New Jersey Mortgage and Home Loan Information

When Repairing Your Credit, Don't Forget About Good Debt

by Steve Kappre, NJ Loan Officer

Anyone who takes the initiative to restore their credit profile should be commended. Keep in mind though  that along with removing negative debts and history, many times new debt (that is good debt) needs to be established.

As time passes, older items on a credit report have less and less effect on the credit scores. This is good in the case of bad debt, and not so good in the case of good debt. Good debt would be considered an account that has been active, has on-time payment history, and has low balances (in regards to the allowable limit).

Good debt can be a mortgage, a car loan, credit cards, or installment loans. Some debts are a little better to have than others but that is beyond the scope of this piece.

As a individual makes the effort to rid their profile of negative items, for the score to improve, the credit scoring system will need to see some timely (on-time) accounts. If your credit is too damaged to open a bank loan or credit card, the common method of re-establishing credit is through a secure credit card, which is basically a credit card where you put the "credit" upfront ($500 limit on a card would require a $500 deposit, for instance).

So remember, knowing how to correctly remove and repair items on the credit report is only part of the equation. Be sure to establish new, good debt. 

Credit Links

Credit Scoring - What Makes Up My Credit Score? (1 of 6)

Credit Scoring - Payment History (2 of 6)

Credit Scoring - Balances (3 of 6)

Credit Scoring - History (4 of 6)

Credit Scoring - Mix of Accounts (5 of 6)

Credit Scoring - Inquiries (6 of 6)

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
• 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 | NJ Loan Officer .com

My Credit Scores Need Anger Management Class!!

Have you ever done something just to spite someone? Sure, we all have. Somehow it makes people feel a little better to act like a jerk or dis somebody.  Well I'm here to tell you that getting mad at creditors and not paying your bills out of spite will hurt nobody but yourself!

There's a good chance that the mega bank with 40,000 employees won't feel that spiteful sting when you decide to hurt them by not paying your bill(s). However, your credit can take a beating, now and for years to come.

First the situation hurts your ego. So you open that can of spite and decide to not pay on an account. Next it hurts your credit scores as payments are continually missed. Sometime later it hurts your pocket as lower credit scores cause you to get less desirable loans on other accounts. And if really played out, we are talking wage garnishment. It is official: Your spite just ruined your entire life's finances.

Seem silly? Maybe. Have people done this. ABSOLUTELY!! On anything from a $10 copay to a car repossession to even a house payment.

So next time take a deep breath, forget about the idiot worker that called you with the attitude, and pay your bills. Big or small. In the end it will not only feel right, it IS right.

Credit Links

Credit Scoring - What Makes Up My Credit Score? (1 of 6)

Credit Scoring - Payment History (2 of 6)

Credit Scoring - Balances (3 of 6)

Credit Scoring - History (4 of 6)

Credit Scoring - Mix of Accounts (5 of 6)

Credit Scoring - Inquiries (6 of 6)

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
• 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

Interest Only Loans - The Devil or a Godsend?

I read this blog today that got my wheels spinning. The topic: Interest only loans. Interest only loans have a nasty reputation as foreclosure loans or "rent" loans. Heaped into the same pile are negative amortization loans, no doc loans, stated income loans, and others like it. But in my opinion, we are throwing the baby out with the bath water.

These loans are TOXIC!?!?

You don't have to convince me. And please don't try to. Lets try and create a quick parallel. We all use various tools every day; knives, can openers, lawn mowers, bleach, Jack Daniels. Where we run into the real problem is when these tools are misused OR they are given to the wrong people.

You don't give a 3 year old a steak knife. And your 5 year old shouldn't be mowing the grass. Your 16 year old shouldn't be downing Jack Daniels. They are all the wrong match for these "tools".

An interest only loan is a tool. Just like a 15 year loan is a tool. Think I am off my rocker?? I'll show you borrowers that are so aggressive in taking a 15 year loan that they put their family at far more risk than if they had an interest only loan. Point in case: If you are stretching to make 15 year loan payments, it leaves little money in the bank. When an emergency comes along, where does this person get money from? They borrower it via credit cards, bank loans, or maybe a refinance. This situation puts a homeowner in a much worse scenario and more than cancels out all of their pre-payment strategies. It may even put them into foreclosure, which would be doubly sad if they spent years aggressively paying down their home loan only to lose every cent to the bank.

The real issue is matching borrowers with the wrong loans

Did you know that negative amortization loans were around years before they were popular with Countrywide, WaMu, and World Savings? That is right. Various S&L's would carry such products. So why is it that these loans can be around for years and NOW we are getting crushed by them? Because more recently they were given to the wrong people (Wrong tool, wrong borrower, wrong age, wrong financial understanding level).

