New Jersey Mortgage and Home Loan Information

Educating NJ First Time Home Buyers about Information on the Internet

Last night I had the privilege of spending a little over half an hour on the phone with a first time home buyer. Initially I wasn't overjoyed at spending time with a client at 7:30 on a Friday night, but the reality was that I ended up having a good time helping a young couple understand the home buying process.

There are various programs available (which can be confusing even to someone in the business). Locally in Gloucester County and South Jersey there are several loan programs that first time buyers can take advantage of.

In this particular case this buyer had done a good amount of research on the Internet. And so it makes sense that they came across the same bogus websites that I come across when doing research: The websites that offer programs, incentives, and other options that DON'T EXIST. It is no wonder why many first time buyers are so confused; Even when they do study up and research they are bombarded with misleading, inaccurate, and even blatantly false statements.

Why do some websites and lenders mislead and even lie on their websites?

There are three main reasons I have found these misleading websites exist:

1. To "up-sell" a buyer into something they "qualify for" (As the case in offering SUPER LOW rates)
2. To sell ad space for other businesses (These sites often just get you there in hopes you will click on an ad on their page)
3. To sell a buyer's information to a company that actually is a lender. (A lead generator site)

It is rather simple - they want "the phones to ring" so they can sell people on something. Some websites will pull people in with the right "keywords". Some of these websites will offer just a little information and THEN SELL OFF YOUR NAME AND INFORMATION TO REAL LENDERS, at times without the home buyer having any knowledge of this. Working with these websites is a roll of the dice at best!

Even with the great amount of regulation taking place in the mortgage industry, there are still some screwballs out there. As an experienced lender I can not emphasis the importance of working with a local lender. I will be the first to admit that I have no idea what first time buyer programs are offered in other states (Other than NJ and PA). And I can guaranteeyou that someone outside on New Jersey can not offer you programs that a New Jersey based lender can offer you. (Not even all NJ lenders can offer the same programs, such as the case with many NJ first time home buyer programs.)

When it comes to buying real estate, the phrase often used is location, location, location. Many people don't realize that when it comes to choosing a mortgage company and a loan officer, the phrase location, location, location is just as important.

If you specialize in first time home buyer programs in other states, feel free to contact me. I often meet buyers that I can not help in many other states.

Steve Kappre is a mortgage loan officer in New Jersey. For more info or questions feel free to contact Steve.

• NJ First Time Home Buyer
• NJ Reverse Mortgages
• Purchase, refinance, rehab loans
• Conventional, FHA, USDA, VA, HMFA, First Time Home Buyer, Police and Fire, Live Where You Work, and more

Call direct @ 856-419-3561 | Subscribe to Steve's blog via e-mail

It only lasted for a few hours, but in actuality, that was much better as it mostly cleared up before I had to leave for the day.

Steve Kappre is a mortgage loan officer in New Jersey. For more info or questions feel free to contact Steve.

• NJ First Time Home Buyer
• NJ Reverse Mortgages
• Purchase, refinance, rehab loans
• Conventional, FHA, USDA, VA, HMFA, First Time Home Buyer, Police and Fire, Live Where You Work, and more

Call direct @ 856-419-3561 | Subscribe to Steve's blog via e-mail

BEWARE: There is a combination that the first time home buyer needs to be aware of. That combination would look something like this ...

The main item of issue here is the short sale or foreclosure. The home buying transaction typically takes 30-60 days. However, when the bank that is holding the seller's mortgage needs to make a decision, on "who, where, when, why" regarding the sale of the home, a buyer can expect to add a few weeks ... or even a few months to the timeline. And that is no exaggeration.

In such situations you could have an attorney for the seller, a negotiator for the short sale, a PMI company evaluating their loss options, a seller that is going crazy and doesn't care anymore ... and the list goes on, with each party adding more time to the equation.

So first time home buyers be prepared. If the home that you are purchasing is a foreclosure or short sale, you may be getting an AWESOME deal on it. And well you can still get an awesome deal, just don't be heart broken or count on the first time home buyer tax credit.

