Tuesday, April 1, 2008

Reducing your mortgage payment

How to Reduce Your Michigan Mortgage
One Additional Mortgage Payment a Year

There's a simple trick to significantly reduce the length of your mortgage and save you thousands of dollars. The trick is to make one extra mortgage payment a year and apply that payment toward your loan's principal.

This is the method being used by "Bi-Weekly Mortgage Reduction Services or mortgage saving programs". What they are doing is taking your 1/2 your mortgage payment every two weeks holding on to it until you send the other half and then sending it in. You are doing that 26 times a year. So it adds up to one extra mortgage payment a year. For that they charge you a set up fee of $75 - $500. And about $3-7 dollars each time you send money in. It costs you a approx $182 a year to do it. Over the length of the loan it cost you $4500 to do it. If you are disciplined you can do it yourself and save the $4500. Only, when you do it yourself, you don't pay a third party unnecessary set-up costs and fees! If you pay an extra payment at the beginning of the year it is better because it is that much less that interest is accruing on. So you are paying off your Michigan home quicker.


Example: $100,000 loan, 30-year mortgage, 6.5% fixed interest rate
Extra Mtg Pymts/ Year-Principal & Int-Additional Monthly Pmt-SAVINGS-Total Pd-# of yrs
0-$632.07-0-0-$227,542.98-29.92 / 359 mos.
1-$632.07-$52.68-$29,088.02-$198,454.96-24.12 / 290 mos.
2-$632.07-$105.35-$28,399.71-$181,050.85-20.5 / 246 mos.
3-$632.07-$158.02-$58,320.95-$169,222.03-17.92 / 215 mos.
4-$632.07-$210.69-$66,969.79-$160,573.19-15.92 / 191 mos.
5-$632.07-$263.36-$73,607.77-$153,935.21-14.34 / 172 mos.

Look at the savings and the final row. That is how many months you can cut your mortgage down to. Tremendous mortgage savings. What a do it yourself mortgage reduction plan!

One-time Payment
It may not be possible for you to increase your monthly mortgage payment. Keep in mind that most mortgages will permit you to make additional payments to your mortgage principal at anytime. Perhaps, five-years after moving into your home you receive a larger than expected tax return, or an inheritance or a non-taxable cash gift. You could apply this money toward your loan's principal, resulting in significant savings and a shorter loan period. Some banks will allow you to re-amortize your loan. Ask your mortgage person or lender for their rules. Where this comes in to play many times is when a seller still has his old home. When they finally sell the home then they have a large amount of cash to put on the mortgage. They don't want to refinance and be charged closing costs. Ask your bank about re-amortizing your loan.

Example:
With a $100,000, 30-year, 6.5% fixed interest rate mortgage loan, the borrower will pay a total of $227,542.98 to pay back the loan in 30 years. That equals $127,542.98 in interest payments.
If the same borrower makes a one-time $5,000 payment the first day of year 6, he/she will pay a total of $204,710.75 and pay off the loan in 27 years (324 months). That's a savings of $22,832.23 in interest. That is a huge savings for your Michigan home and you.

So the bottom line is: You don't have to pay some company to make an extra payment a year for you. You can do it. Divide your payment by 12. Add that amount to your monthly payment and pay that amount from now one. You will cut years off your mortgage and it did not cost you a dime! For more on Michigan Mortgages go to my website www.RussRavary.com

Sunday, March 23, 2008

Improving your credit score

You can take steps to improve your credit score. There are many variables that come into play with credit scores. Here are some good guidelines.

To get a great score is pay your bills on time, keep account balances low, and take out new credit only when you need it. People who do that faithfully have very high scores. It usually means that you use credit wisely and you are not buried in debt. Start by pulling your credit report to check your credit score to see where you are. What you're looking for on your report are factors that could be affecting your score. Look for errors in the report, such as accounts that aren't yours, late payments that were actually paid on time, debts you paid off that are shown as outstanding, or old debts that shouldn't be reported any longer (negatives are supposed to be deleted after seven years, with the exception of bankruptcies, which can stay for as long as 10 years).

Call or write each credit scoring company with the errors. Sometimes it can take up to four weeks for errors to be corrected. Be sure to have paperwork proving you paid the debt or a letter from the creditor as proof.

After repairing errors, the fastest way to a better score is paying down balances on credit cards. It is possible to increase your score 20 points by paying down your credit lines," because the credit bureaus look at how much debt you owe as compared to how much the available credit is.

If you have had a few late payments in your past get auto deduct from your checking account or savings account. If you find yourself in some financial difficulties, you can protect your score by making sure your payments don't go 29 days past due. Even if you've paid your bills late in the past, you can improve your credit score by paying every bill on time from now on. Though it will take time for the history to show up.

One thing you shouldn't do if you're just trying to boost your score is close unused accounts. It won't help you and it can hurt you. Closing unused accounts without paying down your debt changes a ratio that the credit bureaus look at. The credit bureaus look at the amount of your total debt divided by your total available credit.

When you appear closer to maxing out your accounts your score can drop. Credit scores can sometimes reflect when people are using credit cards and equity lines to stay alive financially.

The length of your credit history is another factor in your score. If you close the account of the credit card you got when you were a freshman in college and leave open the ones you just got within the last couple years, it makes you look like a much newer borrower. Keep a couple of the oldest open. Don't worry about the interest rate is, just don't use that card. Creditors don't care what the rate is., they care about the history and the length the card has been open. Creditors and mortgage companies also like to see three credit lines open for 1 to 2 years. The higher the credit limit the better they like it.

Working with credit card balances is another strategy for bringing up your score: Transfer balances from a card that's close to being maxed out to other cards to even out your usage. Or just spread out your charges between a few cards. Try to get the usage on all of them at 20 to 30 percent instead of a bunch at zero and one at 85 percent. Remember the credit reporting companies drop your score when you get close to maxing out your limit on credit cards. It is better to have 2 or 3 at 33% than one at 90%.

Rapid rescoring If you're in the middle of qualifying for a mortgage and need a score boost in a hurry, you can speed the process along with rapid rescoring. If you've got legitimate negative information on your credit report, such as late payments or accounts in collections, you're out of luck. But the process of rapid rescoring can help increase your score within a few days by correcting errors or paying off account balances.

You can't do this one yourself; you'll need a lender who is a customer of a rapid rescoring service. Generally, the service will run roughly $50 for every account on your credit report that needs to be addressed, but it could save you thousands on your loan. If a consumer can find a lender who is a customer of a rapid rescoring service, new information can be posted within 72 hours.
The bottom line, the experts say, is that you're not powerless when it comes to your credit score.
There are a lot of things you can do to improve your score. For more help email me at info@RussRavary.com or go to my website www.RussRavary.com

Friday, March 21, 2008

Seller paid closing costs

Do you have a little bit of money to put down on the Michigan real estate that you want. Let's say you have 3 -5 % to put down but you do not have enough money to pay for mortgage closing costs or to pay the prorated taxes on the Michigan Home. How do you buy the house?

Depending on the mortgage lender that you go with mortgage closing costs are from $1200 - $2500. That is not even counting setting up an escrow account or paying back the prorated taxes on your new Michigan home. So what can you do when you found the home of your dreams? Your mortgage lender and your real estate agent need to talk. You need the seller to pay for your closing costs. Some lenders allow a home seller to pay 3 to 6% of the closing costs. most lenders allow at least 3% of the mortgage closing costs to be paid by the seller.

By asking for 3 or 4% to cover your mortgage closing costs will save you from borrowing the money from family members and allow you to buy your new Michigan home. This is very common in many Michigan real estate transactions. Sellers are willing to give sellers concessions to get the home sold and have a solid deal.

