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Archive for the ‘va interest rates’ Category

Eligibility and benefits of VA loans

Tuesday, September 7th, 2010

The government tries to provide some benefits to members who serve the country. Among the other benefits that are available, is the department of veteran affairs loan program for home buyers. VA loans are mortgage loans that are designed to offer long term financing to all eligible veterans or their surviving spouses. In case you want a loan from a private lender and things are such that you can’t pay your lender then VA stands behind and guarantees that the lender’s money will be paid.
Not all are eligible for the VA loan. You will be required to have a certificate of eligibility to get a VA loan. The people who are eligible for a VA loan are as follows.

  • Active duty personnel
  • Veterans of different fields
  • Some National Guard members
  • Surviving spouses of persons who have died while on duty
  • The spouses of personnel who are missing in action or taken captive

The VA loan has several advantages over the conventional loan. Some of the benefits of VA loans are as follows :
1. No down payments: Under this program there has to be no money down. The eligible buyers can finance 100 percent of a home’s price without making any down payment. Conventional loans have very high down payment requirements. They at least require 20 percent of the value of the house as down payment. Thus, a lot of people can not afford to take out these conventional loans. The advantage in case of VA loans is that they do not require any down payments.

2. Processed faster: If you are a potential buyer then you must submit your application and request for an appraisal of the property. This should be done before obtaining a VA loan. Some lenders, who have the VA approval for processing automatically, can finalize a loan. They do not need to wait for VA to review the application or the appraisal.

3. Protection of the lender: The VA guarantees that it will provide repayment of the loan in case the borrower can’t. Thus, the lender is safe from any loss in the event of the borrower not being able to pay. This attracts the lenders and so they help veteran buyers in getting better loans.

4. Lowers cost of the buyer:
In case of the VA loan the funding fee is approximately between half and 3.3 percent. This may be included in the loan or is supposed to be paid out–of–pocket. The loan is designed in such a way that it is meant to reduce the cost for the buyer.

5. Flexible loan:
These VA mortgage loans are not only for purchasing homes. They can also be used to build a new house or buy land. You may also take the loan out to make improvements to an already existing house. Thus, there is flexibility when it comes to VA loans.

VA loans with Wells Fargo should be streamlined with Flagship Financial

Wednesday, September 1st, 2010

Something that most military home owners are not aware of is that brokers or mortgage companies that have access to wholesale rates sheets can get them a much lower rate than if they (Veteran) were to call Wells Fargo themselves.  This may not make a lot of sense on the surface but if you have ever shopped at Costco or Sam’s club then this example may help.

Wells Fargo VA Streamline Banner

Why can Costco sell you a bottle of shampoo cheaper than if you were to go directly to lets say Johnson and Johnson’s website and buy it directly from the supplier?  The answer is simple.  Costco has negotiated huge discounts due to the volume of shampoo they buy, due to the fact that they (costco) spend money marketing and selling the shampoo and now this is money that Johnson and Johnson will not have to pay to move their product.

VA mortgage loans are very similar.  Wells Fargo of course has its own loan officers, branches and offices and is certainly willing to do their own loans through what is referred to as a “retail channel.”  A retail location is like the Wells Fargo bank on the corner or in the shopping plaza.  If you were to call Wells Fargo directly as a consumer you will work with their retail division and get great service and decent rates.  However, if you call Flagship or any other broker that has access to Wells Fargo’s wholesale rates, you will get a much lower rate.

I am not a veteran and do not have a VA loan of course.  My entire mortgage profession has been spent working on VA loans and assisting military families with their home loans.  The other day Wells Fargo contacted me directly because I have a loan with them on a rental property of mine and they asked me if I wanted to refinance.  I will keep this story short, but the rep at Wells when I showed him what wholesale rates I could get on my own, simply told me he could not compete and I should do it myself.  Here is an excerpt from that email:

I understand……what you saying is that wholesale is at a price of 104.00 ( i assume they want to get paid) so they can give you 3 points….and we are at 101.00…..

My manager has been with Wells for 15 years and he says there is no way we can be 3 points away from wholesale, but you know what your doing and if you can get it I would jump on it too..

