Expect to pay higher prices to heat your home this winter
I don't know about you, but it's been cold in my house lately. Still, I've refrained from turning on the heat because it is only September, after all.
View ArticleDeed service charges $69.50; get it yourself for $3
My favorite calls come from astute readers who know a bad deal when it lands in their mailboxes. April Turner of Black Diamond provides this latest consumer alert: an offer from National Deed Service...
View ArticleChecks in the mail for Washington borrowers
About 8,750 Washington borrowers who took out mortgages with Ameriquest should expect to see checks in the mail. The average check is $1,130. The smallest is $47, while the largest check is $7,950.
View ArticleNew lending rules and what it could mean for you
It may be too late for those borrowers who are already in trouble, but the Federal Reserve Board today proposed tighter mortgage lending rules that many say are long overdue.
View ArticleConsumer data sold through “trigger lists”
Ever notice how when you apply for a home loan, you suddenly start getting emails, phone calls and letters with unsolicited competing loan offers? The most disturbing part of it is how much personal...
View ArticleWhere have all the state’s loan officers gone?
When the state of Washington began requiring loan originators to be licensed, it expected the tough requirements to weed out "bad guys."
View ArticleTips for shopping for a mortgage
If you haven't checked it out, I wrote a story today that raises the question of whether mortgage brokers should be legally bound to borrowers. It's inspired a lot of comments and suggestions, and some...
View ArticleNew mortgage protections
While I was on vacation earlier this week, the state Legislature passed some notable consumer protection bills that will help homeowners in the mortgage arena. I'm going to try to recap some of those...
View ArticleDon’t expect lower 30-year mortgage rates
The interest rate on your credit card and your home equity line will probably fall, after the Federal Reserve Bank cut interest rates by three-quarters of a percentage point earlier this week.
View ArticleMortgage fraud on the rise
Add mortgage fraud to the bad news surrounding the nation's housing market. The FBI reports that the number of mortgage fraud "suspicious activity reports" grew 31 percent to 46,717 during the 2007...
View ArticleIs it better to rent or buy?
Is it better to buy or rent? David Leonhardt of the New York Times, a self-professed evangelist for renting, explains why he decided to buy a house and how he used a simple formula to figure it out.
View ArticleMore help for at-risk borrowers
After being criticized for not doing enough fast enough to help homeowners stem foreclosures, a coalition of mortgage lenders and servicers has pledged to do more.
View ArticleRefinancing not always an easy ride
I recently refinanced my mortgage, and I can tell you that I don't ever want to do that again. Even for people who read, read and read the fine print, I found the process to be pretty daunting. Here...
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