When you give a first time buyer an interest only loan at 100% financing that has a rate that adjusts after only 2 years, you are creating a serious mess. When you give a negative amortization loan to a borrower that can barely pay the 1% payment rate (but is really being charge 7% - which the loan will later adjusts to), you are creating a serious mess.

These loans got riskier and riskier. As homes appreciated, people that failed with these loans simply listed and sold their homes in a week. All is good. Until appreciation stopped and went in reverse.

Interest only loans in and of themselves are not bad loans. For a financially savvy home owner, an interest only loan that adjusts monthly can be a God send, because they understand finances. (Right tool - right user).

Putting a knife in the hand of a 3 year old is just like lending an interest only loan to the financial noob. It may just be a miracle if things turn out right!!

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
• 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

Don't Blame the Underwriter - Blame the Loan Officer!

Steve are you out of your mind? Aren't you a loan officer?

There has been recent conversation about underwriting and underwriters and how grossly depraved and wicked they are - denying loans, taking a shotgun to files, stripping them of all their dignity ...

But as a loan officer that is experienced with both the broker side and the banking side of mortgage lending, I am here to say more times than not ...

BLAME THE LOAN OFFICER

We loan officers are on the front lines. It can be wickedly brutal out there. We work our brains and hands to the core to obtain business, and when we finally get the business in the door do you think we would ever admit that we made a mistake? (We all know what the answer should be, as well as the factual answer).

Enter the mythical creature known as the underwriter!!!

(Excerpt from an unknown work of Plato)

"The underwriter was born in the underworld, the offspring of Barney Frank and Michael Moore. (The one pictured above is actually a quite beautiful one). Underwriters are so mean because they never see light, they are fed LOTS OF CRAP, and people want them to be God and approve horrendously looking files that were DOA. "

The reality is as mentioned above. Loan officers more times than not are to blame when "files go wild". But as typical (oh that hurts) salespeople, loan officers think they are never wrong, always right, and you shouldn't question their authority. HOWEVER the mythical underwriter to blame is a wretched, depraved being that lives only to deny potential home owners from ever living the American Dream. After all, if the underwriter is damned to the underworld, he/she is not letting anyone else experience happiness.

WHAT REALITY SHOULD BE

LOAN OFFICERS SHOULD

• Set the right expectations from day one
• Write REAL pre-approvals
• Be in constant communications
• Be human
• Under promise and over deliver
• Take off the "Sales Hat" and be more professional
• Be able to admit a mistake
• Allow direct contact with underwriters so the truth can be told (yeah right)

 REALTORS SHOULD

• Proactively provide sales contract and anything else important to the loan officer as fast as possible. (I've had agents send over contracts 2 weeks after being fully executed).
• Listen to the loan officers regarding time lines, stipulations, potential pitfalls (assuming the LO does his/her homework)
• Attempt to work with the same lenders and get a really good feel and working relationship under their belt (wonderful long term success)
• Take initiative for their buyers and sellers and be in constant communication with the loan officer (agents on both sides of the transaction)

We could go on forever with tips and ideas. The fact is that a knowledgeable experienced loan officer is the most important part of the financing wheel ... more important than the underwriter, the lender itself, the appraiser, the rate, the closing costs ... (you get the point). Some of us have learned the hard way ...

Garbage in = Garbage 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
• 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

NJ First Time Home Buyer Tax Prefund Program

The NJ First Time Home Buyer Tax Prefund Program has been a great option for New Jersey buyers needing down payment assistance programs. The program allows $5,000 of the $8,000 first time home buyer tax credit to be used towards your down payment and/or closing costs.

For buyers in the price range up to $142,000, the $5,000 can be used to cover the full down payment requirement for an FHA loan. When this is an option, a home buyer can also have the seller pay some or all of the closing costs. This is a great option for first time buyers because it lets them keep more money in the bank - something everyone homeowner needs!

The NJ Tax Prefund program will only be available while the first time home buyer tax credit is available, which means that both are gone in the coming weeks! To receive the first time buyer tax credit (and prefund option) a buyer must be under contract by April 30th and settle by June 30th.

If you need assistance, DO NOT delay. These loans typicially take about 45 days to close. Call today to get pre-approved for this option.

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
• 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

NJ HMFA Smart Start Lender - First Time Home Buyer Programs

Whether NJ first time home buyers utilize the available programs or not, every home buyer and Realtor need to know about these options. The main program that is offered by HMFA (Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency) of New Jersey is called the Smart Start program.

The Smart Start program is available for first time buyersand allows for down payment assistance or 2, 3, or 4 percent (%) of the loan amount. As an example, if you were financing $100,000, you could receive a grant of up to $4,000. The interest rate changes based on what assistance percentage is chosen.

The assistance can be used for closing costs or a down payment, or both. Often a home buyer with a little money in the bank can keep their money for after settlement and utilize both the down payment assistance program option and seller concessions. This creates a safer environment for a new home buyer as more of their own money can be kept in the bank.

