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	<title> &#187; Home Buyer Tips</title>
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		<title>Lender Documents: Why So Many?</title>
		<link>http://www.bayarearealestatemarketupdate.com/lender-documents-many/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bayarearealestatemarketupdate.com/lender-documents-many/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 17 May 2010 21:10:53 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Christopher Apodaca</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Home Buyer Tips]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bayarearealestatemarketupdate.com/?p=322</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[As a lender, it seems like the number of  documents I have to ask for are always increasing. There are so many! Of course there are the basics: pay stubs, W-2&#8242;s, and bank statements. However there are always those extra documents! I have had to ask for doctor&#8217;s notes, lawyer&#8217;s notes, even a teacher&#8217;s note! [...]


Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://www.bayarearealestatemarketupdate.com/lender-second-approval/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: The Lender Lure: Why Sellers Make You Talk to Their Lender'>The Lender Lure: Why Sellers Make You Talk to Their Lender</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.bayarearealestatemarketupdate.com/communication-key-relationship-especially-lender/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Communication is the Key to ANY Relationship&#8230;Especially with a Lender'>Communication is the Key to ANY Relationship&#8230;Especially with a Lender</a></li>
</ol>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p></p><p><a href="http://www.bayarearealestatemarketupdate.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/climb-stack-of-paper.315111541_std.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-325" title="Climbing a Pile of Files" src="http://www.bayarearealestatemarketupdate.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/climb-stack-of-paper.315111541_std-259x300.jpg" alt="" width="259" height="300" /></a>As a lender, it seems like the number of  documents I have to ask for are always increasing. There are so many! Of course there are the basics: pay stubs, W-2&#8242;s, and bank statements. However there are always those extra documents!</p>
<p>I have had to ask for doctor&#8217;s notes, lawyer&#8217;s notes, even a teacher&#8217;s note! It seems like after I say &#8220;Well that&#8217;s it for now&#8221; I never fail to receive an update from the bank asking for more documentation!</p>
<p>As a lender, my documents (or &#8220;ducks&#8221; as I call them) have to be lined up in a row&#8230;perfectly. If not, you lose your home and I lose my job. Which means it&#8217;s back to my college days of eating ramen noodles for dinner, and NOT by choice.</p>
<p>SO, what should you do if your lender keeps asking for the most minuscule documents? SUPPLY THEM!</p>
<p>In most cases your loan officer is trying to meet the conditions of the bank, not just drive you crazy with phone calls. If anything, you should be worried if your lender doesn&#8217;t ask you for certain documents (See &#8220;<a href="http://www.californiateachersandemployeeshomeloanprograms.com/why-its-important-to-be-prepared-before-you-hire-a-lender/" target="_blank">Why It&#8217;s Important to Be Prepared</a>&#8220;) .</p>
<p>For example, I had a borrower who was looking to refinance his home. He was trying to take out $125,000 worth of equity. His home is worth $720,000 . A previous Lender that thinks money grows on Trees, said they could help him no problem.</p>
<p>Three months later he called me asking for a second opinion.I reviewed his credit, which was perfect (See &#8220;<a href="http://www.bayarearealestatemarketupdate.com/bad-credit-really-bad/" target="_blank">Bad Credit&#8230;Is It Really That Bad</a>?&#8221;). I reviewed he and his wife&#8217;s income, very healthy. What could possibly be wrong? He&#8217;s the ideal client, a lender&#8217;s dream!</p>
<p>Well long story short, his previous lender asked for all the basic documents, but neglected to request some key documents related to his current mortgage.</p>
<p>What turned out to be a three month nightmare with the previous lender, was really a 3 week open and shut loan refinance for me.</p>
<p>Now, is every situation different? Of course, because every person&#8217;s financial situation is different. This is why choosing your lender is so important, you have to make sure that they are going to be competent to handle any hiccups in the loan process. Mind you, these hiccups could cost you thousands of dollars.</p>
<p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Bottom Line</span></strong></p>
<p>Remember that you are asking me to loan you hundreds of thousands of dollars. The documents you submit are your earnest attempt to show that you are trustworthy with this loan. When it comes time to render a decision, I imagine you want the bank to have no doubt as to your abilities to pay your mortgage.</p>
<p>Just know that ducks in a row are happy ducks.</p>


<p>Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://www.bayarearealestatemarketupdate.com/lender-second-approval/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: The Lender Lure: Why Sellers Make You Talk to Their Lender'>The Lender Lure: Why Sellers Make You Talk to Their Lender</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.bayarearealestatemarketupdate.com/communication-key-relationship-especially-lender/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Communication is the Key to ANY Relationship&#8230;Especially with a Lender'>Communication is the Key to ANY Relationship&#8230;Especially with a Lender</a></li>
</ol></p>]]></content:encoded>
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		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The Lender Lure: Why Sellers Make You Talk to Their Lender</title>
		<link>http://www.bayarearealestatemarketupdate.com/lender-second-approval/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bayarearealestatemarketupdate.com/lender-second-approval/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 21 Apr 2010 04:31:21 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Christopher Apodaca</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Breaking News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Home Buyer Tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[FHA loan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Investment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mortgage]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Real estate]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bayarearealestatemarketupdate.com/?p=293</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[As a lender, I represent home buyers looking to get into homes. There are however lenders out there who represent sellers, usually in the form of an &#8220;LLC&#8221; or investment company that owns the property. Most of these LLC&#8217;s exist to &#8220;flip&#8221; properties and turn a profit (See &#8220;FHA Flips Flipping Rule&#8220;). These types of [...]


Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://www.bayarearealestatemarketupdate.com/communication-key-relationship-especially-lender/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Communication is the Key to ANY Relationship&#8230;Especially with a Lender'>Communication is the Key to ANY Relationship&#8230;Especially with a Lender</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.bayarearealestatemarketupdate.com/lender-documents-many/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Lender Documents: Why So Many?'>Lender Documents: Why So Many?</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.bayarearealestatemarketupdate.com/fha-flips-flipping-rule/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: FHA Flips Flipping Rule'>FHA Flips Flipping Rule</a></li>
</ol>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p></p><p><img class="alignleft" title="Lure" src="http://www.wallpaper4me.com/images/wallpapers/WallU4%20(15)-617331.jpeg" alt="" width="277" height="221" /> As a lender, I represent home buyers looking to get into homes. There are however lenders out there who represent sellers, usually in the form of an &#8220;<a href="http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/llc" target="_blank">LLC</a>&#8221; or investment company that owns the property.</p>
<p>Most of these LLC&#8217;s exist to &#8220;flip&#8221; properties and turn a profit (See &#8220;<a href="http://www.bayarearealestatemarketupdate.com/fha-flips-flipping-rule/" target="_blank">FHA Flips Flipping Rule</a>&#8220;). These types of sellers can be crucial in taking otherwise uninhabitable properties and refurbishing them into pretty nice homes.</p>
<p>This could translate into a profit for the investor as well as a deal for you, the buyer. It&#8217;s a &#8220;Win-Win&#8221; situation!</p>
<p>The quality of the refurbishment or &#8220;rehab&#8221; is up to the LLC and to the amount of profit they&#8217;re looking to make. That is why it is very important to do a thorough inspection beforehand. This will give you an idea of how good a job the seller&#8217;s crew did fixing up the home.</p>
<p>Now, as I mentioned earlier I represent you (the buyer) and sometimes these investment groups or &#8220;LLC&#8221; have their own lender who will represent them (the seller).</p>
<p>The purpose for this is usually to ensure that everything that I&#8217;ve done is accurate.  They will usually review credit (see &#8220;<a href="http://www.bayarearealestatemarketupdate.com/bad-credit-really-bad/" target="_blank">Bad Credit&#8230;Is It Really That Bad?</a>&#8220;), financial documentation, and your reserve funds. After all, they are trying to protect their investment by looking at offers from serious people not window shoppers.</p>
<p>That is all well and good because again, good investors buying beat up properties is a good thing! However, we have to remember that not all investors are created equal. There are some, I know hold your breath, that are GREEDY.</p>
<p>A common, and might I add annoying, tactic is to have you apply through their lender for a loan. This is to again, verify that your information is solid and you have the means to purchase a loan, but also to outright steal your business from me (your lender) and increase their profits.</p>
<p>Now, I&#8217;m not writing this post to dissuade you from considering another offer. Actually, if my level of service hasn&#8217;t made you a loyal client then I don&#8217;t deserve your business. What I am trying to dissuade you from is being rash and not truly weighing out your options.</p>
<p>If the seller&#8217;s lender solicits a loan to you, here are some important things to consider:</p>
<ol>
<li><strong>Man cannot live on interest rates alone</strong>- there are so many more components that go into a loan besides your interest rate. Always look at the APR as well as other fees.</li>
<li><strong>A lender is not always a lender- </strong>Personal cell phone number, email address, and quick follow up are not part of the &#8220;Lender&#8217;s Creed&#8221; as a whole. There are only a small number of us who are available outside the &#8220;9-5&#8243; mindset.</li>
<li><strong>Closing Times Are Crucial-</strong> You can incur per diem fees by not fulfilling your obligations as a home buyer. You want your lender to guarantee you will close within 30 days, <strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">IN WRITING</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">.</span></strong></li>
<li><strong>Service-</strong> After everything is said and done, you will remember me by my service. You will recommend me to your friends because of my service. The difference between you being &#8220;satisfied&#8221; and &#8220;overjoyed&#8221; with your new home will be&#8230;you guessed it, <strong>MY SERVICE</strong>. With great service, why would you go anywhere else?</li>
</ol>
<p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Bottom Line</span></strong></p>
<p>The purpose of this post is to let you know that when you do get an accepted offer on a house, you should not be surprised by the fact that another lender will need to review and verify your information. It&#8217;s normal and usually pretty routine.</p>
<p>However, if there is an attempt to solicit business, remember me (the little guy) who has been holding your hand every step of the way. (See my <a href="http://www.broadviewmortgagecorp.com/EmployeeDetail.aspx?EmployeeID=12446&amp;" target="_blank">Professional Biograph</a><a href="http://www.broadviewmortgagecorp.com/EmployeeDetail.aspx?EmployeeID=12446&amp;" target="_blank">y</a> and &#8220;<a href="http://www.bayarearealestatemarketupdate.com/cookie-mortgage-common/" target="_blank">A Cookie and a Mortgage: What They Have In Common</a>&#8220;)</p>
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<p>Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://www.bayarearealestatemarketupdate.com/communication-key-relationship-especially-lender/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Communication is the Key to ANY Relationship&#8230;Especially with a Lender'>Communication is the Key to ANY Relationship&#8230;Especially with a Lender</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.bayarearealestatemarketupdate.com/lender-documents-many/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Lender Documents: Why So Many?'>Lender Documents: Why So Many?</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.bayarearealestatemarketupdate.com/fha-flips-flipping-rule/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: FHA Flips Flipping Rule'>FHA Flips Flipping Rule</a></li>
</ol></p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<item>
		<title>Sleazy Agent Ahead: Proceed with Caution</title>
		<link>http://www.bayarearealestatemarketupdate.com/the-world-will-not-come-to-an-end-if-you-dont-buy-now/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bayarearealestatemarketupdate.com/the-world-will-not-come-to-an-end-if-you-dont-buy-now/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 12 Apr 2010 11:21:10 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Christopher Apodaca</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Home Buyer Tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Christopher Apodaca]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Home Buying 101]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Home Buying Basics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Interest rate]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Real estate]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bayarearealestatemarketupdate.com/?p=140</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Not a day goes by that I don&#8217;t hear &#8220;Well so and so said that if I don&#8217;t buy now I will never get another deal like this!&#8221;. Or my personal favorite is when I get a phone call from an agent saying &#8220;Well I want to hurry up and get this person into a [...]


Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://www.bayarearealestatemarketupdate.com/ray-homebuyer-changes-his-name-to-ray-homeowner/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Ray Homebuyer Changes His Name to Ray Homeowner'>Ray Homebuyer Changes His Name to Ray Homeowner</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.bayarearealestatemarketupdate.com/lender-second-approval/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: The Lender Lure: Why Sellers Make You Talk to Their Lender'>The Lender Lure: Why Sellers Make You Talk to Their Lender</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.bayarearealestatemarketupdate.com/communication-key-relationship-especially-lender/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Communication is the Key to ANY Relationship&#8230;Especially with a Lender'>Communication is the Key to ANY Relationship&#8230;Especially with a Lender</a></li>
</ol>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p></p><p><img class="alignleft" title="Sleazy Salesman" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Gcl8aJ-dtCs/SfBfjLWY8mI/AAAAAAAAAKM/iM4ioLkAxys/s320/sleazy-salesman-thumb.jpg" alt="" width="320" height="319" />Not a day goes by that I don&#8217;t hear &#8220;Well so and so said that if I don&#8217;t buy now I will never get another deal like this!&#8221;. Or my personal favorite is when I get a phone call from an agent saying &#8220;Well I want to hurry up and get this person into a house because my cell phone bill is past due.&#8221; Pressure, pressure, pressure! Worst of all, by a sleazy real estate agent who is supposed to be protecting my clients! (See &#8220;<a href="http://www.californiateachersandemployeeshomeloanprograms.com/i-want-to-change-the-world-have-i-finally-lost-it/" target="_blank">I want to Change the World &#8211; have I finally lost it</a>?&#8221;)</p>
<p>Yeah&#8230;if an agent says that to me, odds are that&#8217;s the LAST thing they will ever say to me because I will refuse to do business with them again. Don&#8217;t get me wrong, I&#8217;m not saying that real estate agents should not make a living, quite the opposite actually. I&#8217;m saying a <em>sleazy</em> agent should not make a living in real estate. However, as a lender I have to keep the best interests of my clients in mind.</p>
<p>Hmm&#8230;you tell me, why would a <em>dishonest</em> and <em>sleazy</em> salesman not be making money?  No matter what the reason is, it&#8217;s wrong for anybody to pressure anybody else into something. Did we not learn this in junior high school? Peer pressure is bad!</p>
<p>People, buying a home is the most important investment in the life of the average American after education. It has to be approached as such. I think too many of us in the real estate business have become jaded because we deal with home buyers all the time.  I try my best to remember that what you&#8217;re going through is super stressful and anxiety prone. I might be dealing with 10 home buyers a day, but each home buyer is dealing with that one huge task of buying a home.</p>
<p>I wonder if I&#8217;m making sense&#8230;meaning I have 10 people on average who are making the biggest decision of their lives, yet even then I tend to forget what they&#8217;re going through.</p>
<p>Anyway, back to the point I was making. If your lender, real estate agent, or Great Aunt Martha is trying to pressure you into buying right now because you will never be able to afford a home again simply tell them they are WRONG. Then give them a link to my website so I can explain it to them.</p>
<p>You see, interest rates fluctuate daily and they are very important, but not THAT important. When you look at the price of homes, for reasons too complicated to get into right now, they are usually correlated with interest rates (it&#8217;s a supply/demand thing). Higher interest rates usually cause home prices to dip and vice versa.</p>
<p>Of course there are many other factors such as location, crime rate, school quality, etc that affect home prices.</p>
<p>Case and point: only do something when you&#8217;re comfortable. Learn about your options, research them until you&#8217;re an expert. Then, when you&#8217;re ready, pick up the phone and begin to interview your home buying team (See<a href="http://www.californiateachersandemployeeshomeloanprograms.com/slide-show-a-complete-guide-to-hiring-a-lender-and-real-estate-agent-finding-the-best-deals/"> &#8220;Hiring a Real Estate Agent and Lender&#8221;</a>).</p>
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<li><a href='http://www.bayarearealestatemarketupdate.com/lender-second-approval/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: The Lender Lure: Why Sellers Make You Talk to Their Lender'>The Lender Lure: Why Sellers Make You Talk to Their Lender</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.bayarearealestatemarketupdate.com/communication-key-relationship-especially-lender/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Communication is the Key to ANY Relationship&#8230;Especially with a Lender'>Communication is the Key to ANY Relationship&#8230;Especially with a Lender</a></li>
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		<title>From Average Joe to Expert Negotiator: 4 Ways to Get Their Attention</title>
		<link>http://www.bayarearealestatemarketupdate.com/average-joe-expert-negotiator-appeal-seller/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bayarearealestatemarketupdate.com/average-joe-expert-negotiator-appeal-seller/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 18 Mar 2010 21:00:15 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Christopher Apodaca</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Breaking News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Home Buyer Tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Bidding Wars]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Christopher Apodaca]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Negotiation]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bayarearealestatemarketupdate.com/?p=240</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I&#8217;m just an Average Joe, odds are if you&#8217;re reading this then you are too. The reason this site exists, in fact the reason I exist, is to educate people. Specifically those who have NO IDEA where to begin. That said, let&#8217;s go through a few helpful tips you can use when it comes to [...]


Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://www.bayarearealestatemarketupdate.com/lender-second-approval/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: The Lender Lure: Why Sellers Make You Talk to Their Lender'>The Lender Lure: Why Sellers Make You Talk to Their Lender</a></li>
</ol>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p></p><p><a href="http://www.bayarearealestatemarketupdate.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Dodgeball_Average_Joes_Yellow_Shirt.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-287" title="Dodgeball_Average_Joes_Yellow_Shirt" src="http://www.bayarearealestatemarketupdate.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Dodgeball_Average_Joes_Yellow_Shirt.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="300" /></a>I&#8217;m just an Average Joe, odds are if you&#8217;re reading this then you are too. The reason this site exists, in fact the reason <em>I</em> exist, is to educate people. Specifically those who have NO IDEA where to begin. That said, let&#8217;s go through a few helpful tips you can use when it comes to submitting/negotiating an offer that will help you stand out to the seller.</p>
<p>1. <strong>Secure financing </strong><em><strong>BEFORE</strong></em><strong> you submit an offer- </strong>This may seem like a no brainer, even for an Average Joe, however in the &#8220;heat of the moment&#8221; people will submit impulsive offers only to later find out they actually have to PROVE that they can pay for the house. Weird concept isn&#8217;t it?</p>
<p>You want to get pre-approved, <strong>NOT </strong>pre-qualified. A pre-approval is a guarantee of funds and allows you to begin submitting offers on homes the day you receive it. A pre-qualification is just an excuse to run your credit and is not worth its weight in paper (You can get a pre-approval online <a href="https://3056272993.secure-loancenter.com/WebApp/Start.aspx?&amp;employeeID=12446" target="_blank">here</a>).</p>
<p><strong><em>YOU NEED FINANCING TO HAVE YOUR OFFER ACCEPTED!</em></strong></p>
<p>2. <strong>Offer a cash incentive if they accept your offer- </strong>A bank will not finance more than what a property is worth. <strong> </strong>Appraisers now-a-days are very conservative when it comes to the value of homes they evaluate.</p>
