I was honored when Jeff Belonger asked me to write this review. I don't consider myself the best writer on ActiveRain but I do have opinions and a wealth of knowledge to share.... So even with my lack of writing skills I have still found my voice here on ActiveRain and am grateful for the small following that I have to date!!
The ActiveRain week in review has become a staple here... yet it seems that the Mortgage content has been lacking. I have heard from many people here that ‘content is king' and that ‘knowledge is power'. Well, what a better way to bone up on your knowledge of the Mortgage Industry and the changes than to have a consistent weekly article summing up all the news that is fit to read about the Mortgage Industry? Hold on to your hats.... And get ready to stay on top of the ‘lending side' of this crazy business.
And what better way to kick off the Week in Review than to feature a Mortgage article written by a Realtor?
CALIFORNIA SUBPRIME BORROWERS MAY GET RELIEF? - More Questions than Answers
Lenn Harley had her hands full with this great article about the very debatable topic of the Subprime Bailout!!
Here's A Concept: Let's Just Do Nothing About the Mortgage Crisis
Janet Guilbault steps up to the plate and says what we are all thinking. Gov't bailout? We don't need no stinking Gov't bailout. The Gov't safety net will NOT affect change.
Hey! My mailman said He Can do My Mortgage, What do you think?
This timeless piece by Thomas Weiss caught my attention because in an ever changing market (especially as volatile as it is right now) who do you trust to process your home loan?
Loan Programs; The Good, The Bad, and The Downright EVIL! Rey "Owes me a Steak Dinner for this feature" Gallegos gives a cliff notes update to what's up in Mortgages.
FHA & First Time Homebuyers -- Buying Steps & Tips that you need to know!!!
And what better way to stay on top of FHA than to subscribe to Jeff Belonger. He even started a group dedicated to the newly rediscovered FHA Loan. Not only are FHA loans relevant.... They are very important right now. http://activerain.com/groups/fhanow
Deal or No Deal? Part One
Mike Mueller explains some misconceptions about the foreclosure situation.
The REAL Skinny on Mortgages
Keith Hoffman explains that there is no free lunch, and that no cost mortgages indeed come with a cost.
Pre-Pay Penalty..Pay it Now? It Might be Worth it
Matthew Blum is ‘Thinking Forward' in this post about Pre-Payment Penalties.
Reasons to Float or Lock
Matthew Rosov discusses locking loans.
FHA Mortgage Reform: Is It Just Another Government Bailout?
Carl Pruitt discusses that subject of FHA bailing out subprime....
Modular, Manufactured or Mobile ---- The Final Word
Joe Adams gives us CLARITY!!! FINALLY!!!
Is a Reverse Mortgage the right decision for you???
Sean Allen & Pilar Lorenzo write about Reverse Mortgages. Content that is becoming more and more relevant every day.
This week was a little light on news with the holidays, but the theme remained the same. More lenders have been writing off losses from their portfolios as foreclosures continue to rise.... With the big numbers coming from the bubble areas like California and Florida.
I expect the bad news to continue and for the media to fan the flames. But there is good news... 100% financing is very much alive and well. And many borrowers with less than perfect credit are still buying homes with great rates. Realtors should sit with their lender partners and learn about the changes and use that knowledge to separate themselves from the masses. Knowledge is power.... And it just might make a difference between earning that buyer's trust over the competition.
The next 3 members :
•1. Sarah Eubanks 11/26/07 through 12/02/07
•2. Bill Nazur 12/03/07 through 12/09/07
•3. Mike Mueller 12/10/07 through 12/16/07
Mortgage blogs by loan officers (Posts) Here is a list of Loan Officers. If you are not listed, please email Jeff Belonger to be added. This way the person doing the Mortgage Pro week in review can try and find most mortgage related posts in one section. ActiveRain is growing rapidly and it is difficult to keep up.... If you think you have been ignored, you have not. This is open to all!!!
MORTGAGE PRO Week in Review A repository for the Mortgage Week in Review.
There will be no recreations of any type regarding the titles or content of this group or Review without the permission and expressed written consent of the Group's founder- Copyright 2007©
Tom Burris
DallasLoanGuy.com
Dallas, TX
"A Home Loan for Every Texan"
http://www.dallasloanguy.com/
Texas Home Loans
I write about Texas Home Loans , live in the Dallas, TX area and lend across the entire Great State of Texas!! Subscribe to my blog and stay informed about current lending changes!!
