The question of where anyone’s priorities are begs the question of “Where do your loyalties lie?” I am loyal first to the long term good of humanity. I want as many people as possible to live the best lives possible. I realize that this makes me sound like some sort of socialist or communist. Nothing …
Author Archives: admin
Having your Credit Run
As of July 1, 2005, mortgage providers have to have explicit written authorization to run credit. I am not certain of the political forces that made this bill, and it is still not clear to me whether this extends to non-mortgage credit providers. If it does, this is probably one of the niftiest consumer protection …
Games Lenders Play (Part IV)
I was approached by these folks a few weeks ago via email. I attempted to get them to write up the experience themselves (and I would still like you to if you’re reading this), but I wanted to write something about this before I completely forgot about it. This whole exchange is indicative of games …
Debunking The Fallacy of Index Funds
It seems I can’t hardly turn around in the investment world without a paean to Jack Bogle, who preaches the advantage of the index fund. Mr. Bogle’s reasoning goes something like this: Looking at the world of mutual funds, relatively few funds beat the S&P 500 Index, so why not just buy the whole S&P …
Buying off a Prepayment Penalty
Been reading some of your informative tips. I am looking at refinancing and getting a $378000 mortgage. Now in the case of having a 3 yr prepay penalty, vs paying 1.5% in points to make it a 1 yr prepay, am i right in assuming it’s wiser for me to pay the points than accept …
Biweekly Mortgage Spam
Sometimes spam makes writing an article all too easy. Here is a piece of spam I got today because my email at work contains “realestate.com”, with identifying information taken out. This goes to show that the financial ignorance of most mortgage providers is astounding. Thank you for your interest in the X Broker Program. Our …
Not Becoming a Victim of Bad Real Estate Practice
This woman made herself a victim stayed in a hotel for 7 weeks looking for my “Dream Home.” And, when I found it, even though it wasn’t in my price range, I knew I would do anything I could to get it. I was vulnerable, emotional and became a victim. Actually, that is not quite …
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Virtues of the Housing and Mortgage Market in the US
The scope of the problems that exist in the United States Mortgage market are huge. Enormously, mind-bogglingly, “How Big Is Space?” type huge. Yet, the problems are almost entirely on a retail level, when one provider works with one consumer. The system works, and it works extremely well. Consider: Most consumers in Europe or any …
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Amortization: Fixed rate, Balloon, ARM and Hybrid Loans
One of the things that always seems to be aiming to confuse mortgage consumers is advertising based upon whether the loan is fixed rate, and for how long. First, I need to acquaint you with two concepts: amortization and term. The term of the loan is nothing more than how long the loan lasts. How …
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Recording Errors and Title Insurance
I just got a google search where the question asked was “What if the mortgage is recorded in the wrong county?” I’ve never actually seen this (and San Diego County, once upon a time, included what is now Riverside, Imperial and San Bernardino counties), but if it’s the mortgage on your loan, no big deal. …