But remember the seller paid closing costs is money out of the seller's pockets. The seller will then get less money than if he sold the house without seller's concessions. The seller may not be willing to give seller's concessions and a lower price.

So if you have the money for mortgage closing costs and you want a low price on the homes do not ask for seller's concessions.

For more on Michigan Mortgage Rates, Michigan mortgages, Credit information, How to buy a bargain Michigan Home and Michigan Real estate go to www.RussRavary.com

Monday, March 17, 2008

Bear Stearns & the mortgage fallout.

Boy I was right! I had predicted that there would be bank troubles. I could not imagine that banks can take these kinds of hits. Banks are losing a lot of money when they go to re sell these foreclosed homes. I was in one Detroit foreclosure on Saturday. The bank had not gotten to the home quick enough and the pipes had frozen. There was tremendous water damage.

The bank was owed over $150,000. They had it up for sale for $39,000. There are all sorts of foreclosed homes that the banks are losing 2/3's of its investments. How can banks take those types of hits? THEY CAN'T AS WE FOUND OUT WITH BEAR STEARNS.

Now here is a prediction from me. There will be another one. It is a West Coast Bank that did a lot of exotic mortgages. They were a bigger seller of option arms. They also did sub prime mortgages. I don't see how they can survive.

For more on Michigan mortgages go to my website www.RussRavary.com or if you would like a Michigan foreclosure list of your city email me at Info@RussRavary.com

Sunday, March 16, 2008

Is it a great time to buy or not

My perspective on this is that home prices will continue to fall this year. BUT WHAT WILL INTEREST RATES DO? Remember that if rates rise one percent the cost savings you save on the price of the house may be lost in higher mortgage payments. Nobody knows where the interest rates will go or when the housing market will bottom out.

So what I recommend to anybody that is thinking about buying a home is watch the area you want. Browse the Michigan homes for sale on my website on and off. There may be a home that comes up. It may be your dream home. It might sell before next year.

You may not see any home you like for 6 months to a year, but you may find the exact home you want 4 months from now. The bottom line is getting the home you want. It may not be at the absolute rock bottom price but if rates are good I would consider putting an offer in on the home you want. For more on Michigan Mortgages, Michigan Real Estate, Detroit Real estate or to search over 70,000 Michigan Homes for sale feel free to go to my website www.RussRavary.com If you want a Michigan Foreclosure list email me at info@RussRavary.com

Saturday, March 15, 2008

How mortgage brokers get paid

I am a mortgage broker. And I am not afraid of telling you how we get paid. Banks and lenders want to sell loans. The more they buy, the more they can sell to bulk mortgage investors. Whether banks sell loans in house or get mortgage brokers to sell them for the bank, the bank pays it's employees or mortgage broker a commission.

I once did a Michigan mortgage for a client. He asked which bank it was going through. I didn't think anything of it. He called me the next day and asked me how I could get a mortgage interest rate cheaper than the bank itself was giving out. He couldn't believe it!

Here is the secret. Banks and lenders sell mortgages to investors. They have to set mortgage interest rates according to what the bulk investors will pay that day for the mortgage. So what the bank and the lender do is send out rate sheets by email and fax to mortgage brokers.

For example a bank or lender may 1% of the loan amount for a 6.0% mortgage. Then they may pay 1.45% for a 6.125% mortgage. They may pay 2.5% for a 6.5% mortgage.

So the mortgage broker decides what he is willing to make on a loan. Some mortgage brokers like me work on volume and are willing to give a lower rate. Where other mortgage brokers may charge a little more. We as mortgage brokers represent 20 -30 banks. We see what they want to charge and we can shop your Michigan loan around.

Remember mortgage brokers and banks are getting a paid a percentage of the loan amount. So usually they like loan amounts over $150,000. Small loan amounts under $80,000 they do not make much money on and can be more trouble than they are worth. Think about it. 1/2% of $60,000 is $300 whereas 1/2% of $200,000 is $1000.

So know you know how banks, lenders, mortgage brokers make their money. That is why different places have different rates and closing costs. Sometimes mortgage brokers pay some of the fees out of their commission. Which is good for you the consumer. You can get a good rate and good closing costs. For more on Michigan mortgages go to my website www.RussRavary.com For Michigan things to do, Holiday trivia, Michigan facts, real estate tips, mortgage information. Or email me at OurMortgageGuy@yahoo.com for Michigan Mortgage rates

Friday, March 14, 2008

Pre-approval letter.

Pre-approval letters
So you were pre-approved last year for a Michigan Home. That approval letter may not be Worth the paper it is printed on! Banks and Lenders have tightened up lending guidelines. In the last year mortgage lending has completely changed. There is no more 100% loans in Michigan. Even 95% loans are getting tougher. Though the alternative is an FHA loan. With an FHA loan you can get up to 97% of the purchase price and have the seller pay some of the closing costs.

Every week banks and lenders are looking at how to stop their bleeding. How to stop foreclosures. That is why they are tightening up the lending guidelines. Banks do not want to take the risk. Some people that bought homes in the last 5 years can not even refinance because many lenders do not do sub prime loans anymore. They do not have the mortgage programs they had last year, or even 6 months ago. Even a 620 score is not considered very good anymore.

So don't get caught with your pants down. Get your pre-approval today from a qualified lender. If you are thinking of buying a Michigan home give me a call. I will help you get pre-approved, straighten your credit out so you can buy a home of your own. For more on Detroit Real Estate, Michigan Real Estate, Wayne County real Estate, Oakland county real estate go to my website www.RussRavary.com I have lot of great Michigan mortgage information, credit report information, Michigan home buyers tips

Thursday, March 13, 2008

Michigan Foreclosures

Michigan Foreclosures, Northville Foreclosures, Farmington Hills foreclosures - what to remember

When buying a Michigan foreclosure, REO, or any bank owned property around Michigan, Oakland County, Wayne County, or Livingston county you need to remember a few things.
1) When buying a Michigan foreclosure remember to read and re-read the contract and addendums from the bank. Many times the bank has language protecting them. Sometimes they push some of the title closing costs on you. Beware. Anything you do not understand ask your Realtor to explain.
2) When buying a Michigan foreclosure remember that the bank is not going to fix anything. You are buying the home "as is".
3) When buying a Michigan foreclosure you should always have an inspection clause and have a professional inspect the property. Don't let uncle Joe inspect your Michigan foreclosure. You need to be aware of all the possible problems with the home.
4) When buying a Michigan foreclosure remember it takes time to get the deal closed. Most foreclosure departments are only open during the week Monday through Friday. Be patient when bidding on a Michigan foreclosure.
There are many Michigan foreclosures out there. There are many bargains in the Michigan foreclosures. If you would like a list of Michigan foreclosures sent to you email me at info@RussRavary.com or email me at OurMortgageGuy@yahoo.com I will send you a list of Michigan foreclosures in the city you request that you can open and browse through at your leisure.
For more on Michigan foreclosures, Michigan Real estate, and Michigan Mortgage go to my website www.RussRavary.com see my website for Michigan real estate investing (Flipping) or to search over 70,000 Michigan homes for sale free

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Michigan mortgage rates

Michigan mortgage rates are once again on the rise. The reason being is that investors are shying away from buying mortgages and mortgage back securities. Investors are wary of putting money into mortgages.

What that means to mortgage companies and consumers is that rates may continue to rise even though the Fed continues to cut the rates. You can see my article on the difference between the Fed rate and the mortgage interest rate at www.activerain/blogs/russravary It explains a lot why it happens.

