The mortgage industry is one that is witness to vicious competition. Nowadays mortgage brokers and real estate agents are always on the alert to catch any business opportunities that may come their way and increase their own bottom line. One shortcut that they employ in achieving this aim is buying mortgage leads. Mortgage leads are a service you purchase from a reputable company that has done the background work for you. You pay them a fee and they provide you with leads that will get you closer to a closed mortgage deal. This means commission for the agent and commission for the mortgage broker. At the same time, as a mortgage customer, you must focus on get a bunch of loan or mortgage quotes to get the best deal in the market. Make your real estate business grow fast by buying valuable mortgage leads. Before you start buying some leads, here are a few tips you need to know to make sure your money is being used wisely.

1) Shop around. There are just as many lead brokers out there as there are mortgage companies. And they all regard you as a potential customer.

2) Look for a company that has no start up costs and no long-term obligations. You want to make your purchase and be done with it.

3) Understand that leads are going to be sold in blocks, generally you will purchase anywhere from 25 to 1000 leads depending on how big your business is.

4) Various kinds of leads are available and they can be confusing for a first-time buyer. There may be a possibility you are sharing your leads with another broker depending on what kind of leads you buy. The 4 main lead types are:

* Exclusive Leads: These are leads that are only sold once, and sold to you.

* Shared Exclusive Leads: These are leads that are generally sold only about two times. The lead is shared with another broker, but only by one other person. While shopping for leads, it is a good idea to ask about how often shared exclusive leads are sold.

* Shared Leads: These are leads that are shared by as many as 4 or 5 other brokers, depending on where you get them from.

* Live Leads: These are leads that you can get in touch with as soon as you purchase them. Phone contact is possible the instant that your payment is processed.

5) Your cost per lead will be determined by the lead type you buy. The more exclusive your lead, the higher your price is going to be. Leads can be anywhere from $30-$50 each, so keep this in mind when determining what kind of package you want, and how exclusive the lead you want.

6) You will want your leads to be tele-verified before you can use them. That means you are not making cold calls, the leads you will be receiving have been verified by phone that their information is correct, and they have expressed an interest in loan services.

7) Make sure that the firm that you purchase your leads from will replace leads if they are not “good leads”. Don’t neglect to ask about their policy for lead replacement.

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It’s easy today to apply for second mortgages. Using the internet, mortgage brokers and other resources, you can easily get a few quotes to compare in a relatively short period of time. Although its easy, its still a good idea to make sure you get the best second mortgages possible for you, though.

Here are a six tips for finding the best second mortgages.

1. Watch out for adjustable second mortgages rates and find out how they work. It could cost your thousands if you don’t do so.

2. Don’t be tempted to exaggerate your income to secure second mortgages. Work out your budget and stick to it. Remember your house is often collateral for second mortgages and you could end up loosing it if you can’t repay the second mortgages loan.

3. To get the best second mortgages its also a good idea to make sure you have the best possible credit rating. A good rating could get you better rates which could benefit you in the long run. Use a reputable credit company to get a copy of your free credit scores and then use their services to improve your credit rating.

4. Always read the second mortgages loan documentation before you sign for the loan. If you don’t understand something then ask. A misunderstanding could cost you thousands.

5. Don’t sign blank documents – not for a loan for anything else for that matter – would you sign a blank cheque?

6. Avoid brokers who:
• Make promises they don’t keep
• Pressure you into signing for a mortgage
• Offer deals that are too good to be true – they probably have a catch
• Loan clauses which include arbitration

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An Ounce of Prevention

Do you plan to purchase a home soon? Are you thinking of refinancing your mortgage? These tips could end up saving you thousands of dollars. You will probably spare yourself a few major headaches as well. You work hard for your money. Now is the time to make that extra effort to insure that you get the best home mortgage that you can!

Curb Your Spending

Nobody likes to hear this one, but there are a few big reasons to cut off all unnecessary spending in the months before applying for a new mortgage. Your credit score will have a significant impact on the mortgage that you qualify for. And almost any use of your credit cards will put your scores at risk. Higher balances relative to your high credit limit will reduce your score. Please don’t apply for new credit. Now is not the time to opening a new MasterCard or Visa. And new department store cards are virtual credit suicide. Do yourself a favor and wait until your new mortgage closes before opening your wallet.