<p>This is advantageous because you can submit an offer for what a seller is asking for their property (which looks good) while at the same time offering to pay an incentive should the value come in lower.</p>
<p>For example, a seller is asking $125,000 for a house. After discussing with my real estate agent we believe it will appraise for $110,000. I submit an offer for $125,000 stating that if the property appraises for less than my offer, I will give them $2,000 above what the appraisal is in CASH. The property appraises for $115,000 (which is all the bank will finance) and I give a check for $2,000 as agreed.</p>
<p>There could be multiple offers on this property but the fact that I am offering CASH is hard to ignore.</p>
<p>Score another point for Average Joe.</p>
<p>3.  <strong>Don&#8217;t request seller concessions- </strong>Meaning, if you have a big enough nest egg to cover your own closing costs it would be wise to not ask the seller of the property to pay for them.</p>
<p>Additionally, there are programs such as CHDAP or other Down Payment Programs (See my<a href="http://www.bayarearealestatemarketupdate.com/down-payment-assistant-programs-in-the-bay-area/" target="_blank"> Down Payment Assistance Programs</a> page) that can help you make up the difference for paying your own closing costs.</p>
<p>4.<strong> Promise the seller their money FAST</strong>- As I mentioned in step 2, cash is hard to ignore. Make sure your lender can close escrow within 30 days. Something that I have found effective is writing &#8220;WILL CLOSE WITHIN 21 DAYS&#8221; on the offer.</p>
<p>Clear this with your lender first (See &#8220;<a href="http://www.bayarearealestatemarketupdate.com/your-loan-is-like-a-cookie/" target="_blank">Your Loan Is Like A Cookie</a>&#8220;) and be sure that they can give you a written statement attesting to the fact that they can close within 21 days (FYI, it&#8217;s not impossible, most loans I process close within 21 days).</p>
<p>The Bottom Line is This: The more tools in your red Average Joe toolbox, the better equipped you&#8217;ll be to handle this market. Then again, tools are only as good as their handlers. Be sure you hire a good Realtor(R) and lender, they&#8217;re going to be crucial in taking you from &#8220;Average Joe&#8221; to &#8220;Expert Negotiator&#8221;.</p>


<p>Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://www.bayarearealestatemarketupdate.com/lender-second-approval/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: The Lender Lure: Why Sellers Make You Talk to Their Lender'>The Lender Lure: Why Sellers Make You Talk to Their Lender</a></li>
</ol></p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>A Cookie and a Mortgage: What They Have in Common</title>
		<link>http://www.bayarearealestatemarketupdate.com/cookie-mortgage-common/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bayarearealestatemarketupdate.com/cookie-mortgage-common/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 06 Mar 2010 00:03:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Christopher Apodaca</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Home Buyer Tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[big bank]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Christopher Apodaca]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Financial services]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mortgage]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Small business]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bayarearealestatemarketupdate.com/?p=149</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Now, you know I always say &#8220;It&#8217;s like David vs. Goliath&#8221; (See Brenda Borrower Gets Buffed by Big Bank) when comparing us little guys to the Big Banks of America, Banks Far from Wells, and Banks Found in the City. Today I say it&#8217;s more like comparing a cookie. Think of it as  &#8220;Little Debbie [...]


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			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p></p><p><img class="alignleft" title="Cookie" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/43/90081272_90907be680.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="200" />Now, you know I always say &#8220;It&#8217;s like David vs. Goliath&#8221; (See <a href="http://www.californiateachersandemployeeshomeloanprograms.com/brenda-borrower-gets-buffed-by-big-bank/" target="_self">Brenda Borrower Gets Buffed by Big Bank</a>) when comparing us little guys to the Big Banks of America, Banks Far from Wells, and Banks Found in the City.</p>
<p>Today I say it&#8217;s more like comparing a cookie. Think of it as  &#8220;Little Debbie vs. Local Baker&#8221;, when it comes to comparing your mortgage bank. Little Debbie being Big Bank and the Local Baker being the Little Guy.</p>
<p>I know that every American is familiar with their local branch of Big Bank because they do your checking, savings, and other financial services. Don&#8217;t get me wrong, they usually have good checking and savings products, however nothing to write home about because most credit unions (small banks) offer the same products.</p>
<p>People associate, or rather <em>associated</em>, Big Bank with stability and security. If the last few years have taught us ANYTHING it is that the bigger you are, the faster your cookie crumbles.</p>
<p>Realistically, you&#8217;d think that they uphold the economy and keep our nation strong. Oh wait&#8230;we&#8217;ve had to divert our tax dollars to uphold them and keep their doors open. That&#8217;s an expensive cookie!</p>
<p>Well at least they help us with affordable housing and help keep people in their homes. Oh wait&#8230;they&#8217;ve withheld inventory, creating bidding wars on properties. Not to mention the high amount of foreclosures that more and more Americans are facing (See <a href="http://www.bayarearealestatemarketupdate.com/not-politics-statistics-when-it-comes-to-bay-area-foreclosures/" target="_blank">&#8220;Not Politics, Statistics</a>&#8220;).</p>
<p>So, why exactly do we use Big Bank? I can&#8217; t answer that. I&#8217;ve always used a credit union and support the small businesses in my community. I&#8217;m sure Big Bank can give you reasons why you should use them, but that&#8217;s their deal not mine. They pump billions and billions of their&#8230;oh wait&#8230;<em>our</em> dollars into marketing. All I have is this blog!</p>
<p>Let me tell you why you should use a small bank for just about everything, including your mortgage.</p>
<p>Think of small banks as you would a bakery. Everybody knows that one bakery that is owned by somebody who wakes up at the crack of dawn every day to prep the ingredients and make a darn good cookie.</p>
<p>That baker knows his recipe front and back, never willing to compromise on the quality of his ingredients. If you have a problem or special request, you can simply call and ask for him or come in one day to speak with him directly.</p>
<p>Usually, he&#8217;s more than happy to speak to you because YOU are helping to keep a roof over his desk. YOU make sure he continues to run an honest business and he works hard to keep your business.</p>
<p>Then you have Little Debbie. They do make great snacks and distribute them worldwide. The owner of Little Debbie wakes up, puts on a suit, and sits behind a desk all day. YOU have NO say in how the recipes are made, the ingredients that go into the cookie, or how their company is run.</p>
<p>Nothing against Little Debbie, they create thousands of jobs and do make a pretty good cookie. What lacks though is a personal touch and that special &#8220;made just for you&#8221; attention to detail (See &#8220;<a href="http://www.bayarearealestatemarketupdate.com/bad-credit-is-it-really-that-bad/" target="_blank">Bad Credit&#8230;Is It Really That Bad</a>?&#8221;).</p>
<p>Big Bank cares about a bottom line. They&#8217;ll do anything to maintain it, including taking YOUR tax dollars. Big Bank does not care if you&#8217;re losing your home, so long as they can foreclose and turn it for a profit. Big Bank measures your worth and dignity using dollar signs. Doesn&#8217;t matter what you think of the cookie, we&#8217;re gonna shove it down your throat and make you eat it (See &#8220;<a href="http://www.californiateachersandemployeeshomeloanprograms.com/ray-homebuyer-had-to-change-his-last-name-an-introduction/" target="_blank">Ray Homebuyer Had to Change His Last Name</a>&#8220;) .</p>
<p>Small Bank (i.e. Me) knows the community, knows the local resources, and has a vested interest in seeing you purchase a home. Small Bank answers to you, not shareholders. Small Bank is usually run by someone like YOU, who has a kid that goes to school with yours and votes at the same poll.</p>