The bottom line is that mortgage rates do not always go down when the Fed cuts the rate. Especially right now when big investors are afraid of buying mortgages. No pension fund manager want to take a chance on putting somebodies retirement at risk because of the mortgage fiasco. Not many foreign investors want to take the chance at this time either. What that means is that mortgages are getting harder for the banks and lenders to sell. Rates may continue to rise this year.

For more on Michigan mortgages, Michigan real estate go to my website www.RussRavary.com Search over 70,000 Michigan Homes for sale at your leisure. Email me for a Michigan foreclosure list in your city at info@RussRavary.com

Friday, March 7, 2008

What has happened in the last week

Detroit mortgage market and Michigan mortgages. A lot has happened in the last week in the mortgage world. That what happens when you go on vacation in Florida and try to keep up by phone and glimpsing at the news.

Most of Southeastern Michigan real estate has been determined a "declining market." What that means to you as a consumer in Michigan is that banks and lenders are going to loan less on your property. Some banks are reducing the amount they will do for home equity loans. They used to loan up to a 100%, now some banks will not even loan 75% of your homes value. One of the ladies at my wifes office was upset with their loan officer and bank because of the "declining market" situation. The bank was making them come up with an extra 5% to buy the home. The ladies husband thought he was going to be able to talk the bank out of it. But they didn't. They had to put more money down. It doesn't matter even if you have the greatest credit you have to put more down.

It is not about the credit. It is about the value of the house. Why would a bank loan 95% on a house and have the chance that it may be only worth 90% next year! You the borrower would owe more than it is worth. The bank doesn't want those types of loans. It wants to protect it's assets. It wants you to have a financial interest in what you buy.

One of my fellow realtors got an email from his mortgage broker quoting that by March 1 most banks are only going to loan 90%. That means buyers will have to come to the table with 10% down or do a FHA Loan. Most buyers don't have 10% to put down, so FHA may be the loan of choice for many people. FHA loans may be the only choice for many people. If you are thinking of buying a Michigan home and want to see your mortgage choices.

Many people will be trapped in their Michigan mortgages and will not be able to refinance because of the lower loan limits. The key for many people now is to work harder at paying off their second mortgage. Reduce that higher payment. Get rid of that high interest payment. Pay extra on your second mortgage.

For more on Michigan mortgages and Michigan real estate go to my website www.RussRavary.com

Saturday, February 23, 2008

Your home as a bank

If you have used your Michigan home or any home as a bank to finance your life style, now may be the time to re-evaluate your finances, your life style. I want you to be able to retire, to help your kids through school, to have no mortgage payment when you retire.

The only way to do these things is to live within your means. To spend less than you make, to save a little, to be a little more frugal. There will always be friends that make more than you, neighbors that are buying something new, or a family member that seems to be doing extremely well. GET OVER IT !!!!

America has become a competitive society. Everybody wants new and more "stuff" But does it improve your quality of life? Now is the time to plan for your future. Step back and think about were you want to be in 10, 15, 20 years. Are you ever going to be able to retire? Or are you going to be a WalMart greeter. Or the older lady showing people to a restaurant seat. Those people are not doing it to keep busy, they are doing it because they have to. They need the money.

I'm in the mortgage business. I make money off of people doing home equity loans to pay off credit cards. Don't do it. Pay those cards down, start living within your means. Your life will be less stressful and less demanding if you quit trying to keep up with the Jones. For more on Michigan mortgages, improving your credit score, or Metro Detroit Real Estate feel free to go to my website www.RussRavary.com Have a great day Russ Ravary

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Isn't this the craziest thing?

Is this the craziest thing?
Banks are doing the dumbest things lately.
For example. I have a borrower who has $30,000 saved up. He wants to use some of it for a down payment. But he can't qualify for the program. You see the guidelines for the program say they will only loan him 95% if only he doesn't have any money. He has to show nothing and that he is going to borrow the money from somebody else. No isn't that dumb? They won't do a home loan for somebody that has saved the money but, will loan it to somebody that hasn't.

Another example is the My community program. They will loan 95% if you are under a certain income. But my borrower makes too much money. He makes over $70,000 a year. The guidelines say he can't fit into that program, believe it not he makes too much money!!! No isn't that dumb, they will put somebody into a loan if they make a little bit of money. They will stretch their finances, but NO DON'T EVER LOAN MONEY TO SOMEBODY THAT MAKES TO MUCH EACH YEAR. Now isn't that dumb.

Another example is my buyer wants to buy a house for $181,250 and put 5% down. We got such a great deal that other comparable homes in the were selling for more. The home was brand new, and appraised for more than the selling price. It appraised for $190,000. 4.6% more than the purchase price. You are going to love this one. The bank has to deduct 5% from the loan amount because Detroit is a declining market. The appraiser did his job right and even though the bank is letting other appraisals slide. (Everybody knows Detroit and other areas around the country are declining markets)

So they will only loan 90% on a person that has money saved, has a down payment, makes good money, has great credit scores, and the house value is greater than the purchase price.
But they will loan 95% to people that make less, have less saved and No money for a down payment. ISN'T THAT DUMB.... Try explaining this whole scenario to the guy that was turned down. I don't understand it, how can the borrower.

And we wonder why there are so many foreclosures around the country. They make it hard for a good credit risk person to get a loan and loan the money out to higher credit risks. You have to love it.

To top it off I sent this to a bank official that denied this loan and wouldn't do it.... He laughed about it. He basically said rules are rules. That's why we survive.

I sent the loan to a different bank first thing this morning and got an approval for the loan. Quicker service, less grief, and nicer. My client is happier with this new bank and their ability to give him the 95%.
For more on Michigan Mortgages, Credit and credit scores, mortgage information and Michigan real estate go to www.RussRavary.com

Monday, February 18, 2008

How are you going to buy a home?

Banks have tightened up the guidelines to buy a home. That doesn't mean you can't buy a home. I think it is good they have gotten a little tougher with the guidelines. America has been on a shopping spree for too long. Many home owners have used their home to finance their life style and now the bank is closed. They are having to give up the home becuase they can't refinance. They are going into foreclosure.

I feel that your goal when you buy a home is to pay off as much of that mortgage as you can before your retire. To be mortgage free if you can in your retirement years. This mortgage crisis is going to make people live within their means more, they can't borrow against their house.

What is means to you as a new home buyer is that you have to save a little to put a downpayment on a house. Sure you can't buy right away. Sure you can't have instant gratification of your wants. But it is going to teach you to save to acquire the things you want. That is a good thing. Many homes that went into foreclosure were in a state of disrepair. the homeowners couldn't afford to fix things.

If you can't come up with $5,000 to fix the furnace, or $8,000 to get a roof then you really should not be in that house. Those are necessary repairs. By learning to save for a downpayment will help you in the long run.

For more on mortgages, credit and credit scoring, buyers tips go to my website Michigan homes for sale at www.RussRavary.com

Friday, February 15, 2008

Mortgage delinquencies and foreclosures continue to rise

According to an article on CNN Money Countrywide's Mortgage foreclosures and delinquencies continued to rise in January. Another article said that the median home price in Lansing, Michigan fell 18% to 109,600 in the fourth quarter of last year.

That is what I believe is in store for us all year. I believe home prices will continue to fall, there will be more foreclosures on the Michigan real estate market. I believe the overly optimistic stance by many realtors that the real estate market will start turning around in the last quarter of the year is wrong. It is going to take time to work out of this mess.