So for those of you with VA loans at Wells Fargo what does this mean to you?  I am not trying to suggest that Wells Fargo is ripping you off or that you should not refinance straight through the retail loan officer, but I do want to make you aware of your options and suggest seeing what Wells Fargo can do for you and then contacting Flagship Financial or another broker and see what they can do for you.

There has never been a better time than now to streamline your VA loan and take advantage of seriously low VA interest rates.  Flagship Financial is dedicated to assisting you with any VA home loan questions you may have.

Wells Fargo VA Streamline Banner

Veteran should refinance VA loans now

Friday, August 20th, 2010

Why Refinance Now?

In general  VA Loan rates are  lower than that of a conventional loan. Many people, seeing the economy the way that it is start to shop and wonder if the rates are going to keep dropping. The question has been asked various times if now is the best time to refinance. After having been in the business for many years and having dealt with only VA Loans, I would say yes, now is the time to refinance a VA loan.

The VA Streamline refinance is a very simple process and only takes us about 3-4 weeks to close. If you are wondering what a refinance at this time can do for you here is a list of four great things a VA Refinance can do for you:

Lower your monthly payment
The rates on a VA Loan are as low as ever depending on loan size and state we can get our Veterans or Active Military rates as low as 3%. Simply exchanging a higher interest rate for a lower one could reduce your monthly mortgage payment by hundreds of dollars. If you decide not to refinance the savings that you could have will just go into the banks pocket instead of your own.
Stabilize your mortgage rate
If you already have an adjustable rate mortgage and your initial interest rate period is about to end, you can refinance to a fixed-rate that may save you money over time. The interest rate on an adjustable-rate mortgage can keep climbing. A fixed-rate loan takes the guesswork out of budgeting, giving more peace of mind that your payment will never go up.
More cash in your pocket
You can get funds by doing a cash-out refinancing, where you can draw on your home’s equity by borrowing more than you currently owe. It can be cheaper than taking a home equity loan or second mortgage, which generally carry higher interest rates. With the VA Streamline refinance you are also able to defer 2 monthly payments after close, as well as receive the amount in your escrow account back.
Eliminate Debt
If you have enough equity in your home to cover your other debts, refinancing to get the cash may work to your advantage. With the money that you save from the 2 deferred payments you will also be able to payoff credit cards or other debt that has higher interest rates. You will be able to become debt free and save hundreds of dollars that you would of paid in interest otherwise.

Military VA Loan Holders Have Never Had an Opportunity in History Like They do Now

Monday, August 9th, 2010

I began doing VA streamline loans for military home owner in the fall of 1997.  At this time, I was attending college and simply wanted a part-time job that I can feel good about and it would also allow me to make a reasonable income.  A friend of mine, was working at a mortgage company that focused their efforts on veterans and a special type of loan for these military homeowners.  My first day of work I was given a sheet of paper full of phone numbers and was asked to start dialing as many veteran homeowners as possible.  Basically, at this time VA interest rates have recently come off of some of their highest levels in years and the mortgage industry was very under regulated and here I was at a company that was offering streamline refinances to almost anybody with a VA loan and a heart beat.  See a great video here on this subject!

Fast forward now almost 15 years later and I am still doing home loans for nation’s finest; military homeowners.  Today however, our mortgage industry is being regulated to the extreme and banks are making it more and more difficult for those of you with VA loans to take advantage of these historic interest rates.  I am not passing all the blame onto banks.  As someone who has worked in the mortgage industry for the past 15 years I realize the industry needed overhaul, regulation, and change.  However, as is typical we have now seen a knee-jerk reaction and over correction making it very difficult for some of the most deserving borrowers to take advantage of these historically low interest rates.

Since my beginning in 1997 I have participated in 4 or 5 what we like to call “refi booms.”  A refi boom is a time where almost anyone with a loan is looking to refinance and almost everyone can benefit from that refinance.  The situation we currently have in front of us here in the United States is one that I would have bet my entire career against.  For years there have been home owners not taking advantage of low interest rates during our refi booms and their rationale or reasoning at that time was that they knew interest rates would go lower.  I thought they were all crazy and to be quite honest some even ignorant.

