Best Place Real Estate

There are two upcoming workshops for people who are worried about foreclosure or are going through the foreclosure process. The event is presented by OC HOPE (Orange County Home Ownership Preservation Collaborative) and sponsored by the Orange County Association of REALTORS. The workshops are free and will be in both English and Spanish. You will have an opportunity to speak to lenders and housing counselors in a confidential one-on-one meeting.

Please refer to the event notice to see what documents you should bring to the workshop. Also, please note that they will only assist the homeowner whose name is on the loan. Therefore, please do not send someone else in your place.

The workshops are open to Orange County homeowners and reservations are recommended. RSVP by emailing myhousingforall@aol.com.

When you make an offer on a house, make it contingent on the seller providing a C.L.U.E. report. Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange, hence the name C.L.U.E. report, is an information exchange insurance companies use to obtain prior claim history of personal property as well as automobiles.

Why is the claim history on the house important to a buyer? For one, it will give you an idea of past damage to the home and the probability of it occurring again. If the insurance company paid on a claim, you should check with the seller to be sure the repairs were actually made and the homeowner didn’t just pocket the money.

Another very important reason for getting a C.L.U.E. report is that it will help you determine if you, as the new homeowner, will be able to get insurance on the house. Even though past claims were submitted by the previous owner or owners, the damage was to the house. So when you are applying for insurance on that house, the property’s claim history is what the insurance company will look at. The claim history could affect the cost of the insurance or even if you will be able to get coverage at all.

It is really important that you get the C.L.U.E. report during your contingency period because if for some reason you are not able to get insurance on the house, you will also not be able to get financing. The lender will not fund without confirmation of insurance. You do not want to find out a day or two before escrow is suppose close that you have lost your financing because you can’t get insurance. The C.L.U.E. report is easy for the seller to get through Choicetrust.com and it can save you as the buyer a lot of headaches.

With home prices down and interest rates really low, most first-time buyers know this is a great time to buy.  But with the constant news of job losses, many are hesitant to make the move.  To help relieve the pressure, the California Association of REALTORS has started a new mortgage protection plan to benefit first-time buyers.
C.A.R. president, James Liptak, sent an email to all C.A.R. members describing the program.  He states: “Through the C.A.R. Housing Affordability Fund Mortgage Protection Program (C.A.R.H.A.F. MPP), first-time home buyers who lose their jobs due to layoffs may be eligible to receive up to $1,500 per month for up to six months to help make their mortgage payments. A qualified co-buyer also can participate in the program, for a reduced monthly benefit of $750 per month for up to six months in the event of a job loss. Program benefits also include coverage for accidental disability and a $10,000 death benefit. C.A.R. €™s Housing Affordability Fund is dedicating $1 million to the program this year, and estimates that as many as 3,000 families will benefit from the program throughout 2009.

To qualify for the Mortgage Protection Program, applicants must:
. Be a first-time home buyer someone who has not owned a home in the last three years
. Open escrow April 2, 2009, or later, and close on or before Dec. 31, 2009
. Use a California REALTOR  in the transaction
. Purchase the property in California
. Be a W-2 employee (cannot be self-employed or military personnel)

First-time home buyers must request an application for the H.A.F. Mortgage Protection Program from their REALTOR “.

There is no cost for this program. To learn more, visit the CARHAF website.

It is already bad enough to have suffer through the heartache and stress of the foreclosure process and the possibility of losing your home. But to be the victim of a scam that takes advantage of you makes it even worse.

The increase in the number of foreclosures has also increased the number of predators preying on vulnerable homeowners.  These unscrupulous people try to convince desperate homeowners that they can rescue them from foreclosure.

The California Association of REALTORS has provided member REALTORS with a document for us to share with consumers regarding foreclosure rescue scams.  It provides some of the warning signs and red flags of a foreclosure scam as well as some resources for homeowners who are already victims of such scams.  Click on Foreclosure Rescue Scams below.

