The Federal Stimulus Program is a plan enacted by the Obama Administration to get the economy back on track after the housing meltdown in 2008. The component of the Federal Stimulus Program that is relevant to the mortgage industry is HARP (Home Affordable Refinance Program). Although it’s been around for some time, in August 2017 the Federal Housing ... Read More >
Going Live! Effective Social Media Marketing – Part 2
Live Video is a powerful tool to market your brand! You may have seen some of your colleagues doing video marketing on FB! This is a great way to get in front of your audience. You can do it Live on FB or record a video and post to your page just like you would any other post. FB Live Video-in order to maximize the effectiveness of FB live you need to ... Read More >
Effective Social Media Marketing, Part 1
"WISELY CHOOSE THE MARKETING PLATFORM…AS IT IS THE PRIME FACTOR FOR PROMOTION AND SUCCESS OF YOUR BRAND AND ENTERPRISE" With so many choices in social media platforms and so much "advice" on social media marketing it can be overwhelming. To make it easier some experts recommend getting focused first! Consider what your goals are and what you want to ... Read More >
FHA Loan Limits raised January 1, 2018
The housing market has come a long way since the housing crash. How do we know? Because for the second year in a row the FHA loan limits are being raised. Because housing prices continue to rise, the amount needed to purchase a home must rise also. What does this mean to you? It means that your borrowers can purchase a more expensive home with a loan for ... Read More >
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are out of control?
Government Control that is if the Trump administration moves in the direction that is expected. It looks like the Trump administration wants to get Fannie and Freddie out from under government control. In a plan released on Monday, the Trump administration asked Congress to raise the fees they pay on mortgage backed securities by 0.1 percent. If approved ... Read More >
New Loan Limits From the Federal Housing Administration (FHA)
For the second year in a row the Federal Housing Administration, (FHA), announced new loan limits in most areas of the country in 2018. FHA loans are geared toward borrowers that do not have a large down payment on the home they wish to purchase. FHA loans require a minimum of a 3.5 percent down payment on the purchase price of the home. An FHA loan is ... Read More >
Think the government shut down won’t affect you?! Think again.
Aside from the obvious departments and buildings with "non-essential" government workers being shut down, this tug of war between our two political parties will affect anyone seeking a new home mortgage in a tangible way. If the last shut down which occurred in 2013 is any indication the IRS is one of the big agencies that will be that will be ... Read More >
Who cares about the CFPB? We all should!
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is a central part of President Obama’s Wall Street Reforms program which also includes the Federal Stimulus Program. Created in 2011 to police the financial services industry, the CFPB has been in the news again recently due to the controversy surrounding the appointment of a new Director. It’s existence and who runs ... Read More >
