option you will stretch out your payments for a longer period, so it will probably take you another thirty or forty years to pay your loan off. This might not be the best solution, if you have been paying for more than five years already.

Do not let a bankruptcy disrupt your future for a refinancing home loan. Although many loaning companies can make it hard for you, by proposing exorbitant fees and interests, you can find an adapted home loan refinance option for your case. To help you make the right choice, it might be a good idea to contact a bankruptcy attorney, who can help you choose between the available home loan refinance options and even suggest others. It is always best to seek professional bankruptcy counseling, it can save you a lot of time and money and will secure you an easier future for the refund of your loan.

Francisco

Refinance Home Loan - House Refinancing Do’s and Don’ts Tips

Julian Lim asked:




Once you’ve made the decision to refinance home loan on your property, there are still some things that you should be aware of before signing on the dotted line. These simple steps can help save hundreds or even thousands on the final house refinancing loan that you obtain. Most of these tips are common sense ideas that apply to many financial transactions, but extra caution is appropriate when you are dealing with what too many borrowers may be one of the largest financial deals of the lifetime. The refinance in some instances is larger than the original mortgage loan on the home.

Do: Read the fine print

When you want to refinance home loan, just as with any loan, you should make certain that you read and understand the impact of the fine print in the loan documents. If you didn’t realize that you have agreed that the lender can adjust the mortgage upward after two years to match the price index, you could lose your home. If you are agreeing to a balloon payment and refinance yet again in 3 years, make certain that you know about it up front, not after the papers are signed or worse yet, when the balloon payment is due.

Do: Shop for the best rates

When you are looking to house refinancing loan, don’t assume that every lender will have the same rates and costs associated with those rates. It is important to look at the entire package. One lender may have lower rates, but require a balloon payment in six months or two years. Another lender may charge points or added closing costs to obtain the loan. You may not qualify for some programs when you apply at a lender. It is important though, that you don’t apply at numerous lenders at the same time, as this can work against you with bad marks on your credit score.

Don’t: Borrow more than you can afford

Especially in times of uncertain economy, getting a loan with variable or adjustable rates because you want a larger house or a better location is not a smart move. The same thing is true when you refinance home loan. Don’t borrow extra money, just because you can, thinking you will put it back for an emergency. Borrow only what you need with a goal of paying off debt rather than incurring new debt especially if you have nothing to show for the loan later.

Don’t: ignore the fees and closing costs

To refinance home loan can be a daunting process. It is important that you understand your obligations and benefits at each step of the process. Many borrowers are surprised when they find out how much obtaining the housing refinancing loan is costing them and that is before considering the cost of interest on the loan. Fees such as title insurance, document preparation, points, loan origination fees and other costs will inflate the cost of the loan significantly. Don’t spend the proceeds of cash out on your home loan until you have determined without a doubt what the proceeds will be.

Brenda

Foreclosure in California?

yuri asked:


foreclosure in the State of: California

Like most people in California, I own a distressed home. Here are the facts:

>> I bought my condo in 2006 for $440K, paid 10% down. 80% mortgage, 10% HELOC
>> I later paid the original HELOC back, refinanced the home for a lower rate then got another 10% HELOC. Right now my Heloc is frozen and I have $28K balance on it that I am paying on interest-only basis.
>> Now the home value is around $300K

My wife and I just had a baby and we wanted to move to a bigger house with a better school district taking advantage of the market. I figured if I lost $140K on this condo and I can get a house for $200K discount, I would do cost averaging. Our loan broker told us that we can show that we can get rental income on our condo and qualify for a 600K loan which would allow us to get our house. All was well.

However, one day I did a what-if scenario and found out that if we are being conservative and not depending on the rental income, we can only afford a $500K home. In bay area, even with the current market, that does not buy you much.

Before giving up completely, I decided to see if I have other options. One thing is clear, the condo has to go. The question is how?

1. If I buy the second house and then walk away from the condo to let it foreclose, what happens? I have been reading about deficiency judgment. Does that allow the lenders to go after the new home or other assets? Is there any online resource you guys found valuable regarding these procedures?

2. If I pay back the 28K I owe on the HELOC, what are my chances of negotiating a deed in lieu of foreclosure with HSBC (my primary lender)?

3. Related to number 2, I had this idea of going to HSBC and laying out my entire plan to them. Currently, they are being pretty aggressive to attract some good mortgages. They are giving out 4.5% APR to conforming loans with LTV <= 80%. I could tell them about what I am planning to buy (an REO actually). Since my new house would be a bigger asset to them, I thought I could negotiate a deal with them to accept my condo as a burden to keep me as a customer. Does this sound crazy?