Count Your Money

The last thing that you want to do before applying for a mortgage is to erode your savings. If you are buying a home you want to make sure that you have all of the money that you need for your down payment. Are you making less than a twenty percent down payment? Chances are that your mortgage will require private mortgage insurance (PMI). Did you know that every additional five percent you can put down will reduce your private mortgage insurance rate? The lower your PMI rate the lower your monthly cost. As home prices have increased in recent years monthly PMI payments have become more and more significant. Don’t be taken by surprise. In addition, many mortgage programs require that you have a certain amount of savings left after closing. Now is the time to hold on to your cash.

Getting a Gift? Get It Now

Are you getting a gift for your down payment? Consider getting it now. Most mortgage programs allow gifts. But many programs require that you document that a certain amount of money has been in your account for a minimum of sixty days. This is commonly referred to as a seasoned funds requirement. You don’t want to find out at the last minute that you are short of seasoned funds. Getting your gift funds at least sixty days in advance has the additional benefit of eliminating the need for a gift letter and other possible documentation from your gift donor. They too might appreciate your careful planning.

Check Your Credit

Now is the time to check your credit. Go through all three of your credit reports very carefully. Check every line. You need to check neutral items like high credit limits and account opening dates as well as derogatory items. Are there errors? You may need at least sixty days to fix them. The credit bureaus don’t always cooperate. Does the task of checking your credit reports seem intimidating? I suggest that that you hire a reputable credit repair company. Reputable credit repair companies should be very affordable and should never make you sign up for a pre-determined block of time. When it comes to your credit it pays to consult an expert.

Know the Facts

If you plan to get a mortgage in the next several months now is the time to call your friendly mortgage broker. You don’t want to be scrambling at the last minute to make sense of your closing costs or loan programs. Don’t be taken by surprise. Your mortgage broker should be happy to provide a detailed Good Faith Estimate and discuss your closing costs, interest rate and payment information with you. Ask about all of your options. Make sure that you have every detail. If you are not comfortable with your mortgage broker find another one that will give you the service that you deserve.

Be Prepared

I have been a Florida mortgage broker since 1989. I am also licensed in Georgia, Massachusetts, and Virginia. I am always happy to speak to a potential customer about preparing for home financing. In my experience, almost without exception, borrowers that think ahead and make the extra effort end up saving a significant amount of money. Your mortgage may be the largest financial transaction on your life. Do the right thing for yourself. It’s your money!

Copyright © 2007 James W. Kemish. All Content. All Rights Reserved.

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Let’s get started

Educate yourself. Get several quotes. Mortgage brokers will generally offer a better deal than a bank, but it doesn’t hurt to call a bank or two for comparison as well. A good loan originator will spend as much time with you on the phone as you need. And a truly professional loan originator will ask enough questions to understand your goals. If you don’t feel good about a conversation, trust your instinct; cross them off your list and move on.

Get everything in writing

Make sure to ask for Good Faith Estimates. There can be quite a few costs associated with getting a mortgage. You want to see every one. Comparing Good Faith Estimates can be challenging because different mortgage lenders often use different terminology. Don’t let that stop you. It’s also a good idea to ask the mortgage broker if there are any additional costs that are not shown on the estimate.

Ignore the APR

APR, or Annual Percentage Rate, was originally designed to help borrowers compare mortgages. I won’t go into the mathematics involved, but in principle APR was a good idea. In practice it has turned out to be useless. Lenders do not all use the same inclusion methods in calculating APR. To add to the confusion, adjustable rate mortgage calculations are notoriously misleading. But that’s okay! APR involves two variables, note rate, and closing costs, and all you need to see is on the Good Faith Estimate.

Points versus rate

I’ve been a Florida mortgage broker since 1989. My company is also licensed in Georgia, Massachusetts, and Virginia. We talk to lots of people about home financing. It’s my experience that when people are shopping for a mortgage they often fixate on the interest rate, and overlook the points. Interest rate and points are inversely related. Unless you specify that you don’t want to pay points a lender is likely to price your loan with one or two points. This will make your rate lower, but it may not be a better deal. If the lower rate saves you fifty dollars a month on your payment but you pay an extra five thousand dollars in points, it will take you eight years to catch up with the cost of the points. Do the math.

The margin trap

Many adjustable rate mortgage programs now offer a variety of margins for you to choose from. This means that you may have an opportunity to control your future interest rate. Sooner or later all adjustable rate mortgages adjust to an interest rate that is equal to an index plus the value of your margin. You have no control over the movement of the index. But if you can get a lower margin you will have a lower rate (once your loan starts adjusting) for as long as you have your loan. Your good faith estimates should all indicate the margin for your loan. Call the individual mortgage brokers and tell them you are interested in a lower margin. Don’t be shy. It’s your money!