The fed may continue to drop the fed rate, but I don't know what affect it will have on the mortgage interest rates. They have dropped it quite a bit already, but as of today's mortgage rates are higher than when the fed dropped thefed rate the first time this year. For more on the difference between the fed rate and mortgage interest rates you can go to my other blog www.activerain.com/blogs/russravary look on the right hand side for "fed rate" or "difference between"

Gambling on whether mortgage interest rates will come down more is like gambling on whether a stock will go up on a certain day. If you can lock in a good mortgage rate lock it in, don't be a glutton waiting for the bottom. It may never come. Some "experts" believe the mortgage interest rates may go up instead of down. Who knows which way they may go, it is anybody's guess. For more on mortgages, Michigan foreclosures, or Michigan homes for sale go to www.RussRavary.com

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

President Bush's economic stimulus plan

What does President Bush's economic stimulus plan mean to the Metro Detroit area and how soon can we expect the changes to occur?

Everything is uncertain as how it will affect Detroit and the Detroit suburbs? FHA, Fannie Mae, and Freddie Mac are the government and quasi government agencys that now have to set guidelines for mortgages. It may take time for those agencies to come up with guidelines.

Some of the issues that have to determine is which areas are high cost areas, which area will be included in the changes, what is the median home cost. All of these factors will determine whether Detroit and metro Detroit mortgage holders will benefit from the plan.

Even after FHA, Fannie Mae, and Freddie Mac determine the new mortgage guidelines, the banks have to set their guidelines. One bank even sent out an email stating that they have to determine the impact the guidelines have. The banks owe it to their share holders to minimize risk and make money. So you may see some banks still shy away from those big loans. Would you as a big bank want to put $600 -$700,00 at risk at one loan or would you rather do 3 $200,000 loans. It is in the banks best interest to spread the risk amongst 3 loans than 1 big one. I bet that you will see a higher rate from the banks for the high loan amounts. Only time will tell. I'm just guessing, but whatever the outcome there will be people that benifit from the plan. No it will not solve all the problems, but it is a start. I hope for the people of Detroit, the people that live in Metro Detroit suburbs that they get relieve in this mortgage crisis. Have a great day. Russ Ravary. For more on Michigan mortgages, house hunting tips, buying a condo (what you should think about) go to my website www.russravary.com
Northville Real Estate
Latest Maple Hill Subdivision Neighborhood Update, Northville, MI as of January 1, 2008 There is 1 Northville home currently for sale in the sub. The average list price is $395,000 and on the average has been on the market for 285 days
Price-Address-Bed
$395,000-17333 VICTOR CT-3

IF YOU OR ONE OF YOUR FRIENDS, OR CHILDREN WOULD LIKE TO SEE ONE OF THESE LOVELY NORTHVILLE HOMES EMAIL ME AT INFO@RUSSRAVARY.COM OR CALL ME ON MY CELL AT 313-310-9855
Here are all the Northville homes that have sold in Maple Hill, Northville, MI in the last year as of 1/1/2008
Price-Address-Bed-Sold Date
$292,000-17870 MAPLE HILL DR-4-9/25/2007
$307,500-17236 CAMERON DR-4-8/3/2007
$317,667-17540 MAPLE HILL DR-3-11/25/2007
$335,000-17200 VICTOR DR-4-5/31/2007
$345,000-17892 MAPLE HILL DR-3-1/3/2007
$349,000-17871 MAPLE HILL DR-3-7/24/2007
$350,000-17305 MAPLE HILL DR-4-11/12/2007
$368,000-17280 SUMMIT DR-4-5/23/2007
$380,000-17800 MAPLE HILL DR-4-6/10/2007
$380,000-17265 MAPLE HILL DR-4-10/2/2007
$390,000-17297 VICTOR CT-4-2/12/2007

1 Northville home has sold Maple Hill Subdivision in the last year with an average price of $346,742 after being on the market an average of 110 days.

Remember when you price your Northville home right it will not sit on the market as long. So if you have to move call me for the latest comparative market analysis (CMA) of your Wayne County Subdivision or Oakland County subdivision.

If you want other Northville subdivisions or City of Northville, MI info go to my website http://www.russravary.com/ You can get buyers tips, sellers tips, or search Michigan homes for sale for free without giving any personal contact info or logging in! IF YOU WANT A NEIGHBORHOOD UPDATE FOR YOUR SUBDIVISION EMAIL ME AT INFO@RUSSRAVARY.COM I hope this Michigan neighborhood newsletter helped you! And helps keep you up to date. If you are thinking of selling a home give me a call or email me at info@russravary.com Or if you know somebody that is looking to buy a home I will help them search out a good deal. Have a great day. Russ Ravary

Lakes of Northville subdivision real estate update, Northville Township, MI

Northville Township Real Estate
Latest Lakes of Northville Subdivision Neighborhood Update, Northville, MI as of January 1, 2008

There are 6 Northville Township homes currently for sale in the sub. The average list price is $332,267 and on the average has been on the market for 226 days
Price-Address-Bed
$2,200-41584 WATERFALL RD-3
$294,900-41881 PON MEADOW DR-4
$310,000-41934 PONMEADOW-3
$325,000-42400 BRADNER RD-4
$325,900-17148 PON VALLEY DR-4
$337,900-41584 WATERFALL RD-3
$399,900-42359 BRADNER-4

IF YOU OR ONE OF YOUR FRIENDS, OR CHILDREN WOULD LIKE TO SEE ONE OF THESE LOVELY NORTHVILLE HOMES EMAIL ME AT INFO@RUSSRAVARY.COM OR CALL ME ON MY CELL AT 313-310-9855

Here are all the Northville Township homes that have sold in Lakes of Northville, Northville, MI in the last year as of 1/1/2008
Status-Price-Address-Bed-Sold Date
Leased-$1,850-42092 N WATERWHEEL CT-4-8/31/2007
Leased-$2,100-42155 WATERFALL RD-4-4/15/2007
SOLD-$257,500-17233 LILYPAD CT-4-5/19/2007
SOLD-$301,500-42016 CRESTVIEW CIR-4-10/15/2007
SOLD-$315,000-42063 CRESTVIEW CIR-3-8/10/2007
SOLD-$315,000-18080 WINCHESTER-4-9/13/2007
SOLD-$325,000-42035 CRESTVIEW CIR-4-6/5/2007
SOLD-$331,500-41473 WATERFALL RD-4-10/26/2007
SOLD-$332,000-42144 CRESTVIEW CIR-4-4/10/2007
SOLD-$333,000-17732 FARMCREST CT-4-8/3/2007
SOLD-$380,000-42164 N WATERWHEEL CT-5-3/8/2007

3 Northville Township homes have sold in Lakes of Northville subdivision the last year with an average price of $236,667 after being on the market an average of 124 days.
Remember when you price your Northville home right it will not sit on the market as long. So if you have to move call me for the latest comparative market analysis (CMA) of your Wayne County Subdivision or Oakland County subdivision.