I had conversation after conversation with military families that told me they were not interested in saving $200 a month for one reason or the other.  As a loan officer nothing frustrated me more than hearing someone that did not think it was worth their time, some costs and some energy to save $200 or more a month, not to mention hundreds of thousands over the long haul.

Some of the most common reasons I would hear as to why a VA loan holder would not want to streamline refinance are:

  • The closing costs hurt my equity
  • I’m not saving enough
  • I think rates will go lower
  • I don’t want to start over on a new 30 year loan
  • and the list would go on an one

I am here today to tell you that if you are a veteran or military home owner and you have an interest rate at 4.75% fixed or higher or any type of adjustable rate or hybrid arm, THAT YOU NEED TO REFINANCE NOW!

You may be saying, “Eric you are admitting in this post that you were wrong before and that those that waited to refinance were right.”  THIS IS NOT WHAT I AM SAYING. Those families that refinanced along the way have saved way more money by taking advantage all the way along the drop.  It is the families that waited that may at this time be just S.O.L.

Those families that waited do not have access to the same easy VA streamline loans that they could have had years ago.  Just two years ago your home’s value (appraisal) was not needed, you did not have to have a FICO or credit score looked at, you did not have to be employed, and this list goes on and on.  So for the many families that waited, congratulations YOU WERE RIGHT, rates have gone lower, but for those same families that can NOT TAKE ADVANTAGE now I am sorry.

As a VA mortgage insider I am here to tell you at the rate that VA loans are changing, it is a matter of time and very little time until there are no longer VA streamline loans available.  I think this is a tragedy to our military, but it is the world we live in today.

Who cares if rates may be going even lower?  All of the reasons NOT TO DO A VA Streamline in the past are now gone.  Let’s revisit them:

  • The closing costs hurt my equity
  • I’m not saving enough
  • I think rates will go lower
  • I don’t want to start over on a new 30 year loan
  • The closing costs hurt my equity.

    NO CLOSING COST VA LOANS are the majority of the loans we are doing now.  Seriously NO COST LOANS.  (see video here).  Do you really have any equity left anyway?

    I’m not saving enough.

    We are in what some tend to compare to the Great Depression #2 and if a couple hundred bucks a month is not worth it to you now, then it will never be.  I also want to remind you that when you do a VA streamline loan you get to postpone two mortgage payments and get a cash refund of your current escrow balance, thus putting immediate money in your pockets.

    I think rates will go lower

    You are just plane gambling and should mortgage your whole house and go to Vegas if you think this.  Suppose they do go lower, have you really lost by taking current rates that are the lowest they have been on record?

    I don’t want to start over on a new 30 year loan

    We have been offering 25 and 20 year loans at a pace never before seen.  Because rates have gone so low on VA loans, we see people taking a 25 or 20 year loan and still saving money each month!

    Dear VA home owners, please for the love of whatever you cherish, contact us now and at least look into the VA streamline loan.  I seriously have never been a part of an opportunity like we see now and am very weary that it will ever come around again!

    True NO Cost VA Streamline Loans are Easier Than Ever

    Thursday, July 22nd, 2010

    image

    It is absolutely insane how low VA interest rates have gotten.  I have been doing VA streamline loans for the past 15 years and though YES it is tougher to do a VA streamline loan today than it was yesterday, VA interest rates are so low that I, an industry veteran would have bet the farm that they would never have gotten this low!  For years, in order to take advantage of the absolute LOWEST Rates possible, you would have to pay points and closing costs.  In essence this is not a bad thing, and we have posts that explain why paying closing costs actually makes sense.  However, due to some recent changes in the law and what VA lenders want, many VA loan officers cannot charge some of the fees that they used to be able to charge.

    If you have not refinanced before due to closing costs I promise you that you should contact a VA loan officer immediately or apply online at LowVARates immediately to take advantage of this unique situation you have.  Because VA interest rates can change daily I am always hesitant to quote rates but would like to give you a range of what VA loan officers that I know are quoting today:

    4.25% 30 yr fixed with little to no points

    4.5% with no Lender fees at all

    4.75 true NO COST loans.

