Jack Guttentag
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Four strategies for underwater homeownersSep 25, 2010 11:00 pm - Q. "My home is underwater, worth about $216,000 against a loan balance of $240,000. I can refinance the loan under the HARP program, reducing the rate from 5.75 perc...
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Changes to cash reserves, debt ratios upset lendersSep 18, 2010 11:00 pm - In the post-crisis market, the Federal Housing Administration has become a major player - and the only player for borrowers with limited cash and not-so-great credit. FH...
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When applying for an ARM, know your maximum rate increase riskSep 11, 2010 11:00 pm - The initial interest rate on adjustable-rate mortgages is currently running about 1 percent lower than the rate on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgages. However, borrowers who...
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Mortgage reform falls short with nonsensical disclosuresSep 04, 2010 11:00 pm - The existing system of mortgage disclosures in the U.S. has long been a disgrace. Borrowers are inundated with garbage disclosures and often the few pieces of critical i...
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New lending rules will punish those seeking riskier productsAug 28, 2010 11:00 pm - The federal government, through its Restoring American Financial Stability Act of 2010, reversed its long-standing policy of favoring disadvantaged borrowers. Under the ...
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Beware of offer that plays up falling property valuesAug 21, 2010 11:00 pm - "I received a confidential note from a firm claiming that they can eliminate my second mortgage. I am inclined to believe them because the value of our home is now less ...
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How to ensure a lender's price quote is legitimateAug 14, 2010 11:00 pm - "Mortgage interest rates are currently at record lows, and it would seem that they couldn't possibly fall any lower. Would you recommend then that borrowers obtain a rat...
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Giving mortgage insurance shoppers freedom to choose PMI in the post-crisis marketAug 07, 2010 11:00 pm - Last week, I indicated that most mortgage borrowers who need private mortgage insurance are not aware that they have options in the kind of premium plan they select. Alm...
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Which mortgage insurance option is best? PMI in the post-crisis marketJul 31, 2010 11:00 pm - I decided recently to take a look at private mortgage insurance (PMI) in the post-crisis market: how it differs from the pre-crisis market; the different payment options...
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Proposed council may be too slow moving to avert harmJul 24, 2010 11:00 pm - A much-noted feature of the recent financial crisis is that none of the federal regulatory agencies saw it coming. They could respond to minimize the damage only after i...