If you want other Northville subdivisions or City of Northville, MI info go to my website http://www.russravary.com/ You can get buyers tips, sellers tips, or search Michigan homes for sale for free without giving any personal contact info or logging in! IF YOU WANT A NEIGHBORHOOD UPDATE FOR YOUR SUBDIVISION EMAIL ME AT INFO@RUSSRAVARY.COM I hope this neighborhood newsletter helped you! And helps keep you up to date. If you are thinking of selling a Michigan home give me a call or email me at info@russravary.com Or if you know somebody that is looking to buy a home I will help them search out a good deal. Have a great day. Russ Ravary

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

The death of 100% mortgages

We got an email today stating that after March 1, the PMI company will no longer insure over 97.01%.. What that means to the consumer is the only way you can get an 100% mortgage is if you can find a company to do a 80% first and a 20% second (80/20 loan). That is not likely in our market right now. Very few if any banks are doing a 100% loans any more. So if you are thinking of buying a home this year, start saving money. You will either need to borrow 3% from a relative or have 3% of the purchase price in your savings account. FHA loans may become very popular. For more on credit scores, mortgages, buying foreclosures, FSBO's, negotiating tips, and Michigan real estate go to my website www.RussRavary.com

Monday, February 11, 2008

4 things to do before buying a home

1. You should, get preapproved for a mortgage before you go looking for a home.
Pre-approval
is easy, and you can be relaxed when shopping for your new home. Your local mortgage broker can provide you with written preapproval for you at no cost and no obligation, and it can all be done quite easily over-the-phone or via email. Do not pay to submit an application! Most Real estate agents want you to have a pre-approval letter before you start looking for a home.
2. Know what monthly payment you can feel comfortable with.
When you discuss mortgage preapproval with your bank or Mortgage broker, find out what amount you qualify for. But you should have determine what kind of monthly mortgage payment you can afford each month yourself first. Many banks and lenders will give you an approval for a bigger amount, but you have to be smart. Just because they give you a bigger amount doesn't mean you should take it. It is just like a credit card. Just because your limit is $30,000 doesn't mean you should spend that much. Your credit situation may give you a pre-approval amount that is higher (or lower) than the amount of money you would want to pay out each month. By talking with your mortgage broker or bank to determine what this payment amount is, and what value of home this translates into at today's rates, you won't waste time looking at homes that are not in your price range.
3. You should be thinking about your long term goals and situations, to determine the type of mortgage that will best suit your needs.
My belief is that most people should get a fixed mortgage. There are a number of questions you should be asking yourself before you commit to a certain type of mortgage and be honest with yourself! How long do you think you will own this home? Are you discliplined in saving for taxes and insurance payments? What direction are interest rates going in, and how quickly? Is your income expected to change (up or down) in the near term, impacting how much money you can comfortably afford to pay monthly? The answers to these and other questions will help you determine the most appropriate mortgage you should be seeking.
4. You should seriously consider dealing with a Mortgage Expert that you are comfortable with. Consider dealing only with a professional who specializes in mortgages that is not pushy. An expert that will take the time to explain the mortgage process. Remember your home is one of the biggest investments you will make. You need to understand the mortgage and financing process.

For more on Michigan mortgages, mortgage information, and credit go to my website www.RussRavary.com Also you can view testimonials from some of my clients.

Sunday, February 10, 2008

Adjustable Rate Mortgages

I was on www.Activerain.com (another blogging site) this morning and read a blog from a mortgage person recommending or promoting adjustable rate mortgages. He was partially right in some aspects. Yes some adjustable rate mortgages rates are better than a 30 year fixed rate right now. Yes you can save money. Yes if your plans are to move in 3 or 5 years it may be a good alternative.

HOWEVER, ADJUSTABLE RATE MORTGAGES HAVE GOTTEN MANY PEOPLE IN TROUBLE. You have to look at the down side that is possible. Not just at how much you are going to save. You have to think what happens if I can't refinance later on because the rates have gone up. Or you can't refinance because the home value has gone down. ( like right now)

I am an old school person. I believe you should be trying to pay off your mortgage, not have a mortgage when you retire. I believe more in a 30 year fixed mortgage, though there are cases when a Adjustable rate mortgage is okay. An adjustable rate mortgage is okay if you plan on selling before the rate adjusts. But for me to promote them as a great way to no. No way, no how.

For more on Michigan mortgages, Michigan real estate, and Michigan things to do
go to www.russravary.com

Have a great day. Russ Ravary

Saturday, February 9, 2008

Tougher refinancing rules for Michigan Mortgages

New guidelines in the mortgage industry is making it tougher for many people to refinance or purchase a home. 100% loans are just about a thing of the past. The reason why is that Lenders have categorized much of Michigan as a "declining market" What that means is that Michigan home values are falling. Lenders are worried that if they make a 100% loan it may only be worth 95%. So what the lenders are doing is taking 5% off of the maximum value they will loan. So many banks and lenders will only 95% of the appraised value or the purchase price of the home.

Home equity lines are getting tougher to get. Chase will now only do 75% home equity loans in Michigan. Countrywide Home Loans sent out about 200,000 letters to clients across the country. They closed down the clients home equity lines. They just closed them down and the clients are out of luck. No warning. You do not have any available credit anymore on your home if you got one of those letters. I believe you will see many lenders following suit on high percentage home loans over the next few years. Home equity loans have some of the highest foreclosure and deliquency rates. So banks are going to be more careful about granting a home loan. For more on Michigan mortgages, credit scoring, and Michigan real estate go to my website www.russravary.com. Southeastern Michigan's #1 informational real estate and mortgage site. Have a great day Russ Ravary

Thursday, February 7, 2008

FHA Refinancing

If you have a FHA mortgage you may still be able to refinance even though your home value has fallen. FHA does streamline refinances. Which means that you may be able to refinance your home without getting an appraisal. What you need to have is good credit for the last year. You may be able to have a few credit blemishes. Take the time and see a mortgage person or Loan officer to see if you qualify.

Too many people assume they can not refi. Take the time and go to a mortgage broker. They usually don't charge to review your situation. The biggest thing is don't be sucked into a higher rate or higher payment. Do not pay high fees or an application fee. There is no sense in giving somebody an application fee if it can not be done. There are many lenders that do not charge an application fee. You can find out whether you can refinance without paying a fee.

There are many options that may be available to you. One that many people are not taking advantage of is calling your existing lender. Call your existing lender to see if they will make your adjustable rate mortgage into a fixed rate mortgage. Some lenders are willing to do that so you do not go into foreclosure.

If you live in Michigan and have a mortgage and would like to go over your options feel free to give me a call at (313) 310-9855 or email me at info@russravary.com For more on mortgages and Michigan real estate go to my website www.russravary.com

Tuesday, February 5, 2008

Foreclosure looming?

Are you behind in mortgage payments? Your financial life and world spinning out of control? Are you overwhelmed by all your debts? You should check out all your options. Go see a debt counselor and go see a bankruptcy attorney. Tell them both that you are seeing the other one before you make a decision what to do. Bankruptcy would be the easiest way to start over and get back on your financial feet. Yes, it will take time to get your credit scores back and you will not be able to buy a car or get credit cards for a few years. You need to make a plan to be sure you are covered in those aspects.

If you let your home go into foreclosure you will not be liable to the mortgage payments any longer, but the bank may send you a 1099 for the money they forgive. Can you afford to pay the extra taxes. You may also want to see your tax person to see the consequences of getting a 1099.

The other option with the debt counselor: Can you make the payments they set up? They will most likely negotiate with your creditors to get a lower balance and lower interest rate. Remember as soon as you sign up with the debt counselor and they negotiate with your creditors it will show up on your credit report. A debt counselar is a negative to lenders. Remember why would they loan you more money if you need a debt counselor to pay the debt you have.

What ever you do, explore your choices. Then make a sound decision on what you can do. The sooner you start the sooner you get back on the path of good credit. For more on credit scores, and Michigan mortgages go to my website www.RussRavary.com

Monday, February 4, 2008

Should I refinance part 2

So you are thinking about refinancing. If you are in a fixed mortgage and have been in the mortgage for 3 or 4 years it may not make sense to refinance.

