Financially challenged homeowners who are at risk of losing their homes can now rely on The Foreclosure Defense Group (FDG), a Rosemont, Ill.-based firm that matches clients to attorneys who can fight lenders in court and work to completely

The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) today released its Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending October 15, 2010. The Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, decreased 10.5 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis from

For this issue’s Ask a Lender, Jeff Baker, a vice president of mortgage lending with Guaranteed Rate, answers questions posed by Chicagoland Realtors. In today’s world, rules and regulations have proliferated through the mortgage lending industry. The last couple

The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) today announced a new modified version of its Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) product. The HECM loan is a reverse mortgage insured by the federal government. It allows older home owners to tap into

An Opportunity For Everyone By Rob Weber We have all seen properties that aren’t in the greatest of shape, but there is a way to sell prospects on potential. With renovation financing, you can show your buyers how to

For this issue’s Ask a Lender Column, Brian Weis, vice president of mortgage lending for Guaranteed Rate, answers a number of questions posed by Chicagoland Realtors in a variety of locations. Q: What is HVCC and how will it

What You May Not Know By Mark Schmidt It’s hard not to hear about reverse mortgages these days with celebrity endorsers like Robert Wagner, Pat Boone, James Garner and, most recently, Henry Winkler (yes, The Fonz) showing up on

For this issue’s Ask a Lender Column, Randy Thomas, sales manager for Guaranteed Rate’s Oak Brook office, answers a number of questions posed by Chicagoland Realtors in a variety of locations. Q: Why is it that when I refer

For this issue’s Ask a Lender column, Brian Jessen, senior vice president of Guaranteed Rate, answers questions posed by Chicagoland Realtors. Q: Tell me what is happening with the jumbo mortgage market lately. Is it getting any better? A:

For this issue’s Ask a Lender Column, Drew Boland, vice president of mortgage lending for Guaranteed Rate, answers questions posed by Chicagoland Realtors. Q: We have seen a lot more first-time buyers going FHA in this market. Is that

By Charlie Eck With the residential real estate market going through a tumultuous period, is now the right time for your rental clients to make the move into buying? The answer is, “most likely.” There are many potential clients

By Tammy Hajjar Lehman Brothers files for bankruptcy, AIG receives monetary infusion from the Fed, Bank of America acquires Merrill Lynch, the White House signs a $700 billion financial market bailout, JP Morgan Chase swoops in to save Washington

By Mike Scarantino Fueled by an escalating number of Americans who are reaching their retirement years and finding that Social Security benefits are not enough, reverse mortgages are becoming more popular than ever. The loans, which allow seniors 62

Reverse mortgages can help clients stay at home By Bernie Ockrim In the recent past, when older people had difficulty living on their own it was a signal that it was time to move in with family members or

By Jose H. Caraballo Bankruptcy is an uncomfortable subject for a variety of reasons. The most obvious is the potential havoc it can wreak on your client’s finances. Running a close second is the negative stigma which is often

By Jose H. Caraballo Bankruptcy is an uncomfortable subject for a variety of reasons. The most obvious is the potential havoc it can wreak on your client’s finances. Running a close second is the negative stigma which is often