To the Mortgage Customer, Everything Is an Emergency

As most of you know, I like to write about my family and the various ways my family members inspire me—or at least give me fodder for these columns. They shower me with gratitude for this, as I’m sure you can imagine. Earlier this year, I spent three columns talking...

Single and Thinking of Buying a Home? Here’s Some Advice

The transition from renter to homeowner proved more complicated than expected for 26-year-old Kimberly Watson. As a single buyer with imperfect credit and without a long job history, she faced several hurdles throughout the lending process before eventually finding...

Six Months Later, Does the QM Rule Still Matter?

When a sweeping set of mortgage regulations took effect in January, many predicted a credit crunch. Millions of potential homeowners, particularly low-income borrowers, blacks and Hispanics, would be shut out of the mortgage market, unable to qualify for a home loan,...

What Questions Will Your Mortgage Lender Ask You?

Getting approved for a mortgage is more simple than it was three years ago. Lender requirements are looser, minimum credit score standards are lower, and loan approval times are quicker. As with any financial transaction, though, consumers should be prepared to...

Pending Sales of Existing Homes Increased 0.4% in April

Contracts to purchase previously owned homes rose for a second month in April, a sign the residential real estate market is stabilizing after a weak start to the year. The pending home sales index climbed 0.4% after a 3.4% increase in March that was the first gain in...

Rising FHA Costs Sideline Potential Buyers

The Federal Housing Administration’s rise in mortgage insurance fees prevented an estimated 375,000 purchases in 2013, according to data from the National Association of REALTORS®. FHA has more than doubled its mortgage insurance fees since 2010, adding up to about...