Reverse Mortgages in Orange County – Love it or Leave it?
We’ve all heard good and bad about the reverse mortgage market, so today I went to a class given by Dirk Pierce with Retirement Funding Solutions at the OC Register building to find out more information. Knowledge is power, right?! Plus it’s not fair to form an opinion about something until the proper research and due diligence is done.
What is a Reverse Mortgage?
Basically, a reverse mortgage lets homeowners convert a portion of the equity in their homes into cash, and eliminate their monthly mortgage payments.
Interestingly enough, Reverse Mortgages are over 100 years old, and they are also available in Britain, Chile, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, and Korea. They were designed to help people who where house rich and cash poor, and were also known as ‘shared equity’. Fast forward to 1989, and Ronald Reagan helped to create the first government regulated Reverse Mortgage plans under the FHA umbrella.
Another variation of a reverse mortgage is HECM for Purchase; both share similiar features:
- Both are FHA
- Neither have monthly payment requirements
- Both offer adjustable or fixed rates
You’ll use HECM for purchase when you are planning to buy a new property, for example to downsize, etc. Reverse Mortgage is when you stay in your existing home, and simply refinance.
HECM for purchase is an FHA loan that enables a person age 62+ to purchase a home with as little as 40% to 51% down and never make monthly mortgage payments. So basically you can get a 500K home for 250K and never make payments if you meet the age requirements. BUT….interest still accrues on your mortgage balance. The nice thing about the programs is they come with the following protections:
- Guarantee that FHA will honor the terms of the loan if the lender becomes insolvent
- Guarantee that you would never owe more than the house was worth
- Guarantee that there is no personal liability for repayment of the loan by you or your heirs. It is truly a non-recourse loan.
- Guarantees that the loan won’t become due until the last remaining borrower leaves the home.
Frequently there is remaining equity in the home…what happens with that? After the home is sold, any remaining equity goes to the heirs.
Do you qualify for a reverse mortgage?
- minimal credit requirements
- minimal debt to income ratios
What types of properties are allowed?
- single family
- PUD
- 1-4 unit property
- FHA approved condo
- new construction
- NOT second homes or investment properties, sorry!
More reverse mortgage facts:
- Only YOUR name is on the title, so don’t believe the rumors that the bank is on title.
- The loan becomes due when the last remaining borrower leaves the home.
- You can sell whenever you want to, and they do not have a prepayment penalty.
- Family has up to a year to either refinance your property with a normal mortgage or sell it before the loan is officially due.
Reverse Mortgages are all age based, so contact Dirk today if you’d like a chart to see what your down payment would be at your age. Want to learn more? Register for his class at http://www.OCHomeFair.com on Jan 30th, 2016.
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )Do You Qualify for a Loan Modification?
I’m astounded at how many Orange County homeowners qualify for a loan modification. And I’m even more astounded that they never seize the opportunity, generally because there’s so much misinformation floating around. As a result, hundreds of distressed 
homeowners never get the help they need. Mike Hatcher, seasoned modification advisor with the Ascent Network, is here again to offer a wealth of valuable insights —
The best thing I can do is clear away all the debris of misinformation. So, in no particular order, here’s a list of GREAT loan modification candidates:
- Those yearning to save an average of $1,000 a month — our average improvement.
- Those with W2 income between $40k-$130k. Or the self employed, who usually don’t qualify for a refinance. We are 99% successful securing modifications for this group.
- Those who never “rob Peter to pay Paul” in order to cover the bills.
- Those who have perfect payment records but wonder how long they can afford to make their payments.
- Those in default and are 14 days from a foreclosure sale on their property.
- People worried sleepless because they fear losing their home and fear seeking help. This reluctance typically is the result of mass misinformation.
- Those who want to shoot their spouse (or realtor) for deciding to purchase the house back in the mid-2000s.
- Individuals seeking a long-term mortgage solution with a fixed rate.
- Those who realize that renting ultimately costs more, don’t want to pay for or expend the energy for a move, and don’t want to live in someone else’s rental property.
- Those who fail to qualify with their lender, or are given a token $30-$100 monthly savings modification as a consolation prize.
Quite a list, with more than a few surprises, eh? So, are you ready to learn how a loan modification can put $1,000 extra in your pocket every month? Just call Mike at 877.871.2400 x15. You’ll be amazed at how simple it is to cast your financial worries to the wind.
