http://www.bankrate.com/default.aspx?pid=p:br3 en-us Copyright 2009, Bankrate Inc. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:29:35 GMT webmaster@bankrate.com (webmaster) http://www.bankrate.com/Images/logos/bankratelogo.gif http://www.bankrate.com/default.aspx?pid=p:br3 118 22 60 Mortgage rates drop to the lowest level in Bankrate survey's 24-year history; Deed for Lease details. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:00:00 GMT http://www.bankrate.com/blogs/mortgages/mortgage-matters.aspx?pid=p:br3 http://www.bankrate.com/blogs/mortgages/mortgage-matters.aspx?pid=p:br3 Congress expands homebuyer tax credit beyond first-timers; Fannie Mae rents out foreclosures. Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:00:00 GMT http://www.bankrate.com/blogs/mortgages/tax-credit-details.aspx?pid=p:br3 http://www.bankrate.com/blogs/mortgages/tax-credit-details.aspx?pid=p:br3 Fed meets this week; the long Thanksgiving break could disrupt first-time homebuyer tax credit. Mon, 02 Nov 2009 11:00:00 GMT http://www.bankrate.com/blogs/mortgages/fed-meets-payment-perspective.aspx?pid=p:br3 http://www.bankrate.com/blogs/mortgages/fed-meets-payment-perspective.aspx?pid=p:br3 Mortgage rates don't move much ahead of Fed meeting; FDIC chairman endorses consumer protection. Sat, 31 Oct 2009 11:00:00 GMT http://www.bankrate.com/blogs/mortgages/rates-wait-on-fed.aspx?pid=p:br3 http://www.bankrate.com/blogs/mortgages/rates-wait-on-fed.aspx?pid=p:br3 Congress works on an extension to the homebuyer tax credit, but will it do any good? Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:00:00 GMT http://www.bankrate.com/blogs/mortgages/preparing-for-another-fix.aspx?pid=p:br3 http://www.bankrate.com/blogs/mortgages/preparing-for-another-fix.aspx?pid=p:br3 Reader asks: Bankers got bailouts; why not homeowners? And Obama seeks extended tax credit. Thu, 29 Oct 2009 15:00:00 GMT http://www.bankrate.com/blogs/mortgages/bailouts-and-tax-breaks.aspx?pid=p:br3 http://www.bankrate.com/blogs/mortgages/bailouts-and-tax-breaks.aspx?pid=p:br3 To understand why a lender won't forgive debt to prevent foreclosure, you must think like a banker. Tue, 27 Oct 2009 14:00:00 GMT http://www.bankrate.com/blogs/mortgages/why-won-t-they-modify.aspx?pid=p:br3 http://www.bankrate.com/blogs/mortgages/why-won-t-they-modify.aspx?pid=p:br3 What's a bifurcated loan and why does it prevent a refi? And when is it OK to walk away? Mon, 26 Oct 2009 11:00:00 GMT http://www.bankrate.com/blogs/mortgages/bifurcation-and-walking-away.aspx?pid=p:br3 http://www.bankrate.com/blogs/mortgages/bifurcation-and-walking-away.aspx?pid=p:br3 Mortgage bankers enter the era of the modification, with reluctance and some cynicism. Wed, 14 Oct 2009 11:00:00 GMT http://www.bankrate.com/blogs/mortgages/land-of-the-mod-people.aspx?pid=p:br3 http://www.bankrate.com/blogs/mortgages/land-of-the-mod-people.aspx?pid=p:br3 If Fannie and Freddie get into warehouse lending, the Big 4 lenders will have stronger rivals. Wed, 07 Oct 2009 11:00:00 GMT http://www.bankrate.com/blogs/mortgages/more-mortgage-competition-coming.aspx?pid=p:br3 http://www.bankrate.com/blogs/mortgages/more-mortgage-competition-coming.aspx?pid=p:br3 Are lenders reneging after borrowers complete trial modifications, sending them into foreclosure? Thu, 01 Oct 2009 11:00:00 GMT http://www.bankrate.com/blogs/mortgages/reneging-on-trial-mods.aspx?pid=p:br3 http://www.bankrate.com/blogs/mortgages/reneging-on-trial-mods.aspx?pid=p:br3 If you're closing on a loan soon, it's a good idea to lock your rate before a Fed announcement. Wed, 23 Sep 2009 11:00:00 GMT http://www.bankrate.com/blogs/mortgages/fed-meets-lock-your-rate.aspx?pid=p:br3 