If recieving the first time home buyer tax credit is going to make or break a transaction for you, think long and hard about how things could pan out.

Steve Kappre is a mortgage loan officer in New Jersey. For more info or questions feel free to contact Steve.

• NJ First Time Home Buyer
• NJ Reverse Mortgages
• Purchase, refinance, renovation mortgages
• Conventional, FHA, USDA, VA, HMFA, PHFA, Police and Fire, Live Where You Work, and more

Call direct @ 856-419-3561 | Subscribe to Steve's blog via e-mail

NJ First Time Home Buyers: The Clock is Ticking Again

The real estate industry went through a "buzzer beater" with the first-time home buyer tax credit deadline last November. Title companies were scrambling, this NJ loan officer was working overtime, and attorneys were getting ready to duke-it-out if need be.

Many first time buyers were relieved to hear that the tax credit was extended. Some buyers closed a few days later without an issue. Some closed a few weeks later. And in one situation I was personally involved in, a home buyer was buying a short sale and closed in JANUARY, or two months later.

The current guidelines for the first time home buyer tax credit state that the home buyer has to be under contract by the end of April (April 30th). Buyers also have to settle by the end of June (June 30th).

BUT SOME BUYERS WILL STILL MISS THESE DEADLINES!

And some sellers will miss out as well.

There can be many reasons for this:

• Bad real estate agents
• Bad loan officers
• Unorganized buyers
• Short sales and foreclosure transactions that are mostly dictated by the bank holding the mortgage on the seller's end.

A few months ago, it was cake to close a purchase transaction in 2-3 weeks. These days most contracts are written for 45-60 days, and due to situations outside of a buyers control, they can take significantly longer.

BE PREPARED!! PLAN AHEAD!!

If you have questions feel free to call. Proper planning over the next few weeks may be the difference between a great success and a dreadful let down.

Other NJ First Time Home Buyer links:

Use Your Tax Rebate to Buy a Home

Gloucester County First Time Home Buyer Grant

East Greenwich, South Jersey

Above is a fun shot I got a few months ago while driving down Democrat Road in East Greenwich. With plenty of parks, trees, and green fields around you can find a fair amount of places to take some great photos of the natural habitat. It is not hard to get a good picture of deer or turkeys just hanging around. And if you drive down the right road, some cows, horses, or even sheep.

If you hang around South Jersey, you would have a hard time believing that this is the most densely populated state in the country. There is a fair amount of difference between North and South Jersey.

South Jersey is located in one of the most convienient locations on the east coast; literally a few minutes to Philadelphia, a little more than an hour to New York, and about 3 hours to Washington, DC.

If you have any questions about this South Jersey area, just leave them below, call, or text.

Steve Kappre is a mortgage loan officer in NJ. For more info check out:

• NJ First Time Home Buyer
• NJ Reverse Mortgages
• Purchase, refinance, renovation mortgages
• Conventional, FHA, USDA, VA, HMFA, PHFA, Police and Fire, Live Where You Work, and more

856-419-3561 | Subscribe to Steve's blog via e-mail

Use Your Tax Rebate to Buy a Home

New Jersey first time home buyers and home buyers all over listen up! Not only is the government offering incentives for Americans to buy and sell homes, but this Spring you can offer yourself an incentive: Buy a home with your tax rebate money! Some people will go on vacation. And some will buy a new LED flat panel TV.

But the shrewd will utilize this money for something that may just change their life, such as to buy their first home. Here's a quick review of the many first time home buyer "incentives" that are available RIGHT NOW.

• The (up to) $8,000 federal tax credit for buying a home (Must be under contract by April 30th, and settle by end of June)
• Local first time home buyer incentives such as; down payment assistance, reduced down payment requirements, and more. These can be local as in "state" programs, or local as in "county" programs, or even city specific incentive programs. (Contact your local expert for more information).
• Homes are priced lower right now than they have been for years. Most markets are buyers markets.
• Interest rates are still very low. However if history repeats itself, and the government keeps their current stance, mortgage interest rates will not stay this low much longer.