And, of course, if you’d like to learn more about the variety of opportunities the Orange County real estate market offers, I’ll be delighted to help. Just call, tweet, or email me at 949.338.7408, @AngieWeeks, @WeeksTeam, or angie@askangie.com. I’m ready to assist you in any way I can.
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )Fighting Foreclosure in Orange County
The present foreclosure stats tell a grim story. Hard-working folks are losing their homes in alarming numbers. Fortunately, people facing foreclosure in Orange County are not as defenseless as they think. That’s why I’ve started this informative new blog series — Fighting Foreclosure. It’s all about helping people discover the options and resources they have when facing the prospect of losing their home.
The series kicks off with some valuable information from Shaun Smith, a specialist in foreclosure delay in Orange County. According to Shaun, the first thing you should understand is that banks don’t actually carry out the foreclosure action. They appoint a trustee to do the dirty work, including getting your home sold at auction. Now here’s the really crazy part. Unlike other states, California has no judicial-monitoring system in place to oversee trustee actions. So guess what? In order to expedite the process and maximize both bank and personal benefits, trustees invariably commit violations. Sometimes a lot of them. And who loses? Of course — the beleaguered homeowner.
Shaun’s service, Mortgage Crisis Remedies, combats these abuses and basically buys the homeowner time so they can remedy their non-performing loan. That could mean everything from continuing with a loan modification, short sale, or walking away with the cleanest possible credit record.
How does Shaun’s service accomplish all of this? By conducting in-depth investigations to discover trustee violations, then offering the trustee the choice of either delaying the home sale or facing sanctions that would result in loss of license. And guess what? That’s right. In a supreme act of self-preservation, the trustee invariably postpones the sale — usually by 1-4 months. This gives the homeowner leverage to bring the bank back to the negotiating table. In a nutshell, Shaun ensures that all legal requirements are met before the house is sold. A judge sure isn’t going to do it.
If you’d like to learn more about foreclosure delay in Orange County, Shaun or any team member on our TEN Dimensions team will be happy to help. Reach out to him at 949.241.0218 or shaun@mortgagecrisisremedies.com. And breath a lot easier.
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )Orange County Foreclosure Help – TEN Dimensions Team
Pull Yourself Out of Foreclosure Chaos
The prospect of foreclosure typically whips up a whirlpool of financial and emotional woes for homeowners facing this very stressful scenario. More often than not, folks caught in the swirl of foreclosure chaos feel overwhelmed, out of control, and hopelessly trapped. 
Fortunately, we at Weeks Team understand the excruciating trials and tribulations that those confronting the foreclosure beast experience. That’s why we’ve put together a powerful team of Orange County short sale specialists who can help you pull yourself out of foreclosure chaos. As you’ll see, each member of this carefully-selected team is an expert in his or her particular field. As such, they have the knowledge and skill to guide you to your best course of action, whether that means bankruptcy, loan consolidation, or short selling your home.
Orange County’s Premier Foreclosure Help Team:
Cindy Logan – Short Sale Investor
949-433-7187
www.reinvestorsolutions.com/clogan/
Cindy@Investthebestway.com
Shaun Smith – Foreclosure Delay Specialist
Phone: 949-241-0218
Fax: 866-798-4192
www.mortgagecrisisremedies.com
shaun@mortgagecrisisremedies.com
John Harris – Debt Settlement
Phone: 949-202-7305
Fax: 949-270-7557
www.usdebteliminators.com
john@usdebteliminators.com
Mike Langle – Title, Liens, and Related Issues
Phone: 949-300-5373
www.Title365.com
Mike@Langgle.com
Steve Fink – Real Estate Attorney
Phone: 949- 637-0871
www.falawyers.com
sfink@falawyers.com
The Weeks Team is Ready to Help
If you or somebody you know is struggling with a mortgage or with house payments, call the Weeks Team at 888-281-7665 x2. We’ll be happy to direct you to the right TEN Dimensions team member who can provide a speedy solution to and welcome relief from your foreclosure woes. Or if you would like to receive our package of resources, feel free to email us your address or that of a friend or family member who can benefit from our services. We look forward to helping in any way we can.
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )
Orange County Real Estate Success 