Category Archives: Home Loans & Mortgages


How to Improve Your Credit Score

So you’re considering buying a home and you’ve got it all planned out: a four-bedroom home in the top local school district and your favorite neighborhood including a manicured lawn, a finished basement with a theater room and—why not?—an outdoor kitchen. Slow down… one of the first steps in buying a home is to clean up your credit score, also called a […]




Loan Estimate and Closing Disclosure

A Loan Estimate (LE)  is a form that lists basic information about the terms of a mortgage loan for which you’ve applied. The idea behind the Loan Estimate (like the Good Faith Estimate before it) is to get critical information about the loan into the hands of the borrower as early as possible so that you as […]


What is a Good Faith Estimate (GFE)

A Good Faith Estimate (GFE) is a form that lists basic information about the terms of a mortgage loan for which you’ve applied. The GFE includes the estimated costs you’ll have to pay for the home loan. The Good Faith Estimate provides you with basic information about the loan including the Annual Percentage Rate (APR), […]


FHA Payoff Rule To Be Revised

Can you be charged interest on your mortgage even after you’ve paid it off in full? Can the meter keep running when you owe the bank nothing — your principal balance is zero? Surprise! Much to the chagrin of large numbers of home sellers and refinancers, the answer for years has been yes. If your […]


FHA Reduces Waiting Period for Borrowers Who Experienced a Short Sale, Foreclosure or Deed-In-Lieu

The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) is allowing borrowers who went through a bankruptcy, foreclosure, deed-in-lieu, or short sale to re-enter the market and purchase a home using an FHA insured mortgage in as little as 12 months, according to a mortgage letter released Friday 8/23/13. Currently borrowers who experienced a foreclosure, deed-in-lieu, or short sale must […]