http://www.bankrate.com/blogs/mortgages/fed-meets-lock-your-rate.aspx?pid=p:br3 Taylor, Bean promises to clear up its mess by end of October; FDIC levels hefty fraud accusation. Wed, 16 Sep 2009 13:00:00 GMT http://www.bankrate.com/blogs/mortgages/tbw-relief-in-october.aspx?pid=p:br3 http://www.bankrate.com/blogs/mortgages/tbw-relief-in-october.aspx?pid=p:br3 Taylor, Bean & Whitaker customers get the runaround, fall into a black hole, find insurance unpaid. Tue, 15 Sep 2009 12:45:00 GMT http://www.bankrate.com/blogs/mortgages/taylor-bean-update8-132716.aspx?pid=p:br3 http://www.bankrate.com/blogs/mortgages/taylor-bean-update8-132716.aspx?pid=p:br3 Former Taylor, Bean & Whitaker customers may get replacement checks; mortgage rates prediction. Wed, 09 Sep 2009 13:00:00 GMT http://www.bankrate.com/blogs/mortgages/taylor-bean-update.aspx?pid=p:br3 http://www.bankrate.com/blogs/mortgages/taylor-bean-update.aspx?pid=p:br3 Info on where former Taylor, Bean & Whitaker customers should send payments to; terrible jobs report. Fri, 04 Sep 2009 12:00:00 GMT http://www.bankrate.com/blogs/mortgages/some-taylor-bean-answers.aspx?pid=p:br3 http://www.bankrate.com/blogs/mortgages/some-taylor-bean-answers.aspx?pid=p:br3 Taylor, Bean & Whitaker mixed customers' escrow money with operating funds, then didn't honor checks. Thu, 03 Sep 2009 10:30:00 GMT http://www.bankrate.com/blogs/mortgages/yet-more-about-taylor-bean.aspx?pid=p:br3 http://www.bankrate.com/blogs/mortgages/yet-more-about-taylor-bean.aspx?pid=p:br3 Taylor, Bean & Whitaker customers recount problems resulting from the lender's abrupt closure. Tue, 01 Sep 2009 11:00:00 GMT http://www.bankrate.com/blogs/mortgages/more-about-taylor-bean.aspx?pid=p:br3 http://www.bankrate.com/blogs/mortgages/more-about-taylor-bean.aspx?pid=p:br3 How were borrowers affected by the fall of major lender Taylor, Bean & Whitaker? Fri, 28 Aug 2009 11:00:00 GMT http://www.bankrate.com/blogs/mortgages/tbw-snafu.aspx?pid=p:br3 http://www.bankrate.com/blogs/mortgages/tbw-snafu.aspx?pid=p:br3 A reader gets an earful when she asks how bond prices affect rates. Thu, 20 Aug 2009 11:00:00 GMT http://www.bankrate.com/blogs/mortgages/rates-drop-bond-primer.aspx?pid=p:br3 http://www.bankrate.com/blogs/mortgages/rates-drop-bond-primer.aspx?pid=p:br3 A reader asks: Can unmarried couples each claim the max $8,000 first-time homebuyer tax credit? Wed, 19 Aug 2009 11:00:00 GMT http://www.bankrate.com/blogs/mortgages/double-credit-for-unmarried-homebuyers.aspx?pid=p:br3 http://www.bankrate.com/blogs/mortgages/double-credit-for-unmarried-homebuyers.aspx?pid=p:br3 A mortgage exec goes from pushing subprime loans to defending servicers; buy a house now or wait? Tue, 04 Aug 2009 11:00:00 GMT http://www.bankrate.com/blogs/mortgages/buy-now-or-later.aspx?pid=p:br3 http://www.bankrate.com/blogs/mortgages/buy-now-or-later.aspx?pid=p:br3 Debt forgiveness prevents foreclosure, but servicers rarely do it; NYT looks at mortgage late fees. Thu, 30 Jul 2009 11:00:00 GMT http://www.bankrate.com/blogs/mortgages/forgiving-debt-charging-fees.aspx?pid=p:br3 http://www.bankrate.com/blogs/mortgages/forgiving-debt-charging-fees.aspx?pid=p:br3 Responsible Americans subsidize the feckless, not only with mortgages, but with vehicles, too. Tue, 21 Jul 2009 11:00:00 GMT http://www.bankrate.com/blogs/mortgages/ants-helping-grasshoppers.aspx?pid=p:br3 http://www.bankrate.com/blogs/mortgages/ants-helping-grasshoppers.aspx?pid=p:br3 It took two months and lots of phone calls, but a homeowner pulls off a Home Affordable refinance. Fri, 17 Jul 2009 11:00:00 GMT http://www.bankrate.com/blogs/mortgages/a-successful-mha-refi.aspx?pid=p:br3 