Any other options I have other than waiting for my income to come to a level that I can manage both properties OR waiting for the condo to increase in value so I can sell it (both of which are unlikely for the near future).

Thanks all!

Jeffery

Refinance Home Loan - Benefits You Do Not Know

Alan Lim asked:




When the borrower on a home mortgage has come to a position where the terms of the original loan are unacceptable, or more expensive than they need be, given the current economic condition, the borrower sometimes chooses to refinance home loan. In this situation, the original loan is paid off and the loan is replaced with a new loan the terms of which can be similar or can be quite different. In many ways, a refinance loan is like a brand new loan obtained from scratch since the loan equity, appraised value and capacity to repay must be approved by the lender.

Smaller payments

When you decided to refinance home loan, you may be able to structure the loan in such a way as to receive payments that are smaller. This can be very beneficial if your goal is to tighten your belt due to a reduction in income. Sometimes those who are entering retirement years will desire to stay in the same home, but will be living on reduced income, so prefer to reduce expenses to match. Smaller payments on a refinance may be due to a better interest rate that can be gained. If interest rates have dropped enough to offset the refinance loan fees added to a new loan, you may be smart to refinance.

Longer repayment time

One of the benefits that can be arranged when you refinance home loan is taking longer to repay the debt. This is desirable if you want to obtain a larger loan in order to pull out some cash at the time of closing. It may be for the purpose of lowering your monthly payment. Spreading out the same size loan over more years means that the interest paid will be greater, but the payment made will be more manageable in size for the homeowner.

Fixed payment

Another benefit that many borrowers find when refinance home loan with a fixed rate option is that the repayment amount remains the same from month to month. If the proceeds from the home loan have been used to get cash out, it is likely to be cheaper than obtaining personal loans, or maxing out the balances on the credit cards. Once the loan is set, the payment amount remains the same from month to month throughout the course of the loan.

Pay off debts

When you receive cash out amount as part of the home loan refinance, there are many uses for the lump sum cash. You can pay off troublesome debts, particularly those with large interest rates. This will free up available cash for your living expenses or that you can apply to pay down other debts. A refinance can allow you to pay for future expenses as well, such as covering college tuition costs for yourself or for family members. You can use the funds to renovate or do major repairs on the home that you live in. You may even use the funds to take a long desired vacation or holiday trip.

Stacey

Bad Credit Home Loan Refinancing - A Hope For People With Poor Credit

Alan Lim asked:




It is an undeniable fact that a person might face financial difficulties and need to look for financing for his home. It is something that is common nowadays when most of the people are suffering from the ill effects of recession. You can always go for any loan company and can get the loan easily to end all your troubles. After all, even the loan companies want to have customers. As a result, you can expect to get loan easily.

This really sounds really too good to be true but before you get the wrong impression, it is important to clear your doubts. The above case is only for those people with good credit history. The things are to some extent opposite for people with bad credit. But what about those people with bad credit who require loan refinancing? How are they going to get home financing if they urgently need it?

There is one answer to both the above mentioned questions and that is they can get help through bad credit home loan refinancing option. Unlike past, when it was almost impossible to get loan with poor credit history, today it is 100% possible. Nowadays, there are a few loan providers or financial institutions available that deal only with such loans. Through these sources, a person can get loan even if he is not having a good credit history.

However, as stated above, though there are providers or institutions available to provide bad credit loans, still there are a few complications involved in getting such loans. The biggest problem is that of the interest rates. Most of the loan providers charge extremely high rate of interest for offering such loans. This not only does not solve the problem of the borrower but makes it worst. How does a person already suffering from financial difficulties can afford loan at higher cost? After all, he is required to pay that loan as well.

The second problem is that if the person has nothing to mortgage, then few lenders even deny giving loan to them. All these circumstances force a person to think not to go for bad credit home loan refinancing option. But is that the solution? The answer is no!

The better option is to know more about bad credit loans to see how it is possible to get benefited through them in the best manner. In this regard, you can take the help of Internet to know about various websites that provide complete information on bad credit home loan refinancing option. By visiting such websites, you will know that it is possible to get refinancing with poor credit even at better interest. You can even find the option to get loan at better prices without any mortgage. So go and get benefited with such loan now.

Darrell

« Previous PageNext Page »