You have to work the numbers. Lets say you are going to save $50 a month, it is a no-closing cost loan, and you have been in your other mortgage for 4 years. So what you do is multiply your mortgage savings a month by the number of months left. So 26 years times 12 months a year times $50= $15,600 savings

But you are going to have a $200,000 at 5.75% and now you are back to 30 years. You have 4 extra years of mortgage. So what you do is multiply $200,000 times .0575 times 4 years= 46,000 in interest costs.

So sure you are saving $50 a month but you are adding on 4 years and $46,000 in interest.
That doesn't make sense financially.

If you live in Michigan and want to find out if refinancing is good for you email me at info@russravary.com For more Michigan mortgage articles and mortgage info feel free to go to my website www.russravary.com

Friday, February 1, 2008

Should I refinance?

Whether you should refinance your mortgage is simply a numbers game. Does it make sense financially to do it? Will it reduce your payment? Will it shorten years off your mortgage? What will be the payback? You have to figure out what the closing costs will be versus how much you will save each month. For example if you are going to save 50 dollars a month and it is going to cost $1600.00 to refinance. Then your payback time is 32 months ($1600 divided by $50). So you will not be saving any money until the 33rd month. If you sell or refinance again before 32 months you will have wasted your money!

Take the time to figure out what you are saving. Sit down with your mortgage broker, bank loan officer to go over the numbers. Then make a solid decision based on the numbers! If you are a Michigan home owner and would like to find out whether it makes sense for you to refinance your mortgage give me a call on my cell at (313) 310-9855 or email me at ourmortgageguy@yahoo.com Feel free to visit my website at www.russravary.com for more mortgage information, types of loans available, and Michigan real estate

Thursday, January 31, 2008

No-cost loans and how they work

How can people do a no-cost loan, there must be a gimmick. No cost loans are they for real? True No fee loans or true no cost loans are done by many mortgage brokers, banks, mortgage lenders. When you borrow money you usually have to pay appraisal fees, title insurance, title closing costs, bank processing fees, flood insurance checking. These fees add up to $1200 -$2500 depending on the bank and the size of the loan. So how can somebody do a no cost loan?
Here is how they work. Loan officers, banks, mortgage brokers make more money the higher the rate they sell you. For example at 4% they may make get 1% of the loan amount. So at 4.25% they may make 1.4% of the loan amount and at 4.65% they may make 2% of the loan amount.
So lets use the example above on a $200,000 loan. If your Michigan mortgage person does a 4% loan for you they make 1% of $200,000 or $2000 that is split between the company for overhead and the mortgage person.
Now if you have $2000 in closing costs they can give you a rate of 4.65%. They make 2% of $200,000 or $4000. They take $2000 of that money to pay the closing costs out of their pocket. That is how a no cost loan works. It is also how one bank or mortgage broker may have lower closing costs than somebody else. They are taking some of their commission to pay your closing costs.
Is it worth doing a no cost loan? Let's say you have a 5 1/8% loan on $200,000 with a payment of $1088.97 a month that you got last year. Your mortgage person offers you a 4.65% no cost loan with a payment of $1031.27 that does not cost you a dime or raise your mortgagebalance. You save $57.70 a month! You would save $20,772 over the life of the loan. It is a no brainer.
But let me play the devils advocate here. Why wouldn't you do the 4% loan? I this case I would if I had the $2000 in closing costs and I did not have to roll it in. The payment on 4% is $954.83 a savings of $123.04 a month which means it would take 16 1/2 months to break even. Are you going to stay in the house for over 16.5 months. Then it would be worthwhile to do the lower 4%. The payback time is different for every loan and every percentage rate.
You have to work the numbers when offered a no cost loan. Ask your mortgage person for the full fee loan too. Then make a decision after you run both payments and figure the payback time. Many times it is not worth it to refinance but it might make sense to reduce your payment if it does not cost you a dime.
For more on Michigan mortgages, credit scoring, and Michigan real estate feel free to go to my website www.russravary.com Have a great day!!! Russ Ravary

Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Fed drops rates again

The Fed drops it rate again, and it had no effect on the Michigan mortgage interest rates today. 30 year Mortgage interest rates are still below 6% but have not dropped dramatically for any length of time. Hopefully in the next month we will see rates slowly creep down. There are a lot of people out there that could use a break to get their adjustable rate mortgages changed into a fixed rate mortgage.

If you have an adjustable rate mortgage you should contact a mortgage person. They can check the value of your Michigan Home to make sure a bank will even loan against the house. Many homes have lost a lot of value making it impossible to refinance. Also the loan officer can put you on a watch list so when the rates do come down that you will be notified. It may make sense for your neighbor to refinance at 5 3/4% where it may not save you any money because you had a lower rate than he did before. You may need it to come down to 5 3/8% before it makes sense to do it. A No-closing cost loan may make sense for you. Email me at info@russravary.com to find out when it would make financial sense for you to refi and to be put on a rate watch list. For more on Michigan mortgages and Michigan homes for sale go to my website www.russravary.com

Have a great day. Russ Ravary

Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Why rent, when you may be able to buy

If you are renting the main question you should ask yourself is "DO YOU WANT TO GET AHEAD IN LIFE?" It is a fact that people who own houses are wealthier than people who rent. When you buy a home it is like a forced savings plan. Each month you make a house payment some of the money goes to reducing the amount you owe on the house. The longer you pay the more you are paying off the house without your payment going up!

If you have rented for a year, wouldn't be great to know that $1000 of that money you paid in rent was your money, your asset, your wealth. Well sorry RENTING DOESN'T WORK THAT WAY, BUT BUYING A HOME DOES! If you are renting in Southeastern Michigan and would like to find out whether you can buy a home feel free to contact me at info@russravary.com or visit my website www.russravary.com for lots of great buyer tips and first time home buyer advice. We can help you plan, or get started right away to buying a home of your dreams. We even help you straighten out your credit if you have past credit issues.

Saturday, January 26, 2008

Credit and buying your own home

Building your credit is a important step in buying a home. With banks tightening the credit guidelines it is more important than ever to get your credit report and go over it with a professional. A mortgage person, a loan officer, a bank loan officer are all people that can help you get a credit report and get you started on clearing up your credit.. All of us should help you, after all we want you to come back and use us.

Bad credit is nothing to be ashamed of. Most of us go through it at one time or another. I had bad credit when I was younger, but I climbed out of it. If you live in Southeastern Michigan and want to buy a home I will be glad to sit down and go through your credit report line by line. I can help your clean it up so you can buy a Michigan home. It is not hard, it just takes a little time.

The most important thing is to get started today to see what your credit report looks like. Once you know what your credit is, then you can take the steps needed to get starting toward owning your own home. You may have great credit and be able to get pre-approved for a home right now. Call me today on my cell at (313) 310-9855 or office (734) 414-3261 or email me at ourmortgageguy@yahoo.com For more on Michigan credit scoring or Michigan mortgages feel free to go to my website http://www.russravary.com

Have a great day "your local Michigan mortgage specialist" Russ Ravary

Friday, January 25, 2008

Fed rate and mortgage rate there is a difference!

I had a great dialogue on Active Rain.com with another Real estate agent about the difference between The Fed Rates and the mortgage interest rate.
So the Fed cut the rate.
Difference between the fed rate and mortgage interest rates.

How does a ¾ of a percent drop in the Fed rate affect us? So many consumers think that the Fed Rate is the mortgage interest rate. It is not the same thing. It is one of the most misunderstood things in the mortgage industry. The ¾ of a percent drop in the Fed rate may or may not affect the mortgage interest rate. The Fed rate and the mortgage interest rate are two separate rates. If one goes down it does not mean the other goes down too!
The Fed rate you hear so much about if the Rate the Federal government gives on overnight loans from bank to bank. We as consumers do not get that rate. Mortgage interest rates are determined by market conditions. Some of the things that affect the mortgage interest rates are:
How well the bond markets is doing? especially the 10 year bond market
How well the stock market is doing
Are the housing starts down?
Are unemployment numbers down?
How is the economy?
Are the numbers that came out today high or lower than expected?

