Jack Guttentag
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Many borrowers pay a premium to refinanceMar 14, 2009 11:00 pm - It is unusual to have a refinance boom in the middle of a foreclosure crisis. In the 1930s, which was the last time we had a foreclosure crisis comparable in magnitude t...
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Despite rhetoric, helping homeowners first will cost lessMar 07, 2009 10:00 pm - While plans for saving the financial system are being formed, modified and dissolved by the day, the common thread through every plan seems to be to assist financial fir...
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When refinancing, don't confuse no-cost and no-cash mortgagesFeb 28, 2009 10:00 pm - The current refinance boom has focused attention on no-cost mortgages - henceforth NCMs - which have attractive features to refinancing borrowers. NCMs help borrowers av...
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Plan to stem foreclosures must address negative equityFeb 21, 2009 10:00 pm - The government's efforts to combat the worst financial crisis since the 1930s can be divided into three phases. Phase one, executed in good part in catch-as-catch-can f...
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Bank bailout money is not intended to fund more loansFeb 14, 2009 10:00 pm - "Is it not shameful that our financial institutions receive capital infusions from the government, and instead of lending it out, they hoard it?" I hear this complaint a...
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Mortgage shopping is all about techniqueFeb 07, 2009 10:00 pm - Last week I reported the results of a mortgage shopping expedition, but did not say much about how I got those results. This article is about shopping technique. Most of...
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Paying points to lower rate is a good investment in today's marketJan 31, 2009 10:00 pm - Current stresses in the home loan market have changed the ground rules for borrowers in many ways. A recent article focused on the confused state of affairs in the marke...
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Some mortgage reduction methods are better than othersJan 24, 2009 10:00 pm - "Do borrowers have any say over the type of loan modification they get? What kind of modification should they look for?" Mortgage modifications are changes in the terms...
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FDIC loan modification plan has several flaws, but is a good stepJan 17, 2009 10:00 pm - "Do you have an opinion about the FDIC plan to jump-start loan modifications as a way to reduce foreclosures?" Yes. I admire FDIC, under the leadership of Sheila Bair, f...
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For seniors, paying off mortgage may be best investmentJan 10, 2009 10:00 pm - The financial crisis has torpedoed the retirement planning of many seniors. Those foolish enough to have followed the advice of investment advisers who preached that hom...