Is Now the Best Time to Buy?

I won't answer that question for you, but now is certainly a great time to buy, and with the option to use your tax rebate to buy a home on top of everything else ...

"We won't know the bottom of the market until it is in the rearview mirror!"

Thanks ActiveRain for the Spotlight!!

Steve Kappre is a mortgage loan officer in New Jersey with Treasury Mortgage, a subsidiary of Aurora Financial Group. For more info check out:

• NJ First Time Home Buyer, grants, down paymet assistance, and more
• NJ Reverse Mortgages
• Offering all aspects of purchase and refinance mortgages up to and over 100% of the home's value
• Home renovation loans for refinance or purchase mortgages
• Conventional, FHA, USDA, VA, HMFA, PHFA, Police and Fire, Live Where You Work, and more

Contact Steve Kappre directly: 856-419-3561 | Subscribe to Steve's blog via e-mail

First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit Scenarios

I typically pass off specific tax credit questions to a tax advisor or CPA. So when a Realtor asked me today about a co-signer on an FHA loan, and if the first time buyer still qualified for the tax credit, I thought "yes", but wanted to make sure.

A quick drop by to the IRS site (IRS.gov) and a few clicks and I found my answer. The first time buyer with a co-signer DOES qualify for the tax credit.

For a list of other scenarios that may help buyers understand, check out this link to the First-Time Homebuyer Credit scenarios on the IRS website.

Steve Kappre is a mortgage loan officer in New Jersey with Treasury Mortgage, a subsidiary of Aurora Financial Group. For more info check out:

• NJ First Time Home Buyer, grants, down paymet assistance, and more
• NJ Reverse Mortgages
• Offering all aspects of purchase and refinance mortgages up to and over 100% of the home's value
• Home renovation loans for refinance or purchase mortgages
• Conventional, FHA, USDA, VA, HMFA, PHFA, Police and Fire, Live Where You Work, and more

Contact Steve Kappre directly: 856-419-3561 | Subscribe to Steve's blog via e-mail

Gloucester County First Time Home Buyer Assistance Program: Update

The Gloucester County, NJ first time home buyer grant program is a great option for home buyers looking to purchase in this South Jersey area. More recently, this program has changed. Here is an update on how this great program works;

1. The amount allowed as assistance is $10,000
2. The assistance can be used for closing costs and/or down payment
3. The assistance is provided at closing, not before.
4. UPDATE: A home buyer is now required to receive home buyer counseling, such as that approved by HUD. There are several local areas to obtain this counseling
5. UPDATE: 3%* of the buyers own funds (including gift funds, as in the case of an FHA loan) must be put into the transaction. This means that the 3% can go towards upfront fees, closing costs, or the down payment, or any mix of the three. Be sure to keep all receipts. (*3% of the purchase price)
6. This program is income resricted. The requirements start off at an income cap of $46,000 for a single person, and moves about about $6,000 per household member.

Keep in mind that household income is the factor used for qualifying, therefore if for instance a husband plans to buy a home only in his name, the income of his wife (assuming she lives in the property) will also be factored, and would require that the total household income fit within the guidelines.

The Gloucester County first time home buyer assistance programis one of the best home buying options around. Call Steve Kappre @ 856-419-3561 for more information today.

More information on NJ First Time Home Buyers.

Reverse Mortgages for Gloucester County, NJ

Here is some helpful information regarding reverse mortgages. This video answers some frequently asked questions such as;

• Is now a good time to take out a reverse mortgage?

• Is there a better/best age to utilize a reverse mortgage?

• What is the interest rate?

• How does the interest rate determine how much I can borrow?

You can both refinance and purchase a home using a reverse mortgage.

If you are considering a reverse mortgage in Gloucester County or the surrounding area, and would like to meet with a representative for a consultation, and to review your options and benefits of a reverse mortgage, contact Steve Kappre for more information: 856-419-3561 or steve@stevekappre.com.

Below is a video that you may find useful.