The Federal Housing Administration (FHA), a government insurer of home loans, cut 50 basis points (0.50%) from the annual premium for FHA backed loans with terms greater than 15 years. For most FHA loans this will reduce the annual premium from 1.35 percent of the loan balance to 0.85 percent for case numbers assigned on or after January 26, 2015. This Mortgagee Letter includes a table which Continue Reading

‘Tis the season…to stage with smarts. When a winter listing comes in it usually means the clients are driven by serious urgency. Unfortunately that urgency doesn’t always translate into the best staging decisions. Here are five all-too-common winter staging decisions that can crush a late-year sale and a few suggestions for cutting them off at the pass: 1. Over-Holidaying Yes, we’ve reached Continue Reading

When it comes to obtaining a home loan and being self-employed, the rules of the game have changed in recent years. In this article, we will talk about what it takes in the current market, to obtain a home loan, if you are self-employed. In today's lending environment, almost anyone applying for a loan will have their tax return transcripts verified by the IRS for a new Conventional, FHA or VA Continue Reading

Home buyers are reportedly returning to the market after nearly a year, as mortgage rates mostly stabilize and federal regulators offer up rules that promise to make it easier to get a loan, Reuters reports. Homebuilding giants D.R. Horton Inc. and Toll Brothers Inc. reported this week a sharp rise in new orders that hasn’t been matched since last year. Builders are welcoming the rise, after a Continue Reading

Arizona officials like to tout the state's business friendliness, but, according to Forbes, the state could do better. The venerable magazine listed Arizona No. 22 in its list of best states for business. Not bad – but it certainly could be better. Forbes' annual list was compiled by evaluating 36 data points across six areas: business costs, labor supply, regulatory environment, economic Continue Reading

Veterans Day is an official United States holiday that honors people who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces, also known as veterans. It is a federal holiday that is observed on November 11. It coincides with other holidays such as Armistice Day and Remembrance Day, which are celebrated in other parts of the world and also mark the anniversary of the end of World War I (major hostilities of World Continue Reading

Today, November 4t,  is election day in Arizona. Polling locations are open from 6:00am-7:00pm. Anyone who is in line at a polling location by 7:00pm will be allowed to cast a ballot. Polling locations: Visit the AZSOS.gov to find your polling location. Bring the following to the polls: Voters must provide 1 of the following: 1 piece of identification that has a voter's name, Continue Reading

Just a note to let Arizona know that the USDA has delayed the map revisions until 2015.  They did change the annual fee to .50 from .40 effective 10/1/2015. Continue Reading

Many homeowners who at one point had a short sale or a deed in lieu of foreclosure are now back in the market looking to purchase again, but until now, many of these potential buyers have had issues obtaining new home loans, mainly due to credit reporting errors. First, let's look at the basics when it comes to buying after a new home after a short sale. FHA home loans - the waiting period Continue Reading