http://www.bankrate.com/blogs/mortgages/a-successful-mha-refi.aspx?pid=p:br3 Officials with the Treasury and the Fed say they're doing a hunky-dory job, despite the evidence. Thu, 16 Jul 2009 14:00:00 GMT http://www.bankrate.com/blogs/mortgages/wrong-headed-regulators.aspx?pid=p:br3 http://www.bankrate.com/blogs/mortgages/wrong-headed-regulators.aspx?pid=p:br3 Once a young man in the shadow of young girls in flower, our blogger now predicts mortgage rates. Tue, 14 Jul 2009 11:00:00 GMT http://www.bankrate.com/blogs/mortgages/rate-trends-and-firecrackers.aspx?pid=p:br3 http://www.bankrate.com/blogs/mortgages/rate-trends-and-firecrackers.aspx?pid=p:br3 Do foreclosures result in affordable housing? Are they a problem or a solution, or a bit of both? Mon, 13 Jul 2009 11:00:00 GMT http://www.bankrate.com/blogs/mortgages/foreclosures-let-em-rent.aspx?pid=p:br3 http://www.bankrate.com/blogs/mortgages/foreclosures-let-em-rent.aspx?pid=p:br3 Letting foreclosures happen isn't necessarily the cure for what ails the shattered housing economy. Fri, 10 Jul 2009 11:00:00 GMT http://www.bankrate.com/blogs/mortgages/what-a-writeoff.aspx?pid=p:br3 http://www.bankrate.com/blogs/mortgages/what-a-writeoff.aspx?pid=p:br3 A reader wonders why irresponsible speculators should get mortgage help, while he's stuck renting. Wed, 08 Jul 2009 11:15:00 GMT http://www.bankrate.com/blogs/mortgages/what-about-responsible-people.aspx?pid=p:br3 http://www.bankrate.com/blogs/mortgages/what-about-responsible-people.aspx?pid=p:br3 To keep people from walking away from their mortgages, reduce debt on deeply underwater loans. Mon, 06 Jul 2009 13:00:00 GMT http://www.bankrate.com/blogs/mortgages/try-debt-forgiveness.aspx?pid=p:br3 http://www.bankrate.com/blogs/mortgages/try-debt-forgiveness.aspx?pid=p:br3 The June employment report reveals worse-than-expected job losses, but mortgage rates remain unmoved. Thu, 02 Jul 2009 11:00:00 GMT http://www.bankrate.com/blogs/mortgages/jobs-vanish-rates-stay-stuck.aspx?pid=p:br3 http://www.bankrate.com/blogs/mortgages/jobs-vanish-rates-stay-stuck.aspx?pid=p:br3 Mortgage rates dipped on Thursday, which means that you should at least consider locking. Fri, 26 Jun 2009 12:00:00 GMT http://www.bankrate.com/blogs/mortgages/rates-dip-should-you-lock.aspx?pid=p:br3 http://www.bankrate.com/blogs/mortgages/rates-dip-should-you-lock.aspx?pid=p:br3 Rates rise modestly in Bankrate's survey; conventional wisdom on appraisals is misinformed. Thu, 25 Jun 2009 13:00:00 GMT http://www.bankrate.com/blogs/mortgages/rates-up-appraisals-down.aspx?pid=p:br3 http://www.bankrate.com/blogs/mortgages/rates-up-appraisals-down.aspx?pid=p:br3 Mortgage bond investors are poised to criticize whatever the Fed says today; watch for volatility. Wed, 24 Jun 2009 11:00:00 GMT http://www.bankrate.com/blogs/mortgages/rates-could-be-volatile-today.aspx?pid=p:br3 http://www.bankrate.com/blogs/mortgages/rates-could-be-volatile-today.aspx?pid=p:br3 Why a legal settlement disturbs mortgage brokers, appraisers, Realtors, buyers and sellers. Tue, 23 Jun 2009 15:00:00 GMT http://www.bankrate.com/blogs/mortgages/hvcc-drives-industry-crazy.aspx?pid=p:br3 http://www.bankrate.com/blogs/mortgages/hvcc-drives-industry-crazy.aspx?pid=p:br3 A regulator floats the possibility of allowing people to refinance for more than 105 percent of value. Fri, 19 Jun 2009 11:00:00 GMT http://www.bankrate.com/blogs/mortgages/refi-for-more-than-105.aspx?pid=p:br3 http://www.bankrate.com/blogs/mortgages/refi-for-more-than-105.aspx?pid=p:br3 Obama will propose a new mortgage regulator; real estate honchos seek higher tax credit for buyers. Mon, 