Potential Jumbo Refinancing Candidates

So, if you pay attention to this blog, you know that interest rates have popped up from their mind-boggling lows…

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The Home Valuation Code of Conduct

Well, its finally here. the HVCC! (it stands for Home Valuation Code of Conduct) What does this mean? Well it…

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What is a Mortgage? (Probably more than what you think)

Time to break things way down.  Let’s deconstruct what exactly it is we’re dealing with here in the mortgage industry….

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Get Tax Credit Sooner Than Now!

I just read this blurb over the newswire and thought it merited a blogpost. Shaun Donovan, secretary of the U.S….

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Loan Modification: Buyer Beware

I am very dubious about this new “loan modification” industry that is cropping up nationwide. It would seem that some…

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What is Correspondent Lending?

I’ll try to make this brief, because this is kind of a boring topic, but a very important one if…

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2010 Mortgage Rates Prediction

Ok, I’m just going to go out there and do it. This is what the internet is all about right? People getting out there and putting out opinion and information and hoping that it gets read. Perhaps I could drive more traffic to my site if my views were more extreme! Well, I will start …

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Escrow Holdback Season Starts NOW

OK! A strange phenomenon is taking hold of the Portland metro area real estate closing statments: ESCROW HOLDBACKS! Oregon is a little different in the way we collect our property taxes- we only do it ONCE per year, due in November. For all closings in September, and October most title companies require a huge reserve account to be collected …

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Two Portland Mortgage Success Stories

It has been a very busy time for us at Mortgage Trust. Rates are super low and holding steady, and the window for that $8,000.00 tax credit is fast closing. Affordability is rising across the board, and the annual end of summer real estate frenzy/climax is upon us. I wanted to take a moment to highlight …

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Multi-generational living: buying a house with co-signers

Buying a house with family members as co-signer can often improve your outcome! I recently had the privilege of advising a family in purchasing a home in Portland. My main borrower was a first-time home buyer, but he was assisted by his wife’s parents! The scenario was as follows: the wife was a …

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