Good Faith Estimate (GFE)

The highest rate possible under an ARM contract; same as 'lifetime cap.' It is often expressed as a specified number of percentage points above the initial interest rate. ...

The sum of the monthly mortgage payment, hazard insurance, property taxes, and homeowner association fees. Housing expense is sometimes referred to as PITI, standing for principal, ...

A written document evidencing the lien on a property taken by a lender as security for the repayment of a loan. The term 'mortgage' or 'mortgage loan' is used loosely to refer both to the ...

The most recently published value of the index used to adjust the interest rate on an indexed ARM. ...

Rolling short-term debt into a home mortgage loan, either at the time of home purchase or later. The Case for Consolidation: Borrowers consolidate in order to reduce their finance costs. ...

The amount invested in a house, equal to the sale price less the loan amount. The House Investment Decision: Lenders impose the upper limit on how much a household can spend for a house. ...

Prices that assume a more or less standardized set of transaction characteristics that generally command the lowest prices. Generic prices are distinguished from transaction specific ...

Proliferation in the number of loan, borrower, property, and transaction characteristics used by lenders to set mortgage prices and underwriting requirements. Nichification is unique to ...

RealEstateAgent.com calculator estimates the tax benefit of buying a home. Input your loan parameters and the month you purchased the home. Since home interest and points are captured in ...

Paying points for a lower interest rate is a trade off between paying money now versus paying money later. A point - equaling 1% of the total loan amount - is an upfront fee that reduces ...

All foreclosures have the same cause - missed payments. Financial difficulties come without notice. You may lose your job overnight, your business may no longer fight with the competition, ...

A mortgage broker is an intermediary who ensures a loan between a borrower and lender. The broker takes the loan and then packages for the lender. ...

You saw a property you love and want to buy it, but you have no money to do that. So you ask us how do you buy a house with no money. Well, that’s a funny question… if you ...

A mortgage insurance premium is a policy that insures the lender against loss if the homeowner defaults on a mortgage. ...

A wraparound mortgage is a new mortgage that includes the remaining balance on an old mortgage, plus a new amount. ...

A convertible ARM is an adjustable- rate mortgage (ARM) that can be converted into a fixed rate mortgage under certain conditions. ...