The Smart Start program has income restrictions. As of 2/27/10 a first time buyer can make as much as $85,600 per household, and the limits go up depending on the county and the number of people in the household. (See Chart).

Although HMFA offers this program and many others like it, HMFA does not approve and finance these mortgages themselves, an approved HMFA mortgage lender such as Treasury Mortgage (A Division of Aurora Financial Group) would write, approve, and close these loans. In fact Aurora is one of only two firms that service these loans so you can do everything under one roof, which is better for everyone.

If you or someone you know is a first time home buyer, or if you are a Realtor, you owe it to yourself to know about these programs. They are not for everyone, but they are a wonderful fit for some and can make the first time home buyer experience a great one.

Some other HMFA options are the Tax Prefund Program, Live Where You Work, Police and Fireman's Loan, and more

Lastly, be quite sure to work with a loan officer and lender that are very experienced with this program. If they are not writing HMFA Smart Start loans every month (be sure to ask them) then you are probably dealing with the wrong people!

Call, text, or write for more information or to be pre-approved for these programs.

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
• 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

Still Closing Mortgage Loans in New Jersey below 620 Credit Scores

New Jersey first time home buyers still have an advantage these days. If you are buying your first home and are buying in New Jersey, practically every "typical" loan has a minimum FICO score requirement of 620. But there are options for financing a home with credit scores below 620, namely first time home buyer options.

These financing programs not only allow for credit scores below 620 but also allow a down-payment assistance option of up to 4% of the loan amount. As an example, a $100,000 loan amount would allow a $4,000 assistance option, which can be used for closing costs AND/OR down payment requirements. Up until the end of June 2010, there are also additional mortgage options, such as the tax prefund program.

If you are a first time buyer in New Jersey, you owe it to yourself to check out all of your financing, down payment assistance, and grant-type options.

For additional information or to be pre-approved, contact Steve.

Buyers can also check out: Understanding Seller Concessions | Seller Paid Closing Costs | Seller Contributions | Seller Assist

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
• 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

Think You Can Pick ANY Lender or Agent to Work With?

Let me share with you a recent event that caused a home buyer to miss out on $10,000.

I talked to a buyer two days ago. His significant other was doing some research about a local grant programs and they found me. In this case he called about a program that allows first time buyers to receive $10,000 towards the purchase of a home.

There are income limits to qualify for this program. Based off of his income alone, he made just a little too much money. However since his significant other would be living in the property, and is unemployed, this could change the qualifying factors, which also consider the number of people in the household and/or the number of people on the deed. So with two people in the home and on the deed, they now qualified for the $10,000 grant based off of their income.

TOO LITTLE ... TOO LATE

So they qualify now, good news right?? Not exactly. It would have been better had they never found out. Their loan officer told them the whole time that the significant other could not be on the loan since she provided no income. 

BZZZZZ - - - NOPE - - - NADA - - - Wrongo

You can indeed have a co-borrower that has no income and have them on the loan. Just think of a housewife, a retired spouse, etc. But due to being misguided, this first time home buyer will miss out on $10,000. He was only a week away from settlement when we talked about this, and the program takes about 45 days to complete. The seller is not willing to delay.

Who's wrong here ... the lender, the loan officer, the Realtor?

Realtors should certainly know about these programs, but this is out of their scope. Is it the lender's fault? Not really. A lender can train a loan officer, but they can't make them know everything. IT IS THE LOAN OFFICER'S FAULT! I'm not about to out that loan officer, I don't work like that. But shall I ask the question again; Do you ...

Think You Can Pick ANY Lender or Agent to Work With?

Well of course you can!!

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
• 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

Making Your First Time Home Buying Experience Successful

Well the run has begun and the whirlwind of first time home buyersis picking up steam all across the country. Every buyer will want to know how understanding and using all of your first time home buyer options comes into play in their personal home buying goals.

BUYERS TAKE NOTE:

What many Realtors and lenders (and therefore buyers) don't understand is that the $8,000 first time home buyer tax credit is not the only first time home buyer incentive right now. Indeed in New Jersey we are looking at a handful of mortgage options including a $10,000 grant-assistance program, a 4% (of loan amount) grant-assistance program, a tax-prefund mortgage option which allows $5,000 of the $8,000 tax credit to be used for buying a home, and a zero-down (100%) financing option. And that is just in Gloucester County!

Why do I say that Realtors and lenders don't know about these options??

Because I talk to buyers (and Realtors) all the time that know little to nothing about such options. Buyers come to me because their agent or their current lender could not answer their questions about such program options.

BUYERS do not need to miss out!! Ask as many questions as possible! Work with a local agent and lender that know their FIRST TIME HOME BUYER STUFF!!!! Do not settle for a mediocre substitute!

Buyers can also check out: Understanding Seller Concessions | Seller Paid Closing Costs | Seller Contributions | Seller Assist

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