Generally speaking mortgage interest rates get better because the stock market is doing worse and people are investing more in the bond market. It is many times an inverse relationship. If the stock market is doing good then mortgage rates are doing bad. That is generally what happens. If unexpected bad news such as higher unemployment numbers, lower housing starts, bad economic news usually results in better interest rates. Inflation, great economic news makes interest rates to go up.
So the bottom line is that a ¾ of a percent drop in the Fed rate does not correlate to a ¾ of a percent in mortgage rate. In fact sometimes when the Fed drops its rate the mortgage rate may not change at all. I have even seen it go up on occasion. Eventually some of the Fed rate percentage drop does affect the mortgage interest rate.
Think of it this way people rush to buy "safer" investments like bonds when there is bad economic news. Investors are looking for the best rate of return. So if they think the stock market is not the best place to be. There is more money in the bond market and sometimes lower rates.
The above is a brief generalization of what happens with mortgage interest rates. It is a complex item. It could take a novel to truly explain everything that affects it and how it affects it in different market conditions.
So what you need to take away from this is that:
1) The fed rate is not the mortgage rate.
2) That the mortgage rate is determined by market conditions especially the bond market.
3) The mortgage rate changes daily reacting to market news and conditions
4) If we as "mortgage experts" could predict interest rates we would be rich just like we would be rich if we could predict the stock market.
There is a point that adjustable rate mortgages should come down, along with credit card rates and home equity loans. The point that I am making is that because the Fed lowered the rate 3/4% does not mean it is going to be a 3/4% of a rate drop in mortgage rates. Tuesdays mortgage rates did not change much. Some banks didn't change at all so changed a 1/8% of a percent. Not 3/4%
Mortgage interest rates almost never correlates or exactly match the fed rate drops. Like I said sometimes I have seen them go up the day the Fed lowers their rate. In fact that is the case this week. Rates are now higher on Friday than one Tuesday when the Fed rate was cut.


The Fed rate and the mortgage interest rate are not directly correlated. The fed rate is a just one of the many factors. It is not the most important by any means. It is more market conditions that influence mortgage interest rates. The price of 10 year bonds influence it more than anything.
Take example Wednesday. Mortgage Rates did drop this morning down 3/8% from Monday's rate. So just comparing the Fed drop to mortgage rate that was just 1/2 of the fed rate drop. But what is even more interesting is what happened this afternoon is that rates jumped back up because the Dow was up. Every bank repriced. I have gotten fifteen emails stating the rates changed. . So tomorrow morning mortgage interest rates may look like they never changed even though the Fed dropped their rate 3/4%
Today's low rates were there for about 4-5 hours!

Like I said, I have seen too many times when the rate was there for a few hours or for a day. I called the borrower to inform them and then they didn't make a decision the same day. And then the rates were gone. It is a tough thing to tell a borrower that they waited to long. I know people that were waiting for it to go lower in 2003 and ended up with a 5.875% rate instead of a 5.375% rate. They didn't make a decision quick enough. When you loan officer calls sometimes you have to make a quick decision. There are lots of loan officers that will tell you horror stories of people not wanting to lock a rate and then upset that they didn't.
During 2003 there were times when the Fed lower the rate and the mortgage rate actually went up. That is because sometimes the market has already figured in the Fed's drop and other market conditions outweighed it.
I hope this explains it a little better. If a consumer and real estate agent is more informed about the mortgage process the higher the comfort level they will have. Your home is your biggest investment. Hopefully the rates come back down a little for all the people that need to get out of their adjustable rates. We all want them to keep their homes and help stabilize our economy a little more.
For more mortgage and real estate information and to search Oakland County real estate, or Southeastern Michigan homes for sale go to my website www.russravary.com Have a great day! Russ Ravary

Monday, January 21, 2008

Lower mortgage rates this week

Hello Michigan,

Many people do not follow the mortgage market. Here is the latest update. Mortgage rates for 30 year fixed mortgages have dropped below 6% in the last few weeks. The people that this might be good for:

For people with adjustable rate mortgages this may be an opportunity for you to refinance and lock in a fixed rate. It may even pay to lock in a rate now if you are a year or two out.

For people who bought a home last year, mortgage rates are much lower right now. If you put money down you may be able to refinance and save money. You can even do a no-cost loan and save a substantial amount of money over the 30 years. It may not cost you a dime.
If you want to find out how much you can save or whether you can refinance to a lower rate feel free to call me on my cell at (313) 310-9855 or email me at ourmortgageguy@yahoo.com Feel free to visit my website at www.russravary.com for more mortgage information, or credit scores, credit info.

Saturday, January 19, 2008

Reducing your mortgage payment

So you got the notice in the mail that for $150 you can sign up for a mortgage reduction plan. They say they can CUT UP TO 7 YEARS OFF YOUR 30 YEAR MORTGAGE. The plan most likely calls for you to send in half your mortgage payment every two weeks. This is called a bi-weekly mortgage reduction plan.

THIS PLAN WORKS!!!!! If you break down the plan it works like this. What you are actually doing is making 13 payments a year. There are 52 weeks a year. So if you send in a payment every 2 weeks you are sending in 26 payments. So if you are sending in 26 payments every 2 weeks (26 divided by 2=13 payments) it is 13 full payments.

No, you are not sending it directly to the mortgage company usually. What the company that is promoting this is doing is having you send in the first ½ payment then holding it until you send in the second ½ payment. Then the company sends it in to your mortgage company. For this there is a $150 upfront fee and usually a $3 charge per payment. So it cost you sometimes $75 a year. Check out the charges.

Is it a good deal? Yes if you do not have the discipline to do it yourself. It pays off your mortgage quicker.

BUT YOU CAN DO IT YOURSELF AND AT NO COST! If you just send in an extra 1/12 of a payment each month you will do the same thing. Let’s say your mortgage is $1800 a month. If you sent in 1/12 ($150.00) of your mortgage payment added to your regular payment. ($1950) you should cut off about 7 ½ years. So instead of a 30 year mortgage you should be paid off in about 22 ½ years. And you did not have to pay a middleman.
Every extra little bit of money that you send in with you payment will reduce how long you will pay on your mortgage.

For more mortgage information free free to go to my website www.russravary.com

Wednesday, January 16, 2008

Low mortgage rates

In the last week rates have dropped below 6%. Mortgage applications in the last week have risen because of the better rates. It is a great time for people who bought last year. Many people that bought last year have rates over 6% and now is a great time. You may be eligible for a no-cost loan or you may just be able to lower your payment.

Also if you have an adjustable rate that is due to expire, it may be the time to look at refinancing. It is a time to think about refinancing your adjustable rate. The bottom line is look at both the costs, the payment, and the APR. For more on Michigan mortgages feel free to go to my website www.russravary.com
My website is full of useful information on Michigan real estate, search Oakland County real estate, Start your Michigan Condo Search, buyers tips.

Have a great night and feel free to contact me with any mortgage or real estate questions.

Russ Ravary

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

How to fight your michigan taxe assessment

Fighting your Michigan taxes
I will be blogging about fighting your tax assessment quite a bit the next month. Tax notices will be coming out next month. With home values falling in Southeastern Michigan you may be able to reduce your tax burden. But every homeowner that has bought a house in the last 10 years should be checking it out whether they are paying too much.

