Having trouble paying your mortgage? You aren’t alone. According to RealtyTrac, 1 out of every 134 homes filed for foreclosure in the first half of 2007. More and more, though, mortgage companies are doing their best to work things out with delinquent homeowners. Loss of a job or a sudden medical emergency are just some [...]

The stock markets faced large losses last week and the bond market was a beneficiary. That was good news for mortgage rates, but the news could have been better. Unnerved by losses in the sub-prime market, investors are beginning to question the safety of mortgage bonds overall. Once considered a “safe” investment, mortgage bonds may [...]

The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 311.50 points yesterday. On the rankings of Top 10 Daily Losses of All-Time, 311.50 doesn’t even come close, according to djindexes.com (and the charts above) So, as we always do, let’s put yesterday’s action in perspective for the average person. #7 on the “total points” list happened five months [...]

This video from CNBC via YouTube does a terrific job of illustrating how sub-prime mortgage defaults are impacting mortgage rates overall. There’s some jargon in there, but overall, it’s very easy to follow.

June’s Existing Home Sales reported weaker than expected and dropped from prior levels, according to the National Association of REALTORS. Because our country (A) loves to discuss real estate, and (B) loves statistical headlines, expect tomorrow’s newspapers to emblazon one (or both) of these data points on the front page: Home sales are down 3.8% [...]

Mixed news from the sub-prime sector, depending on how you look at it. Many lenders discontinuing their short-term ARM products. Washington Mutual, Countrywide and Wells Fargo are among the sub-prime lenders no longer offering the 2/28 mortgage product. The “2/28″ is a adjustable rate mortgage in which the interest rate remains fixed for two years, [...]

With more ups-and-downs than an elevator, the mortgage market has not been for the faint of heart since March. Last week provided more good news than bad, though, and mortgages rates closed out the week slightly improved overall. The good news for mortgage markets came in three distinct parts: Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke did [...]

If you own a home and somebody else depends on your income, consider that the leading cause of home foreclosures is not “adjustable rate mortgages”. As cited many times over (including by a Harvard law professor), the answer is medical bills. Even for the insured, medical expenses can dramatically impact a family’s finances and push [...]

As homeowners insurance premiums rise across the nation, Bankrate.com writes a helpful story on ways to keep your premiums down. The tips may surprise you. Some of the highlights include: Don’t think a series of small claims is better than one big claim. The smaller clains are more expensive to process for an insurer and [...]

Despite lower prices at the gas pump, the Consumer Price Index increased a little bit more than expected in June. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, CPI rose 0.2% versus the 0.1% expected by economists CPI tries to answer the question “How expensive is everyday life?”. Over the last 12 months, says the government, [...]