Well my goodness. I'm in some good company. Thanks for including me in the post. Realtors who hide their head in the sand when it comes time for their buyers to get financing are not doing anyone any favor. Most of the mortgage fraud committed could have been prevented with a good Realtor sitting by the buyer in loan app or review the docs.
That GFE is, to me, a reflection of the honesty and professionalism of the loan officer managing the loan.
Wouldn't miss it for the world. You'd be amazed at some of the things I've seen when buyers come to me already "pre-approved".
By being involved in the loan process, I'm not doing the loan officer's job. I'm doing MY JOB.
Lenn: I agree. There are bad lenders out there.... you should know enough about this biz to steer them away from fraud or bad loans. As long as Realtors aren't trying to tell me what to do, I welcome their concerns.
Tom.... first off, thanks for doing this considering that it was a Thanksgiving holiday. 2nd.... thanks for the plug and lastly, thanks for the mention.
Overall, there are a few that I have not read so I am excited about this. Thanks again for taking the time in doing this. Good job...
Linda: Thank you. I gain a lot from the perspective of others. Even my competitors.
Marchel: As long as you remember that the Lender is a Professional too.... then checking up is ok. I have had some really bad experiences of Realtors flat out calling me a liar or questioning my Pre-Approval when I had a rock solid deal.... and they had NOTHING but suspicion.
Jeff: No problem. I enjoyed it.... I found some stuff tat I would have normally missed. We need a consistent Mortgage Pro Week in Review!!
Marchel: When they don't return phone calls.... hammer their a$$ by calling their boss. THAT is unacceptable!!
Tom
Thanks for doing this.....I've been floating in and out of AR because of the Thanksgiving holiday! This absolutely helps a bundle to have everything aggregated in one area.
Have a great week!
Good Job..Tom..
Nice list of stories.I missed a few of these and will have to go back in to read
Tom,
This is a Great first week in Review, and thanks for mentioning my Post! By the way, Love your name "Tom" Very Catchy ;0)
Tom,
Great job! You've selected a great variety of posts...very educational for all. We need all the updated information we can get in this crazy market.
Nice post Tom:
Thanks for your comments on my blog as well.
Karen: Thank you. It was fun putting this together. Jeff's idea, I just helped out this week.
Bill: The idea is to kep people up to date weekly. This doesn't work if it isn't consistent.
Neal: It was good or me too.... I missed some of these before working on this post.
Matthew: You are welcome.
Tom: Tom's are great, eh?!?!
Trevor: They were always a good option. People think they are hard, they are not.
Cheryl: You are welcome.
Renee: You missed some? Where would you be without me?
Alan: Thanks and you are welcome.
Tom...for mentioning me, and for the time it must've taken to do this...THANK YOU SO MUCH.
I have missed the feature on AR, and will read all of your selections. You should also know it keeps me focused on mortgage blogging. Yes, I am easily distracted by so many other topics, but find no greater inspiration than the reading of other blogs.
Yeah Tom! And a special thanks to Jeff for getting this back off the ground.
I'm on tap for writing the week in review in a couple of weeks so all you mortgage people out there, start working on some good ones! Make my job hard.
Janet: Glad you made the list.
Mike: We should make you job easy.... over the holidays, I had to sort thru a lot of recipes to find good content. LOL
Tom, Thanks for doing this. I am humbled to be mentioned. Thanks Joe
hhhmmmm.... many loan officers in here, but where are the realtors? Whoops, am I speaking my mind again, but also being upfront and honest?.... rut row
And Mike, we could move you to Christmas... lol Maybe there will be a lot of posts on how to decorate a tree or a house. Tom, I agree, I never read so many recipe and turkey day posts... Mike, thanks for the support.
You are welcome Joe
Jeff, it will come. Once this starts being featured weekly and people realize that this is an organized effort by the lenders and not just a one man show. I have spoken to many realtors who want more lending knowledge. And here it is....
Thanks again for coordinating this and for letting me kick it off!!
Great, tool.
Sarah, dear. I am blushing. Thank you!!!!!
Let Jeff know if you get stuck.... I was short a few articles(damn turkey recipes) and he found a couple for me that I missed. I would be GLAD to answer any questions or poke around for articles too....
The search functions here need to get better as we grow.....
Good to know. Thanks. for the info