15 Jun 2009 16:00:00 GMT http://www.bankrate.com/blogs/mortgages/rates-fall-back-a-little.aspx?pid=p:br3 http://www.bankrate.com/blogs/mortgages/rates-fall-back-a-little.aspx?pid=p:br3 Like a souffle taken out of an oven, mortgage rates are deflating after rising for a long time. Thu, 11 Jun 2009 16:00:00 GMT http://www.bankrate.com/blogs/mortgages/rates-halt-an-up-streak.aspx?pid=p:br3 http://www.bankrate.com/blogs/mortgages/rates-halt-an-up-streak.aspx?pid=p:br3 Mortgage rates have gone up sharply because the May jobs report wasn't as bad as had been feared. Fri, 05 Jun 2009 16:00:00 GMT http://www.bankrate.com/blogs/mortgages/mortgage-rates-rise-on-jobs-report.aspx?pid=p:br3 http://www.bankrate.com/blogs/mortgages/mortgage-rates-rise-on-jobs-report.aspx?pid=p:br3 A hurting homeowner wants a refi, but there's another view; Cyberhomes forecast is a winner. Wed, 03 Jun 2009 11:05:00 GMT http://www.bankrate.com/blogs/mortgages/modification-from-bank-s-perspective.aspx?pid=p:br3 http://www.bankrate.com/blogs/mortgages/modification-from-bank-s-perspective.aspx?pid=p:br3 I use raw info about mortgage bonds as a gauge of direction and speed of rate changes. Mon, 01 Jun 2009 11:00:00 GMT http://www.bankrate.com/blogs/mortgages/getting-timely-rate-info.aspx?pid=p:br3 http://www.bankrate.com/blogs/mortgages/getting-timely-rate-info.aspx?pid=p:br3 A reader outlines what's wrong with the Obama plan; another asks whether to lock or float. Fri, 29 May 2009 11:00:00 GMT http://www.bankrate.com/blogs/mortgages/mha-is-a-fine-mess.aspx?pid=p:br3 http://www.bankrate.com/blogs/mortgages/mha-is-a-fine-mess.aspx?pid=p:br3 Appraisal reform was unnecessary, a broker writes; another lender explains double payments on a refi. Tue, 26 May 2009 14:00:00 GMT http://www.bankrate.com/blogs/mortgages/joke-appraisals-double-payments.aspx?pid=p:br3 http://www.bankrate.com/blogs/mortgages/joke-appraisals-double-payments.aspx?pid=p:br3 Lenders shrug off errors, whether made by themselves or appraisers, leaving borrowers in limbo. Tue, 19 May 2009 14:00:00 GMT http://www.bankrate.com/blogs/mortgages/slow-starts-shrugging-lenders.aspx?pid=p:br3 http://www.bankrate.com/blogs/mortgages/slow-starts-shrugging-lenders.aspx?pid=p:br3 Explaining overlapping interest payments on a refi; complaining about new appraisal rules. Mon, 18 May 2009 14:00:00 GMT http://www.bankrate.com/blogs/mortgages/paying-double-interest.aspx?pid=p:br3 http://www.bankrate.com/blogs/mortgages/paying-double-interest.aspx?pid=p:br3 Dan 1 asks if daily finance charges are legit; Dan 2 wonders why mortgage insurance delays his refi. Fri, 15 May 2009 14:00:00 GMT http://www.bankrate.com/blogs/mortgages/a-tale-of-2-dans.aspx?pid=p:br3 http://www.bankrate.com/blogs/mortgages/a-tale-of-2-dans.aspx?pid=p:br3 A frustrated refinancer asks what pool mortgage insurance is; bankers gloat over defeat of cramdown. Tue, 05 May 2009 11:00:00 GMT http://www.bankrate.com/blogs/mortgages/refinancers-out-of-the-pool.aspx?pid=p:br3 http://www.bankrate.com/blogs/mortgages/refinancers-out-of-the-pool.aspx?pid=p:br3 I help explain the Making Home Affordable plan while one mortgage broker rants on RESPA. Mon, 04 May 2009 14:00:00 GMT http://www.bankrate.com/blogs/mortgages/scarlet-letters-epd-and-respa.aspx?pid=p:br3 http://www.bankrate.com/blogs/mortgages/scarlet-letters-epd-and-respa.aspx?pid=p:br3 I'll turn the mic over to a mortgage broker who is attending the Mortgage Bankers Association's conference. Wed, 29 Apr 2009 14:00:00 GMT http://www.bankrate.com/blogs/mortgages/a-letter-from-washington.aspx?pid=p:br3 http://www.bankrate.com/blogs/mortgages/a-letter-from-washington.aspx?pid=p:br3