<p>Like the Baker, you can come in and just ask to speak to the person in charge of your loan, trusting that you&#8217;re going to get great service. They want you to be satisfied with your decision to do business with them so they will make it a point to give you their contact information. We want you to buy the cookie because it&#8217;s the best cookie, if it isn&#8217;t the best we want YOU to tell us why.</p>
<p>When was the last time your Big Bank teller or manager gave you their cell number? Here&#8217;s mine (714)244-7368 (See my <a href="http://www.broadviewmortgagecorp.com/EmployeeDetail.aspx?EmployeeID=12446&amp;" target="_blank">Professional Biography</a>) .</p>
<p>The Bottom Line is this: Goliath was big, powerful, and intimidated everyone in the land because of his <em>perceived</em> strength. David, the little guy who everyone was betting against, sliced Goliath&#8217;s head off. Think about it as I sharpen my sword.</p>
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<li class="zemanta-article-ul-li"><a href="http://www.californiateachersandemployeeshomeloanprograms.com/qualifying-for-a-new-home-success-story/">&#8220;I Qualify for a Home Loan? REALLY?&#8221; &#8211; Home Buying Success Story</a> (CalPETR.com)</li>
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		<title>Communication is the Key to ANY Relationship&#8230;Especially with a Lender</title>
		<link>http://www.bayarearealestatemarketupdate.com/communication-key-relationship-especially-lender/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bayarearealestatemarketupdate.com/communication-key-relationship-especially-lender/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 09 Feb 2010 23:55:38 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Christopher Apodaca</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Home Buyer Tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Business and Economy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Consumer Service]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Direct Lender]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Home Buyer Education]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Loan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Real estate]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bayarearealestatemarketupdate.com/?p=99</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Everywhere you turn it seems that there&#8217;s that common thread of &#8220;communication is key&#8221; (See Ray Homebuyer&#8217;s story here). Now, I studied psychology in college and I&#8217;ve seen my share of those &#8220;self-help&#8221; episodes of Oprah. Even then, it doesn&#8217;t seem to stick to people exactly how important communication is. A couple goes into therapy, first [...]


Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://www.bayarearealestatemarketupdate.com/lender-second-approval/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: The Lender Lure: Why Sellers Make You Talk to Their Lender'>The Lender Lure: Why Sellers Make You Talk to Their Lender</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.bayarearealestatemarketupdate.com/lender-documents-many/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Lender Documents: Why So Many?'>Lender Documents: Why So Many?</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.bayarearealestatemarketupdate.com/the-world-will-not-come-to-an-end-if-you-dont-buy-now/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Sleazy Agent Ahead: Proceed with Caution'>Sleazy Agent Ahead: Proceed with Caution</a></li>
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			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><img class="aligncenter" title="Cartoon" src="http://www.ascdeaf.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2007/02/couples-therapy-cartoon.JPG" alt="" width="468" height="218" /></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">
<p style="text-align: left;">Everywhere you turn it seems that there&#8217;s that common thread of &#8220;communication is key&#8221; (See Ray Homebuyer&#8217;s story <a href="http://www.californiateachersandemployeeshomeloanprograms.com/ray-homebuyer-had-to-change-his-last-name-an-introduction/" target="_blank">here</a>). Now, I studied psychology in college and I&#8217;ve seen my share of those &#8220;self-help&#8221; episodes of Oprah. Even then, it doesn&#8217;t seem to stick to people exactly <em>how</em> important communication is.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">A couple goes into therapy, first thing the wife says &#8220;He never talks to me anymore, he doesn&#8217;t let me know what he&#8217;s feeling. I don&#8217;t know what to do unless he lets me know what&#8217;s wrong.&#8221;  The husband fires back &#8220;Well she doesn&#8217;t tell me anything either! It&#8217;s a two-way street here hun!&#8221;. There is obviously a lack of&#8230;you guessed it, COMMUNICATION!</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">It is a two-way street, or actually a three-way street, hun. There&#8217;s the lender, the borrower, and the real estate agent.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">As a lender my job is to maintain communication with you in real time. Meaning I am to call you, the client, and tell you what&#8217;s happening as soon as I know it has happened. After I call you, I call your real estate agent to update them as well.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Your job as a home buyer is to let me know if something has happened, as soon as it happens. The reason why I say this is because as far as I know, you are out shopping for homes. If someone falls ill in your family (heaven forbid, but it happens), you have a change in your financial situation, or you yourself are ill; I not only need to know but I&#8217;d like to know.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Your real estate agent has a responsibility to update you on properties, submit offers on your behalf, and negotiate with the seller. It is their job to represent your best interests. They should keep you updated on any activity as far as offers and properties go. Again, they must maintain constant communication.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Your relationship with me is important because I have your financial future in my hands, literally, and that isn&#8217;t an understatement. You may not always like what I have to say, but why? I deliver unpleasant news so we can decide where to go next, while you still have options.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">In short, please return my calls. Even if it&#8217;s to say &#8220;I&#8217;m no longer interested&#8221; but at least I know you&#8217;re no longer interested. I won&#8217;t cry, even though breaking up is hard to do.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Going back to our couple at the beginning of this article, if you don&#8217;t tell me what&#8217;s wrong I won&#8217;t know how to fix it.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Bottom line, I invest a lot of myself into each client. I will answer your calls at midnight, I will pick you up from the airport because your wife can&#8217;t leave work, I will even pick the dog up from the in-laws while you sign your loan documents.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">My goal is to do whatever it takes to make sure you can get into a home. I&#8217;m not asking for recognition, all I&#8217;m asking for is what any other person in a relationship asks for&#8230;cooperation.</p>
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<li><a href='http://www.bayarearealestatemarketupdate.com/lender-documents-many/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Lender Documents: Why So Many?'>Lender Documents: Why So Many?</a></li>
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		<title>Ray Homebuyer Changes His Name to Ray Homeowner</title>
		<link>http://www.bayarearealestatemarketupdate.com/ray-homebuyer-changes-his-name-to-ray-homeowner/</link>
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		<pubDate>Fri, 05 Feb 2010 22:00:24 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Christopher Apodaca</dc:creator>
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		<description><![CDATA[A few months ago I wrote a post on CalPETR.com entitled &#8220;Ray Homebuyer Had to Change His Last Name: An Introduction&#8220;. In that post I described an all to common occurrence for good willed home buyers. In a nutshell, Ray believed he was going to buy a home and was let down by his home buying team. [...]