    The VA hybrid rates are around 3.25%

    Please do yourself a favor and take advantage of the VA streamline loan which today is truly your diamond in the rough.  Our economy sucks, it really does and I know it will get better, but until then all military home owners with a VA loan should refinance now.

    If your current rate is at 4.75% or higher there is no reason to not take advantage of the no cost or no point VA refinance loan.

    THE TOP 3 REASONS TO DO A VA STREAMLINE REFINANCE

    Thursday, July 8th, 2010

    Here are 3 reasons to use the VA streamline loan

    1. Lower Interest rate with no new appraisal required. As long as a veteran currently has a VA home loan and has made their mortgage payments on time, they are eligible to refinance their loan without a new appraisal. This will save a veteran homeowner up to $450 just for the appraisal fee. In this current economic downturn with home values dropping as much as they have, this is a great benefit. Also, interest rates are at all time lows right now.
    2. Defer up to 2 payments. The VA will allow a borrower to defer up to 2 payments with a VA Streamline refinance. With these 2 deferred payments a borrower can pay down other higher interest bearing debt that they may have, they can apply it to their new mortgage when the first payment comes due to reduce the principal amount of the new loan or they can put it into savings and hold onto it. In today’s poor economic environment many VA homeowner’s are excited to be able to defer these payments to allow them to get caught up with the ever increasing cost of living.
    3. Do not have to re-qualify for the refinance. Another great benefit of the VA Streamline refinance is that you do not have to income qualify again. You also don’t have to show employment or assets. As long as you have made your payments on time and currently have a VA loan you would be eligible. Because we don’t have to look at your income and assets again it’s a much quicker process. It usually take between 2-3 weeks from start to finish.

    NOW IS THE TIME TO REFINANCE VA STREAMLINE

    Friday, July 2nd, 2010

    Perhaps you have heard about VA interest rates and how CRAZY low they are?  If not here is your notice!!!

    For decades the VA has offered a VA streamline refinance for those who currently have a VA loan.

    Here are the benefits!!!

    1.  No appraisal- a huge benefit, even if you are upside down in a house at this moment, refinancing could make sense if you are planning on being there long term.  You will save on interest and as the housing market rebounds so will your values.

    2.  No income qualifying-  that is correct no income is necessary sounds too good to be true almost, but that is the way the VA has set it up for over a decade.  No asset verification either.

    3.  “Skip” payments-  Defer is the real word, but when you refi on a streamline- you defer two monthly payments, for example right now folks who are sending me their loan papers are not going to make August or September’s payments.  That is a function of how mortgages are paid in this country, in arrears.

    4.  Escrow refund-  when the old higher rate loan is paid off, whatever is left in the escrow account of that old loan, that money is refunded to the homeowner.  For example lets say you are with ABC Bank.  When we pay them off in August, they have 30 days to return the $3200 that was in the escrow account that had be used to pay the annual taxes and homeowners insurance.

    5.  A lower payment!  Isn’t that the ultimate goal of a refinance?   With rates currently at 3.25% and up on the VA’s hybrid and fixed rates at all time lows 4.25% now is the time to refi.

    Don’t wait around to see what happens, we hear that all the time, and the time now is to act.  Take the bull by the horns, be a true American this 4th of July and take charge and stop overpaying for your house and mortgage.

    There is absolutely no reason to pay more!   You wouldn’t walk into the grocery store and pay $1 more for a gallon of milk….would you?  I didn’t think so.  Don’t do it on your home loan either.

