Tag: mortgage
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Lending Changes May Mean Prosperity for 2014
“Wisdom hath built herself a house,” says King Solomon in his often-quoted Proverbs 9:1, and as we’ve noted in this space before, the wise king’s words serve as a reminder of the connection between houses and a wise and prosperous life. That’s true in today’s world of real estate, too – and industry experts looking…
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Why Do Lenders Say Yes – Or No?
One of the essential principles of prosperous living, as King Solomon tells us in his Proverbs is equity – dealing fairly and evenhandedly with others. But in the complex and confusing world of mortgage lending today, equity seems nowhere to be found, as lenders accept – or deny – loan applicants for reasons that aren’t…
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VA Loan Loophole Creates Investing Opportunities
King Sokmon’s advice on money management hinges on prudence, wisdom – and seizing opportunities at the right time, as we see from the famous lines of Ecclesiastes 3: 1-8, which tell us that there’s a time for everything under heaven. For veterans of the US military services, Veterans Administration loans can open up opportunities to…
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The Reluctant Landlord: Turning a Home Into a Rental
King Solomon’s proverbs stress again and again the valor of houses – and their connection to wisdom. But today, economic conditions and an iffy employment picture are convincing some homeowners that the wisest option is to rent out their properties. And while becoming a reluctant landlord may be a prudent move that can open the…
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The Stimulus Continues – But Interest Rates Rise
As many of his well-known proverbs attest, King Solomon advised action tempered by prudence and wisdom. “Say to wisdom: Thou art my sister: and call prudence thy friend,“ he tells us in Proverbs 7:4. Now in what’s intended as an act of prudence after the government shutdown, the Federal Reserve has opted to continue its…
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Banks Turn to Automated Assessments to Skirt Liability
In a complex financial world filled with so many pitfalls and variables, prudence, as King Solomon so often reminds us, is the watchword. And now, somewhat belatedly, the nation’s large (and small) lending institutions are learning the value of this old virtue. As lawsuits against major banks continue and the provisions of the Qualified Mortgage…
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Prudent Investors Benefit From New Mortgage Standards
Prudent money management, as King Solomon tells us in his Proverbs, involves protecting assets in the present while keeping an eye on the future. And today, as regulators, housing lobbyists and representatives of the mortgage industry negotiate the provisions of the Qualified Mortgage Rule; prudent investors looking toward their future find unexpected benefits in the…
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Can Tighter Lending Standards Strangle the Stimulus?
In Solomon’s Proverbs, and throughout the Bible, houses represent security, safety, prosperity and more. Fast-forward to today, and a house is part of the traditional “American Dream.” The Federal Reserve’s recent decision to keep its stimulus plan in place is intended to create the low interest rates that make that dream possible for more people…
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The Stimulus Sticks Around – For Now
Be like the ant if you want to prosper, says King Solomon in Proverbs 6:6.”Go to the ant, o sluggard,” he says, “and consider her ways, and learn wisdom.” With the ant as a metaphor for prudence and foresight, today’s investors are taking advantage of the Federal Reserve’s latest move to keep its massive securities-backed…
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Home Equity Isn’t Always Home Security
Even in King Solomon’s day, houses meant security, and also represent wisdom in the great King’s proverbs. But home ownership is more complicated today —and as a recent Washington Post story on the often-unscrupulous practice of tax lien investing demonstrates, even a home owned outright may not be so secure after all. According to the…