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			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p></p><p><img class="alignleft" title="Keys" src="http://manhattanalliance.com/images/consumer.jpg" alt="" width="234" height="231" />A few months ago I wrote a post on CalPETR.com entitled &#8220;<a href="http://www.californiateachersandemployeeshomeloanprograms.com/ray-homebuyer-had-to-change-his-last-name-an-introduction/" target="_blank">Ray Homebuyer Had to Change His Last Name: An Introduction</a>&#8220;. In that post I described an all to common occurrence for good willed home buyers.</p>
<p>In a nutshell, Ray believed he was going to buy a home and was let down by his home buying team. Ray found out <strong>60 DAYS INTO ESCROW </strong>that he was not going to be able to buy his home because of an FHA requirement that was not met. So much for transparency in the banking industry (See &#8220;<a href="http://www.californiateachersandemployeeshomeloanprograms.com/brenda-borrower-gets-buffed-by-big-bank/" target="_blank">Brenda Borrower Gets Buffed by Big Bank</a>&#8220;)</p>
<p>Ray Homebuyer trusted his real estate agent and his lender to keep him in the loop on everything that was happening. Not only did his Big Bank lender drop the ball by never returning his phone calls, but his real estate agent outright <strong><em>lied</em><span style="font-weight: normal;"> about the type of financing Ray was applying for.</span></strong></p>
<p><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">That said, Ray Homebuyer got a hold of us and he signed his loan documents yesterday. He is now Ray Homeowner, middle name &#8220;Proud&#8221;. It wasn&#8217;t easy and it wasn&#8217;t an overnight resolution but it was worth it.</span></strong></p>
<p>Not everyone is so lucky though, many people who find themselves in Ray&#8217;s situation simply give up. If you have a difficult loan situation please fill out the<a href="http://www.bayarearealestatemarketupdate.com/196/" target="_blank"> Loan Rescue Form</a> and we&#8217;ll see what we can do to get your loan closed, no additional charge.</p>
<p><em>Have you been taken advantage of by Big Bank? Do you have a story you think needs to be published? Are you unsure about your current lender or real estate agent? Feel free to comment below or send me an email. We gladly give second opinions.</em></p>
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<li><a href='http://www.bayarearealestatemarketupdate.com/bad-credit-really-bad/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Bad Credit &#8230;Is It Really That Bad?'>Bad Credit &#8230;Is It Really That Bad?</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.bayarearealestatemarketupdate.com/fha-changes-dummies/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: FHA Changes for Dummies'>FHA Changes for Dummies</a></li>
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		<title>FHA Changes for Dummies</title>
		<link>http://www.bayarearealestatemarketupdate.com/fha-changes-dummies/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bayarearealestatemarketupdate.com/fha-changes-dummies/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 24 Jan 2010 02:04:17 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Christopher Apodaca</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Home Buyer Tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Chris Apodaca]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Christopher Apodaca]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Credit score]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Fannie Mae]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Federal Housing Administration]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[FHA Changes]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bayarearealestatemarketupdate.com/?p=89</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[There&#8217;s a lot of flurry over recent FHA regulations and changes. I broke it down into the stuff that really affects you. That said, at any point you can go check out the original release by the FHA (Read it Here), but it&#8217;s probably better if you just read through this first. These are the [...]


Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://www.bayarearealestatemarketupdate.com/bad-credit-really-bad/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Bad Credit &#8230;Is It Really That Bad?'>Bad Credit &#8230;Is It Really That Bad?</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.bayarearealestatemarketupdate.com/ray-homebuyer-changes-his-name-to-ray-homeowner/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Ray Homebuyer Changes His Name to Ray Homeowner'>Ray Homebuyer Changes His Name to Ray Homeowner</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.bayarearealestatemarketupdate.com/the-teacher-home-loan-program-in-california/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: THE Home Loan Program for Teachers in California'>THE Home Loan Program for Teachers in California</a></li>
</ol>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p></p><p><img class="alignleft" title="FHA for Dummies" src="http://justagirlintheworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/dummies_man.gif" alt="FHa for Dummies" width="240" height="241" />There&#8217;s a lot of flurry over recent FHA regulations and changes. I broke it down into the stuff that really affects you. That said, at any point you can go check out the original release by the FHA (Read it <a href="http://portal.hud.gov/portal/page/portal/HUD/press/press_releases_media_advisories/2010/HUDNo.10-016" target="_blank">Here</a>), but it&#8217;s probably better if you just read through this first.</p>
<p>These are the questions that everybody is asking:</p>
<p><strong>Is it true I have to give a 10% down payment if I want to use FHA?</strong></p>
<p>Yes, but only if you have a credit score below 580. THIS IS A FLAW because lenders made the minimum lending credit score 620 an industry standard a year ago. Despite FHA changes odds are if you have a credit score below 620 it won&#8217;t matter what your down payment is, you&#8217;ll have to purchase all cash or the most practical option would be to improve your credit score (See my post &#8220;<a href="http://www.bayarearealestatemarketupdate.com/bad-credit-is-it-really-that-bad/" target="_blank">Bad Credit&#8230;Is It Really that Bad?</a>&#8220;).</p>
<p><strong>What&#8217;s the deal with mortgage insurance? I don&#8217;t understand the math here!</strong></p>
<p>Mortgage insurance is basically an insurance policy that you pay for to protect the bank in case you stop making your payments or &#8220;default&#8221; on your loan. The current <strong>upfront </strong>mortgage insurance premium (MIP) is 1.75% of your loan total and is usually financed into your loan. This is an FHA change you should pay close attention to, especially if you&#8217;re looking to purchase soon.</p>
<p>That&#8217;s the <strong>upfront </strong>MIP, there&#8217;s also a <strong>monthly </strong>MIP of 0.5% of the loan amount. The new guidelines would increase the total MIP by another 0.5%. How they are going to divide it between the <strong>upfront </strong>and the <strong>monthly </strong>still remains unknown, hopefully the <strong>upfront</strong> will go from1.75% to 2% and the <strong>monthly </strong>will go from 0.5%  to 0.75% so that it&#8217;s evenly distributed.</p>
<p>You can&#8217;t escape mortgage insurance during the first 5 years of a loan that has a term longer than 15 years, or unless you owe 80% or less on your loan. Until then, you have to pay it!</p>
<p><strong>What are seller concessions and why are they being reduced from 6% to 3%?</strong></p>