Many people do not know how to read their property tax statement. This is another item they should teach in school but they do not. It is important and people get confused about the statement. Your home is one of the biggest investments you make so reducing the taxes makes sense if the city is overcharging you.

There are 2 numbers on your Michigan property tax notice. One is the state equalized value (SEV) and the other is taxable value. State Equalized value is the 1/2 of the value the local assessor places as the cash value or fair market value of your home. Taxable value is the actual number that the municipality uses to figure how much your taxes are. Taxable value x your Millage rate = amount of taxes you owe. Normally the taxable value number is lower than the SEV.

Look at your statement. See the two numbers (Taxable value and SEV). Sure the assessor thinks your house is worth a lot. But times both the taxable value and SEV by 2. The taxable should be lower or equal to the SEV.
In order to make it worthwhile to reduce your taxes, homes in your area should be selling less that the taxable value times 2. For example. Your tax statement reads taxable value as $115,500 and the SEV as $163,750. The assessor thinks your house is worth $325,500 (163,750 x 2) but you are only being taxed on the value of $231,000 (115,500 X 2). In order to reduce your taxes in this instance, homes comparable to yours would have sold less that 231,000. You need comparables to prove to the board of review and the Michigan tax tribunal that they should reduce your taxes.
For more on how to fight your taxes, steps and timeline involved in fighting your taxes, and understanding your tax bill go to my website www.russravary.com The information is in a yellow box on my home page. Click on the section you want to know more about.
Have a great night! Russ Ravary

Monday, January 14, 2008

Closing Credit cards and home equity loans is sometimes bad

Did you know that your credit score could drop if you close out unused credit cards. The credit bureaus figure out how much you owe and how much available credit you have. The more you owe the lower your score will be.

For example you have a Visa card that you do not use. It has a $25,000 limit. With all your credit card bills, mortgage, car bills you owe a total of $ 193,625 You have a home equity line and other credit cards that are not up to their limit. You have available credit of 280,000.

The credit bureau looks at 193,625/280,000. You have $86,375 in available credit

If you closed your home equity line and a credit card you now have 193,625 in debt and only 200,00 total credit.

The credit bureau can see you are about maxed out. They lower your credit score because you are a bigger risk.

Sometimes older people have tremendous credit scores because their mortgage is about paid off, they have credit cards but not much is on them. And they have a long history. They have a large amount of available credit so their score is higher.

For more on Michigan real estate, mortgages, credit and credit scoring feel free to go to my website www.russravary.com

Sunday, January 13, 2008

Michigan property taxes to high?

Fighting Your Michigan Taxes

Fighting your Michigan Property tax assessment

So you think you are paying too much in property tax. How do you know that you are? First of all, do you understand the difference between your state equalized value (SEV) and your Taxable Value?Remember you are not appealing the taxes, you are appealing the assessment, the SEV. By appealing the SEV you reset the SEV and the taxable value. It should be in your best interest for years to come.

Difference between SEV and Taxable Value
Your SEV is determined or set when there is a change in ownership of the property. I.E. when you buy the property the SEV is "reset" by the assessor to the current SEV. The state equalized value (SEV) is 1/2 the cash value of the property. (Or market value). The assessor usually determines what the SEV is by using comparables that have sold over a 2 year period. Just because you bought the house at $200,000 doesn't mean that the SEV will automatically be $100,000. The SEV value of the house may be above or below the purchase price. In the buyers market of 2007 & 2008 I am seeing many SEV's higher. That home with a $200,000 purchase price may have a SEV of $260,000.

After you buy your home then taxable value will become more important. There are two numbers on your tax bill. SEV and the second is taxable value. Proposal A of 1994 changed the way taxes were determined. Instead of increasing taxes based on 50% of actual cash value, commonly referred as SEV (state equalized value) now after the first year you buy a home property taxes are based on taxable value. If a property is not acquired during that tax year then the increases in taxable value are limited to the lesser of five percent or inflation. So boiling that down in English the first year you buy a home the taxes are based on SEV. The second year the taxable value is SEV plus the lesser of five percent or inflation. Remember inflation on the house can be negative so sometimes taxable value and SEV can go down.
The first year you are taxed on the SEV value and then from then on you are taxed on the taxable value.

The idea of Proposal A was to limit the huge increases in property value so people would not be forced out of their home because it was worth so much. Proposal A would average out the increases in your property tax.
So after the first year the number you need to pay attention to is taxable value. That is how your taxes are determined. The taxable value times your cities millage rate will equal the amount of tax you owe. In a rising real estate market your SEV will be much larger than your taxable value. The reason for that is that taxable value can only increase the lesser of 5% or inflation where SEV is similar to the market value. In most cases if a person has lived in a home for many years the SEV will be much larger than the taxable value.
*Millage rate explanation
*More on Millage rate explanation
*Oakland County Millage rates
*Wayne County Millage Rates
*Livingston County Millage rates
*Michigan Millage Rates
So in order to reduce your taxes you must be able to reduce your State Equalized Value (SEV) below your taxable value or it is not worth fighting for.Fighting your taxes will take time, and maybe a little money. You have to remember the tax system and the municipalities want to keep the taxes as high as possible to keep their revenue up. So sometimes you will not win the tax fight. Sometimes the boards of review are a rubber stamp to say "NO" forcing you to take it to the next higher level. The system is set up to protect the assessment and the burden of proof is upon you. You must get the facts to change your taxes.

For the steps on How to fight your Michigan Property taxes, How to lower your Michigan Property tax assessment feel free to go to my website www.russravary.com and visit my millage rate explanation or fighting Michigan taxes.

Monday, January 7, 2008

Declining market stigma in Metro Detroit

What a beautiful day in the Metro Detroit.. 60 degrees in January. What a few hours and what a change it will be. That sums up the mortgage market from last year to this year. Banks are taking tremendous beatings on foreclosures. I have seen three homes in the last day that the bank is going to lose over a $100,000 on each one. The banks have tighten the guidelines, charging more if you don't have great credit. Now to get the best rate you have to have a 680 credit score or better.
You can still get approved for a mortgage but an 100% mortgage in Metro Detroit is just about gone. Many banks have identified or categorized Southeastern Michigan real estate as a "declining market" What the banks are saying is that homes in Southeastern Michigan are most likely going to continue to go down in price. To protect themselves most banks now won't lend 100% in Michigan because the house may be worth less in a year.
The bottom line is that buyers are going to need to have a down payment if they want to buy a home. Now is the time to start saving for a down payment whether you are thinking of buying next month or next year. The more you save the better your interest rate will be.

If you want more information on mortgages or buying a home go to my website www.russravary.com You can contact me at info@russravary.com or call me on my cell to help me plan your purchase.

Friday, January 4, 2008

Changing Mortgage market

Changing Mortgage market
Everybody knows that the mortgage market is changing, but here is a little update. Most of the banks are now doing even higher "hits" to high loan to value (LTV) loans based on credit scores. Loan to value means how much you owe compared to how much the house is worth. For example if you owe $160,000 and the house is worth $200,000 then your Loan to value (LTV) is 80%. Normally the banks give hits for anything over 80%. The higher the loan the higher the "hit" "Hits" are something most borrowers never even know about, but that is figured into how your rate is determined.
What is new in the last few months is that the lower your credit score the higher the hit. It can affect your rate up to 3/8 of a percent. Now the mortgage market is truly making a difference between good, better, and best credit scores. So it is more important than even for borrowers and consumers to keep on top of their credit.
For more information on mortgages go to my website http://www.russravary.com/ You can search for Novi real estate or Plymouth real estate for free. Or search for any Southeastern Michigan homes for sale without giving any information.