Vertex Financial Blog

2011 A Great Time to Consider New Home Purchase

2011-04-14T10:20:00.000-07:00

According to most real estate insider reports, it appears home values are at or near their predicted bottom and in some markets are even showing signs of improvement. This would indicate for those that may be interested in a new home, now might be a good time to look at what’s available. At the same time, mortgage interest rates have remained low and even improved slightly since January. As long as you have at least 3.5 - 5.0% down payment, documented income for qualification, and good credit, obtaining a low fixed-rate mortgage below 5.0% can be expected. The combination of low rates and great home values make for a perfect time to consider a new home purchase. Get pre-approved and review best loan programs to meet your goals with a knowledgeable loan advisor at Vertex Financial Group.

No Cost Mortgage Loans and Mortgage Refinance Starts With Experience

2011-03-31T09:13:00.000-07:00

If you want proven and experienced refinancing or home mortgage advice, look no further than the leadership team at Vertex Financial Group. For more information on the Vertex leadership team visit our website or connect with the Vertex team at LinkedIn.

Doug Brasher was co-founder of Vertex Financial Group in March 2000 and has been in the mortgage industry since 1996. Doug currently serves as Vice President, Secretary, and sits on the Board of Directors. He also continues to originate loans and advises mortgage clients across the country. His loan origination duties span nine states in which he holds mortgage loan originator licenses.

Prior to co-founding Vertex Financial Group, he held various sales and management positions with Overlake Mortgage and helped open new office operations in Washington, Oregon, Illinois, and Colorado. Doug is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional.

Connect with Doug on LinkedIn.

Randy Dent, Vice President of Vertex Financial Group, has 20 years experience in residential mortgage lending as a loan officer. He has originated loans with Vertex Financial Group since its inception in April of 2000 and became Vice President in 2005 joining the management team.

Randy is committed to providing his clients with valuable mortgage advice in today’s ever changing economic environment. He has contributed to building a professional team, focused on delivering exceptional customer service.

Connect with Randy on LinkedIn.

Sean Devin is Vice President of Operations at Vertex Financial Group and has been an active originator of residential home loans since 1999. He has been with Vertex since its inception in April of 2000, and has been part of the executive team since 2005.

Sean holds mortgage loan originator licenses in 9 states and is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional. He brings to Vertex Financial Group leadership experience in both program and personnel management.

Connect with Sean on LinkedIn.

Mike Waitt, the President of Vertex Financial Group, has been in the financial services industry since 1980. Starting his career in the insurance and investment field and holding various regional and corporate sales and management positions, he began focusing his efforts on residential mortgage lending in 1996 and continues in that capacity today.

Mike was one of the founding partners of Vertex Financial Group when it began operation in March 2000, and continues to lead and direct the company’s operation in addition to his loan origination duties in the eight states in which he holds mortgage loan originator licenses. He is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional, and also holds the Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC) and Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU) designations. In addition to Mike’s responsibilities as a company officer, his primary focus is serving his clients by providing objective expertise and advice with respect to their residential mortgage and other financial needs.

Connect with Mike on LinkedIn.

Has Your Home Lost Value?.....You’ve Still Got Refinancing Options!

2011-03-08T10:53:00.000-08:00

It’s been a tough few years for Homeowners. If you are one of the millions of Americans whose home has depreciated, know there’s still hope and still options out there. Homeowners with limited equity have until June 2011 to act on a government supported program allowing for refinancing to lower market rates even with significant loss in equity. The Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP) was introduced by the Obama Administration to enable borrowers who have maintained excellent credit to refinance at today’s lower market rates. This is the refinance portion of the Home Affordable Program and not the “modification” portion, which was designed for borrowers who are on the verge of foreclosure.

The HARP program allows government sponsored mortgage entities, FannieMae and FreddieMac, to buy back conforming mortgages they already own without regard to loss in equity otherwise effecting the requirement to carry mortgage insurance (PMI). The big advantage to homeowners who don’t have PMI today is that the loss in equity in their home will not require them to introduce mortgage insurance when attempting to refinance.

For example: you purchased your home in 2007 or 2008 with a 20% down payment to avoid PMI, and your home’s value has subsequently dropped to the point where you no longer have 20% equity or possibly even owe more than your home is worth in today’s marketplace. You can still look at refinancing to today’s lower rates without introducing PMI on the new loan. However, you must act quickly, the program is scheduled to end in June 2011 so time is of the essence.

Important Guidelines for HARP:

Your current mortgage must be owned by FannieMae or FreddieMac

Note: FannieMae and FreddieMac are not services and they may own your mortgage even though you make monthly payments to Chase, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, or other loan servicers. So don’t automatically count yourself out if you make your payments to a bank!

Your current mortgage cannot currently have mortgage insurance in any form.

This includes monthly PMI, lender paid mortgage insurance (LPMI) where the PMI is built into your interest rate, or upfront mortgage insurance (UFPMI) where a lump sum insurance premium was paid at time of closing.

If your current mortgage has PMI of any kind, the only option with the HARP program is through your current servicer.

Note: Some servicers do not offer the HARP program options for their existing mortgage clients.

Available for loan-to-values (LTV)s up to 125%

Again, the deadline is June 2011. Call a Vertex Loan Advisor today to discuss your options and take advantage of our lower rates with HARP qualification! 1-877-939-0339