    A va rate reduction loan may be right for you

    Monday, June 28th, 2010

    If you are trying to make ends meet and just need a little help and have a VA loan then a va rate reduction loan may be perfect for you.   A va rate reduction loan allows you to lower your interest rate with out paying any money out of your pocket.  All of the fees are included in the new loan and there are no appraisals or credit reports required.  The lender may want one but they are not required.  You will be able to benefit from having a va rate reduction loan because it will lower how much you are paying every month.  You will not get to get cash upfront but it will help you to be able to pay the other bills or just give you a little cushion each month.  In order to qualify for a va rate reduction loan you must already have a va loan in place.  When attempting to get this you should check with different lenders so that you are ensured that you are getting the best rate possible.  The interest rate must be less then the interest rate you are currently paying in order to qualify for a va rate reduction loan.

    VA Loan Types

    Thursday, May 6th, 2010

    Veteran Mortgage loans vary in form and length. The type of VA mortgage loan an individual selects will vary according to an individuals needs.

    Here is a quick overview of some of the types of VA loans:

    Fixed Rate- Fixed interest rate home mortgage loan offers a borrower to lock a certain interest rate for the life of their loan, unless the borrower chooses to refinance. The interest rate for the loan never changes no matter what is happening in the market. This gives a borrower a sense of comfort from a fluctuating market.

    Advantages: Even if interest rates rise, you can keep your interest rate.

    Disadvantage: If interest rates go down, your rate stays the same.

    Term of Fixed Rate loans: Fixed VA mortgage rates are available for 40, 30, 25, 20, 15 and 10 years. Usually, the shorter the term of the loan the lower the interest rates. Longer term VA loans can be easier to get because a borrower does not need as much income. The most common fixed rate loan lengths are 30 and 15 year loans.

    30 Year Loan: This is the most popular mortgage. Monthly payments are low since the life of the loan is long, but because of this their will be more interest over the life of the loan.

    15 Year Loan: This loan life is shorter, resulting in a borrower owning their house quicker. A 15 year loan usually has a lower interest rate, but higher monthly payments.

    Adjustable Rate (ARM) – Adjustable rate mortgages, VA Hybrid ARM, or Variable rate mortgages are loans where the interest rate adjusts based on indexes and or prime rates. With a variable rate the interest is tied into the lending institutions prime rate. Interest rates can vary from month to month. While the payment remains and only fluctuates slightly, the amount applied to the principle can change regularly. Typically lenders will set a cap for how high the interest can reach annually. Because of the flexibility, Adjustable Rate Mortgages often are less expensive than fixed rate mortgages.

    Advantages: If you are going to be only staying in your home a short time an ARM is great since a borrower is able to exploit lower interest rates. Variable rate mortgages are also great if a borrower believes that interest rates will lower soon.

    Disadvantages: It can be frustrating having your rate change sometimes month to month. If the market is bad, a borrower’s rate will be bad.

    Terms of Variable Rate Mortgage or ARM- The term for ARM is usually 1, 3, 5, 7 year terms.

    Hybrid Adjustable Rate Loan or Hybrid ARM- A hybrid ARM features an interest rate that is fixed after an initial period but then acts like an ARM thereafter. It hybrids together both a fixed rate and an Adjustable rate mortgage.

    Advantages: Hybrids are the best of both worlds, getting a fixed rate at first but than later having more flexibility with the Adjustable Rate. Hybrids are particularly great if a borrower will not be staying in their home long.

    Disadvantages: They have the disadvantages of both a fixed and an adjustable rate.

    Term of Hybrid ARMS: Hybrid ARMS term is referred to first by the fixed amount rate and than the adjustable amount rate periods. For example ARM 3/1 is a fixed mortgage rate for 3 years and an adjustable rate for 1 year. The date the fixed rate switched to the adjustable rate is known as a reset date. A Hybrid ARM transfer some interest rate risk from the lender to the borrower allowing for lower interest rates.

    VA Jumbo Mortgages- A jumbo mortgage is a mortgage that is higher than the typical loan amount. Jumbo loans may have a higher interest rate and different requirements for down payments than smaller home loans due to different underwriting requirements. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac set standard for the maximum amount of a loan before it is considered Jumbo. The current limit is 417,000. Any home that costs more than 417,000 would be considered a Jumbo loan. With Jumbo loans Veterans will need to pay 25% on any amount over $417,000. Here is an example of how a jumbo loan works. A Veteran finds a home for 600,000. His maximum VA home amount is 417,000 with a $0 down payment. The Veteran pays 25% of 183,000 or 45,750. This amount acts in many ways similar to a down payment. Jumbo loans are required if you want to buy a more expensive home because lenders feel a greater risk.