<p>Seller concessions are the percentage of the purchase price that a seller will <em>concede</em>, or pay, to help with closing costs and/or interest rate buy down. Prior to these new changes, a seller could contribute up to 6% of the purchase price, now it is set to 3%. The FHA reasoning behind this, if I am interpreting this correctly, is to limit inflated appraisals.</p>
<p>This too, does not make sense because this seller concession percentage was a standard set in place by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac prior to the new FHA change in regulations.</p>
<p><strong>When does the new FHA regulation take effect?</strong></p>
<p>The FHA has not really given a set date, they did however give a good &#8220;guess-timate&#8221; as to when they will implement these policies. These is what the release says:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>FICO Score &amp; Down Payment Policy</strong>- Early Summer</li>
<li><strong>Mortgage Insurance Premium Increase</strong>- Spring</li>
<li><strong>Tougher FHA Lender Regulation</strong>- Early Summer</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>How is FHA fighting fraudulent lending practices?</strong></p>
<p>Well for starters, they&#8217;re trying to increase transparency to the public by lenders. The FHA plans to do this by making performance rankings for lenders available to the public. They plan to particularly focus on &#8220;rogue-performers&#8221; which they believe deviate from ethical practices set by the FHA rules.</p>
<p><strong>Bottom Line</strong></p>
<p>Thus far every attempt by the government to fix the housing market has done nothing more than delay a natural market adjustment. There are all kinds of regulations that were set in place to &#8220;protect consumers&#8221; however all they did was add to their woes. An example of this would be recent HVCC changes which prohibit appraisers from talking to agents or Lenders (we all know why, but still it makes everyone&#8217;s job harder).</p>
<p>I do believe that FHA wants to protect home buyers and tax money. It is my impression that the FHA has good intentions, but you know what they say the road to hell is paved with&#8230;</p>
<p>I just delivered the update, it&#8217;s up to you what you make of it.</p>
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<li class="zemanta-article-ul-li"><a href="http://www.californiateachersandemployeeshomeloanprograms.com/fha-lifts-no-flipping-ban-translation-more-fsbos-available-on-the-market/">BREAKING NEWS: FHA Lifts No Flipping Ban &#8211; Translation: More FSBO&#8217;s Available on the Market</a>(CalPETR.com))</li>
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<li><a href='http://www.bayarearealestatemarketupdate.com/ray-homebuyer-changes-his-name-to-ray-homeowner/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Ray Homebuyer Changes His Name to Ray Homeowner'>Ray Homebuyer Changes His Name to Ray Homeowner</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.bayarearealestatemarketupdate.com/the-teacher-home-loan-program-in-california/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: THE Home Loan Program for Teachers in California'>THE Home Loan Program for Teachers in California</a></li>
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		<title>Foreclosures : Statistics, Not Politics</title>
		<link>http://www.bayarearealestatemarketupdate.com/not-politics-statistics-when-it-comes-to-bay-area-foreclosures/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bayarearealestatemarketupdate.com/not-politics-statistics-when-it-comes-to-bay-area-foreclosures/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 16 Jan 2010 00:29:25 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Christopher Apodaca</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Home Buyer Tips]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.bayarearealestatemarketupdate.com/?p=38</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The San Jose Mercury News reports that foreclosures in Silicon Valley were down in December, but don&#8217;t take this as a sign of things to come. This is not the market adjusting itself and everything being &#8220;hunky dory&#8221;. If anything, it&#8217;s a delay of the inevitable. The decrease of foreclosures as compared to 2008 (which [...]


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			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p></p><div class="zemanta-img" style="display: block; width: 310px; margin: 1em;">
<div class="wp-caption alignright" style="width: 300px">
	<a href="http://commons.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:US-DeptOfHUD-Seal.svg"><img class="  " title="Seal of the United States Department of Housin..." src="http://www.bayarearealestatemarketupdate.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/300px-US-DeptOfHUD-Seal.svg_.png" alt="Seal of the United States Department of Housin..." width="300" height="300" /></a>
	<p class="wp-caption-text">Image via Wikipedia</p>
</div>
</div>
<p>The San Jose Mercury News reports that foreclosures in Silicon Valley were down in December, but don&#8217;t take this as a sign of things to come. This is not the market adjusting itself and everything being &#8220;hunky dory&#8221;. If anything, it&#8217;s a delay of the inevitable. The decrease of foreclosures as compared to 2008 (which is the worst year on record). Here is a snippet of the report:</p>
<blockquote><p>In Santa Clara County, foreclosures fell 25 percent in December from a month earlier, with 325 finalized, according to data released Tuesday by ForeclosureRadar. The Discovery Bay company tracks statewide foreclosure filings and auctions daily. In San Mateo County, foreclosures fell 37 percent in December from a month earlier, to 93.</p>
<p>While the decline in foreclosures is welcome news, there is little evidence that the foreclosure crisis is coming to an end.</p>
<p>December&#8217;s decrease &#8220;could be significant if that level of foreclosures continued into January and February,&#8221; said Martin Eichner of Project Sentinel in Sunnyvale, a housing counseling agency affiliated with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Eichner said that his staff members, who work with borrowers seeking loan modifications, have for months reported that lenders have been holding off on foreclosure, &#8220;but at the same time, they&#8217;ve been leaving people in this limbo of trial modification. The people keep paying, and they don&#8217;t know whether they are going to get a trial modification.&#8221;</p></blockquote>
<blockquote><p>The full article can be seen by<a href="http://www.mercurynews.com/real-estate-news/ci_14175611?nclick_check=1" target="_blank"> clicking here</a></p></blockquote>
<p>If you need advice or guidance on a housing situation, give me a call on my cell at (714)244-7368. Yes, it&#8217;s my actual  cell phone number. Or send me an email at <a href="chrisa@broadviewmortgagecorp.com" target="_blank">ChrisA@BroadviewMortgageCorp.com</a></p>
<p>I delivered the update, it&#8217;s up to you what you make of it.</p>


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		<title>Bad Credit &#8230;Is It Really That Bad?</title>
		<link>http://www.bayarearealestatemarketupdate.com/bad-credit-really-bad/</link>
		<comments>http://www.bayarearealestatemarketupdate.com/bad-credit-really-bad/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 09 Jan 2010 18:29:17 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Christopher Apodaca</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Home Buyer Tips]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[credit repair]]></category>
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		<description><![CDATA[I was on the phone yesterday with a teacher from San Jose and she told me that Big Bank refused to work with her because she had bad credit, her score was too low (See &#8220;Brenda Borrower Gets Buffed by Big Bank&#8220;). When she told me her score was 599, I asked her what kind of [...]


