The Petalumahomes.com Realty WebLog

Monday, January 22, 2007 - By Paul Gores, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
MADISON, WI (MCT) - How homeowners who have adjustable-rate mortgages cope with the coming increase in their monthly payments will play a role in whether consumer spending slows in the new year, the former chief economist for the National Association of […]

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” When my real estate agent turned me over to a loan officer, he said ‘Don’t put Charlie into an ARM (adjustable rate mortgage) involving negative amortization’, and the loan officer said ‘Don’t worry’. I didn’t want to confess my ignorance, but what is negative amortization and why should I be afraid of it?”
Negative amortization […]

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Buying a home is a major achievement in most everyone’s life. Pride of ownership, tax breaks and equity are just a few of the many benefits you’ll enjoy with your new home. Your home purchase may also be one of the largest you will ever make.
During the emotional excitement of buying a home, you […]

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NEW YORK - Q: I hear all the time about the Federal Reserve raising or lowering interest rates. How does that affect the rates I pay for my credit card or the rates I see for car loans?
A: In interest rates, almost everything is relative. With a few exceptions, most rates consumers pay are pegged […]

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Note: This is a very simplified discussion of a very complex topic. Discussion of the intricate relationships involved, and many important factors (market structures, hedging, advance commitments, and others) haven’t been included in the text in order to (hopefully) make it useful to the greatest number of people.
The questions are simple enough: What’s going on […]

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Write-offs. They’re the government’s way of rewarding you when you’ve done something they like. And to judge by the write-offs, the government likes it when you borrow money to buy a house. There are write-offs aplenty, many of which people often forget.
It pays to pay attention—all these write-offs can add up to some serious savings […]

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It’s a very simple equation. The higher your credit score, the better interest rate you will receive as a borrower. The reasoning behind the equation is equally simple – your interest rate not only reflects current market conditions but also your estimated ability to pay back the loan. To a lender, the latter is worth […]

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