    How about the VA Cash Out Loan / Debt Consolidation Loan?

    Thursday, April 22nd, 2010

    In recent years many financial advisors have risen to prominence, perhaps as a direct result of the advent of more easily obtained credit, followed by the oppressive “Debt Culture” that now manifests as one of the worst recessions on record. And while the specific debt management and wealth building strategies made popular by Suze Orman, Dave Ramsey, Robert Kiyosaki or any of the other financial gurus out there vary distinctly, there is one fundamental financial strategy that they all seem to agree on; moving higher interest rate debt into lower interest rate debt saves money. In keeping with this fundamental tenet of financial freedom, if we can agree that ultimately what matters most is how much money comes in each month and how much goes out, then even if you currently have a fantastically low rate on your VA home mortgage, if you also carry balances on revolving debt (credit cards, lines of credit, etc.) at a higher interest rate than your VA mortgage, it may be time to consider a VA Debt Consolidation Loan or “Cash Out” refinance.

    The VA Cash Out refinance can best be describe as a VA guaranteed refinance program for borrowers with existing VA mortgages OR those in conventional (non-VA) loans with existing eligibility. Because the loan, by definition requires the increase of the loan amount due to the rolling in of debt, it requires qualification similar to a full “documentation” loan similar to the VA purchase loan. This includes considering:

    · Appraised Value / LTV (Loan to Value = the appraised value of the home / loan balance)

    · Credit Scores & Debt Obligations (How much of your income is spoken for each month by credit payments, etc)

    · Income (Do you have steady employment over the last two years? What is your gross household income?)

    · Assets (Do you have any liquid / semi-liquid savings of any kind that prove your ability to save?)

    If these basic requirements can be satisfied, the VA will guarantee loans up to 100% of the value of the home, though (currently) most lenders will not lend beyond 90% Loan to Value. The benefits are obvious, including the following:

    · Debt Consolidation

    · Home Improvement

    · Competitive Rates, Favorable Terms,

    · No Mortgage Insurance, even if you borrow over the customary threshold of 80% of your homes value.

    · Defer mortgage payments and receive an escrow refund to free up immediate cash before making first payment

    · Retaining VA loan status gives borrowers ability to take advantage of VA Streamline Refinance (IRRRL) if rates drop.

    I recently closed on a VA debt consolidation loan for a veteran who had the following scenario:

    · $225,000 VA Mortgage at 4.5% with a payment of $1600 per month (including taxes and insurance)

    · Credit Card debt, totaling (over 5 cards) $32,000 and costing him $850 a month in minimum payments

    · Income of $5500 a month with debt obligations totaling $2400 per month

    At first, this borrower seemed fundamentally opposed to the idea of refinancing his mortgage, citing the fact that he had secured a 30yr fixed rate that he believed he would never be able to acquire again since rates had risen. He became much more receptive once I pointed out that it made no sense for him to have a mortgage of $225,000 costing $1600 a month when his credit payments on $32,000 were totaling more than half his mortgage payment and (unlike the mortgage) brought him no closer to paying down the balances.

    Once we were able to get all the documentation settled, I was able help this veteran roll in all of his credit debt, and get additional money out for a home improvement project he had been considering. All told, when everything was said and done, we had helped him get into a loan at $270,000 on a fixed rate with payments at $1850 per month – a permanent savings of $550 per month. Over the life of the loan this will translate into a savings of $198,000.

    Though I suspect the savings reflected in the above example might be the most compelling way to close out this post, I will instead end with an invitation. If you are a veteran homeowner and would like to know if there is any possibility that a refinance like this can help you save money, don’t hesitate to call James Shergill at 877-698-2482 to find out more. At the very least you will emerge from our brief discussion with a clearer understanding of your options. At best, you will save a great deal of money and take a giant leap forward toward financial freedom.