Foreclosure Rescue Scams

I must add that there are a number of very ethical professionals who are seriously trying to help homeowners facing foreclosures.  But, just like everything else, beware of the scam artist.

Another avenue for home loans is credit unions.  Although the credit union market share of the mortgage industry is still very small, it is growing.  Credit union rates and fees are often more competitive than banks and mortgage brokers, so it is definitely worth considering.

Credit union membership is becoming available to more and more people.  You may be able to join a credit union through your employer or another organization you belong to.  Also check with your family as some credit unions will accept extended family members.

For more information as well as a list of credit unions, refer to www.bankrate.com/brm/news/cu/states/CA.asp and www.ncua.gov.

Everyone has a different situation when it comes to getting a home loan.  You need to do your homework to find the best program for your needs.  Check out your bank and a good mortgage broker, and also, if possible, a credit union.  By looking at all avenues you are sure to find a loan that works best for you.

You are so excited!  You have been approved for your loan.  You found your dream home.  The seller accepted your offer and escrow has been opened.  You can’t wait to move into your new home.  And of course, you must have new family room furniture.  Or, the house is in a great neighborhood but is a little dated and you plan to install all new appliances in the kitchen.  You want to buy what you need now so it can be delivered or installed as soon as escrow closes!

But stop!  Wait until after escrow closes before you make any major purchases!  Many buyers think that once they have loan approval they have passed the test, so to speak.  The lender has approved them for the loan and now they have nothing to worry about.
But, what they may not be aware of is that the lender is assuming their financial state will remain about the same.  Before giving approval for a loan, the lender checks the potential borrower’s credit report, bank statements, employment, etc. and gives loan approval based on that evaluation.  Something many buyers do not realize is that most lenders will check the borrower’s credit again, usually a few days before escrow closes.  So if a buyer makes several large purchases and increases his credit card debt, his debt to income ratio may be much higher than the lender is comfortable with.  Even paying cash may not be good as it may reduce cash reserves to a lower level than the lender wants to see.

Changes in your debt to income ratio might mean that you will now have to pay higher rates, fees, and payments for your loan.  You many loose your financing all together.  Then you are in a situation where you are shopping for a loan at the last minute right before escrow closes.  If you are not able to qualify for a loan and have to back out of the transaction, you may even loose your initial deposit.

This is serious stuff.  My advice to buyers is to wait until after escrow closes before you make any large purchase of any type.  Or, at least check with your lender before doing so.  You could save yourself a lot of money and a lot of heart ache.

Looking at homes before you talk with a lender is like going to the mall with a gift card that you don’t know how much it is worth and which stores will take it.  Is it worth $1000 or $100?  Is it good at Nordstroms or at Sears?  Or at both?  Would you wander around the mall trying to decide what to buy with a gift card of unknown value?  What a waste of time!

But, this is exactly what a huge number of people do when shopping for a home.  Searching for qualification criteria and rates on the Internet is helpful, just as searching for homes on the Internet is a good way to do your homework.  However, before you physically go out and look at homes, you must actually talk with a real live lender.  Everyone’s situation is different and a good lender will find a program that will work best for you.

It is not only a matter of qualifying for a loan.  You also need to know how much the loan will cost and how much your payments will be.  You may qualify for way more than the monthly payment you are comfortable paying.  Also, there may be loan programs available that you are not aware of that will give you more flexibility in your purchase.  Once you know the loan amount you qualify for, how much the monthly payments will be, and the terms of the  loan, you will know what price range of homes to consider.  Like at the mall, you will know how much that gift card is worth.

Even if you are certain you can qualify for a loan, you still must talk with a lender first.  I have had very wealthy buyers run into problems when they attempt to get the loan.  These are people who can actually pay cash for the property and have lots of money left over.  Sure they can qualify, but it may not be for the loan or terms they thought they could get.  By the time they come to terms with the lender, the property they want is no longer available.

In addition,  it is to your advantage to have a pre-approval letter from a lender to submit with an offer to purchase.  A seller will consider your offer more seriously if they know that you already have loan approval.