by Irene Moustakas | Jan 4, 2009 | Miscellaneous, Tips
Many homeowners are getting that letter in the mail – the one that states how home values in the area have dropped and they are freezing your equityline. Other homeowners have gotten notices that their equityline is officially closed. When your equityline is frozen....
by Irene Moustakas | Dec 29, 2008 | Business Promotion
When new clients and referrals ask me for an interest quote, I have a quick series of questions that I ask them. If you’re seeking a quote, you’ll get the same from me, so I wanted to list them here: What is the current loan balance, interest rate and monthly payment...
by Irene Moustakas | Dec 23, 2008 | Industry News, Tips
In this low interest rate environment, we have an opportunity to buy and refinance at some amazing rate levels. I last saw such low rates in 2003, but we are now in a completely different lending landscape. Lenders are very cautious of who they are lending to and want...
by Irene Moustakas | Dec 3, 2008 | Loan Programs and Products, Miscellaneous
We all know how the concept of risk and return in our financial lives normally works … the more risk you take on, the greater your potential profit (or loss) can be. The less risk, the less you can potentially make (or lose). In “normal” markets,...
by Irene Moustakas | Dec 1, 2008 | General Market News, Industry News, Rates
GREAT news: The Federal Reserve announced last week that it would buy $600 billion worth of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Mortgage-Backed Securities. With the guarantee that the government will buy these mortgages, rates dipped dramatically. This action by the Fed will...
by Irene Moustakas | Nov 20, 2008 | General Market News, Industry News
The Fed Minutes from the October meeting were released yesterday, and the hot topic was the concern over deflation. This news caused stocks to tumble and investors to pour their money into the security of Treasury Notes. Generally, the Fed has two jobs: the first is...
by Irene Moustakas | Nov 17, 2008 | General Market News
The big news of late has been the potential government bailout of the Detroit Three: General Motors, Ford and Chrysler. Because of poor sales, our domestic auto makers are running out of cash and can’t keep up with costs. The concern is that if the government...
by Irene Moustakas | Nov 12, 2008 | Miscellaneous, Tips
Beware of giving and receiving gift cards this holiday season. If you have a gift card or store credit with a retailer that has filed for bankruptcy, you can be pretty assured that you won’t ever see that money. You could try standing in line behind creditors in...
by Irene Moustakas | Nov 11, 2008 | Industry News
2009 Conforming loan limits remain the same: 1-Unit: $417,000 2-Unit: $533,850 3-Unit: $645,300 4-Unit: $801,950 2009 Conforming-Jumbo loan limits for 1-Unit homes are effective January 1, 2009. Counties with the highest limit of $625,500: Alameda, Contra Costa, Los...
by Irene Moustakas | Nov 6, 2008 | Industry News, Rates, Tips
From one day to the next, hits and improvements on credit score brackets got much stricter. Hits for lower credit scores (anything below 740) are bracketed by increments of 20 points starting with a 620 FICO. Based on today’s interest rates (which are really good...