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<li><a href='http://www.bayarearealestatemarketupdate.com/fha-changes-dummies/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: FHA Changes for Dummies'>FHA Changes for Dummies</a></li>
</ol>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p></p><p><img class="aligncenter" title="Big Bank" src="http://www.motherjones.com/files/images/Blog_Big_Bank.jpg" alt="" width="250" height="283" />I was on the phone yesterday with a teacher from San Jose and she told me that Big Bank refused to work with her because she had bad credit, her score was too low (See &#8220;<a href="http://www.californiateachersandemployeeshomeloanprograms.com/brenda-borrower-gets-buffed-by-big-bank/" target="_blank">Brenda Borrower Gets Buffed by Big Bank</a>&#8220;). When she told me her score was 599, I asked her what kind of plan Big Bank offered to help get her up to the minimum 620 (the minimum to qualify for the loan she wanted) and  improve her credit over time. Not only did they NOT give her a credit improvement plan, they wrote her off ALTOGETHER!</p>
<p>Here we have a teacher of 12 years, she had been through a divorce recently and so was adjusting to a new life. She has a steady paycheck that increases annually and a super stable job. Bottom line? She was in and out of Big Bank in 15 minutes, not because they&#8217;re service was so  quick and efficient, but because all they did before they even talked to her about her needs was say &#8220;Sit down, fill out this form, and lets look at your credit.&#8221; Credit was run,  they saw the score and told her there was nothing they could do for her &#8220;bad credit&#8221;.</p>
<p>Now, what happened to Big Bank of the past with the commercials of the big house, a white picket fence, and the golden retriever sitting on the porch? I can&#8217;t say that those days are gone, because they&#8217;re not.  They simply NEVER EXISTED. Big Bank looks out for Big Bank, always have and always will.</p>
<p>So now you must think &#8220;Wow, well if I can&#8217;t go to a local Big Bank Branch to get a loan then I probably can&#8217;t get one because they have the best resources and the most money.&#8221; Well my friends, they may have the most money (significantly more than me) but let&#8217;s remember that it&#8217;s blood money! Leeched from the wallets of John and Jenny Taxpayer. So yes, they may have more money but they lack what us smaller guys have&#8230;service and attention to the client. Bad credit is the least of their worries.</p>
<p>Well, Professor Homebuyer said she was throwing in the towel because there aren&#8217;t any other lenders that carry the teacher home loan she was looking for. I told her that if she was willing to give me a shot I&#8217;d look at her credit report and at the very least give her some suggestions to fix her credit. She sent me her credit report and within 15 minutes of looking it over I had to hang up with her. Why you ask? Was I not able to help her? Actually, all things considered she could pay off two small debts totaling $200 and she&#8217;d be able to spike her credit score within the next 3o days. She just had to clear up another factor that was a pending lawsuit (in her favor as I&#8217;m told) and she would be well above the 620 level! This was done in 15 MINUTES! 15!!! Professor Homebuyer ccould not believe it! When she asked why Big Bank didn&#8217;t look at the credit that&#8217;s all it took for me to get on my soapbox about how Big Bank wants to put up &#8220;Big Numbers&#8221;, and quite frankly they didn&#8217;t deserve her business.</p>
<p>I know that not every single person that walks in the door is going to be super qualified to buy a home. If they were then this job would be boring, there&#8217;d be no adventure to it. A mortgage banker should help people do just that, BANK. Professor Homebuyer set a date to meet at Santana Row for a cup of coffee at Starbucks to go over other specifics. The sad part is that these are all  typical stories with Big Bank, you can read about Amy&#8217;s story by <a href="http://www.californiateachersandemployeeshomeloanprograms.com/calstrs-bait-and-switch-save/" target="_blank">clicking here</a>, and you definitely don&#8217;t want to miss Ray Homebuyer&#8217;s run in with Big Bank. To read Ray&#8217;s story <a href="http://www.californiateachersandemployeeshomeloanprograms.com/ray-homebuyer-had-to-change-his-last-name-an-introduction/" target="_blank">click here</a>.</p>
<p>To conclude my post, don&#8217;t assume that because someone works at a Big Bank they have your best interests in mind. Actually, don&#8217;t assume that Big Bank always delivers on their promises, they don&#8217;t. When it comes to your credit, it is important to have someone who knows how to read it guide you in improving it. When Big Bank says &#8220;Sorry your score is too low.&#8221; remember that their standards of service are MUCH LOWER. If you want a second opinion, no sales pitch, give me a call on my cell phone and we can go through it together. There&#8217;s the right way to  do things and there&#8217;s the &#8220;Big Bank Business as Usual&#8221; way to do things.</p>
<p>If you have a story similar to Professor Homebuyer&#8217;s or would like some help reviewing your credit, <a href="chrisa@broadviewmortgagecorp.com" target="_blank">write me</a> or call me on my cell at (714) 244-7368 to tell me about it. The more stories we have the more awareness we can create.</p>
<p>Until next time, I wish you peace of mind, peace of body, and peace of spirit as you pursue your piece of the American Dream.</p>
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