Pre-payment penalties; Good and bad

As a Florida mortgage broker licensed in several states I discuss financing with many people every day. Most people are averse to considering a loan with a prepayment penalty. But it is worth looking into. Adding a prepayment penalty to your loan may reduce your interest rate significantly. Prepayment penalties typically expire after three years, but recently many lenders have started offering a choice of one, two, or three year penalties. Will you still be in the home past the expiration of the prepayment penalty? If you outlast the penalty you have reduced your monthly payment for as long as you have the loan. That can add up. And it didn’t cost a penny!

Choose wisely

There are an amazing number of mortgage programs to choose from these days. You can select a fixed or an adjustable rate mortgage. Or you might choose one of many hybrid fixed period adjustable programs designed to give the comfort of a fixed for a predetermined number of years before starting to adjust. Interest only options are available now on both fixed and adjustable rate programs. When selecting your mortgage program think about yourself. Any decision only makes sense if it makes sense in the context of your life.

Copyright © 2007 James W. Kemish. All Content. All Rights Reserved.

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It’s a curious fact of human nature that people will haggle over the price of an umbrella, but buy a house on a whim.
We understand small amounts of money; we know what they can buy. 400,000 quid is harder to grasp; you can’t fit it in your pocket. The desire to acquire, combined with the stress of the purchase, can make people do funny things. With this in mind, here are a few tips to review when getting a mortgage.
Watch out for the ‘Deal Of A Lifetime’, the deal that seems too good to be true. The company may be saving money by cutting back on their level of service.
When getting a fixed rate: get a written statement which details the interest rate, how long the rate is fixed for, and the conditions attached.
When interest rates fall: try and leave your repayments as they are. You will therefore be paying more than the minimum each month. You’ll repay your loan much earlier. When rates rise again you may not have to change your payment.
Consider a fifteen or twenty year term. Try to pay off your mortgage quickly. Use a mortgage calculator with an amortization function, and see what’s possible.
Keep your mortgage as small as possible. Aim for *comfortable* affordability.
You will find mortgage lenders who will stretch your qualification ratios. They aren’t doing you a favour. The qualification ratio is the ratio of your total mortgage payment to your total income.
The traditional ratios are: The mortgage payment as 28% of your income; the total of your mortgage payment plus your monthly debt payments as 36% of your income.
Try not to ‘churn’ your mortgage. Each time you refinance you’ll probably incur completion costs and non-refundable fees.
Beware of prepayment penalties. Many ‘no fee’ credit lines have a pre-payment penalty. This can be very expensive if you are planning to refinance or sell your house in a few years time.
You don’t need to sign a mortgage agreement which contains any significant prepayment penalty, if you have good credit. One of the smartest things you can do with a mortgage is to prepay it.
Don’t look for a home without being pre-approved. You will have much more negotiating power with the vendor, and may be able to save thousands of pounds.
Get a full, professional survey. Human beings can be perverse; happy to spend 150 grand on a house after a half-hour viewing, but be-grudge spending 500 quid finding out whether it’s worth buying in the first place!
Find out the true value of your home. Get more than one independent appraisal. Compare it with the prices of similar-sized houses for sale in the same area.
Start gathering documents. Provide your mortgage company with documents in good time; don’t let your rate lock expire!
Verbal (oral) agreements are worthless. When buying or selling property, always get it in writing.
When you do get your mortgage, check your payments are correct – do the mathematics. There’s a one in ten chance you could be paying more than you should.
Review your mortgage regularly – this, and possibly remortgaging, will ensure you pay as little as possible in interest.
Finally, consider the following advice from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development:
Be sure to read and understand everything before you sign;

Refuse to sign any blank documents;

Do not buy property for someone else;

Do not overstate your income;

Do not overstate how long you have been employed;

Do not overstate your assets;

Accurately report your debts;

Do not change your income tax returns for any reason;

Tell the whole truth about gifts;

Do not list fake co-borrowers on your loan application;

Be truthful about your credit problems, past and present;

Be honest about your intention to occupy the house;

Do not provide false supporting documents.
A mortgage is the biggest financial committment most of us will ever make; worth spending a little time on, to get it right!

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