Archive for February, 2009
Not Fired? Why Your Income Won’t Fall
Pink slips are becoming more common around the country but here’s a great oddity: According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, hourly wages rose in 2011. Huh? If people are losing their jobs don’t employers have the upper hand? Can’t they slash wages at will? After all, with rising unemployment levels who wants to lose [...]
28Feb2009 | Peter G. Miller | 0 comments | Continued
Is This Employer Abuse?
Question: I have an opportunity to get a new job in a new field. The employer wants me to train and try out for three days. The catch? I won’t be paid for the three days. Is this fair? Answer: I have mixed feelings about this one. On one hand, you’re putting in time and [...]
28Feb2009 | Peter G. Miller | 0 comments | Continued
Do We Have To Make The Last Mortgage Payment When Refinancing?
The closing agent will check with your current lender prior to settlement to get a pay-off for the existing loan. If you have a payment due on the first of the month some will tell you it should be paid. Others in the lender community argue that it’s okay to bring the last payment to [...]
27Feb2009 | Peter G. Miller | 0 comments | Continued
2009 Mortgage Loan Limits (Updated)
There are several types of mortgage loan limits. Generally, most borrowers need to look at conventional, FHA and VA loan limits to see how much can be financed with the most-widely originated loans. If you borrow at or below the conventional loan limit for non-government mortgages, you would have what is generally known as a [...]
26Feb2009 | Peter G. Miller | 0 comments | Continued
Should Criminals Make Mortgages?
Will you get your next FHA loan from a convicted criminal? If that sounds like a loopy idea, consider this: There is currently no rule which says a convicted criminal cannot act as an FHA mortgage lender. Alternatively, consider this: If someone has been in jail, served their time and completed their obligation, how can [...]
25Feb2009 | Peter G. Miller | 0 comments | Continued
Uncle Sam’s $8,000 For First Time Home Buyers
The government is hoping if you don’t now own a home that you’ll make the logical choice and buy one this year. If you do, there’s an $8,000 credit from Uncle Sam available to help you out. Last year the government announced that if you were a first time buyer and bought a home that [...]
21Feb2009 | Peter G. Miller | 0 comments | Continued
Who Won’t Be Helped Under The Obama Foreclosure Prevention Plan
The Obama Administration has come out with a new plan to both prevent foreclosures and to help those who are now struggling with home payments. If you read the documents the Administration has posted to date, you can see that the plan offers real benefits to millions of borrowers and provides for federal cash to [...]
19Feb2009 | Peter G. Miller | 0 comments | Continued
Judge To Lenders: Show Me The Note
With mortgage practices under fire on Capitol Hill and across the country, a federal court decision in Cleveland is now proving more important each day: Homeowners can’t be foreclosed unless mortgage owners actually go to court and prove they have the right to call the loan. At first this may seem unimportant. After all, when [...]
18Feb2009 | Peter G. Miller | 5 comments | Continued
The Case For Flexible Real Estate Commissions
Isn’t it time to change real estate agreements — to make them better for buyers, sellers and brokers? Syndicated columnist Peter G. Miller explains.
17Feb2009 | Peter G. Miller | 0 comments | Continued
Why Worry About Recession When Inflation Looms Ahead?
The deal is done. The government is going to spend no, drat, “invest” $8.5 trillion, no wait, that’s not right, the total potential bill could be as much as $9.7 trillion according to Bloomberg News, to bailout, oops, darn, nope, to rescue Wall Street, oh my, that’s not it either, I mean “Main Street” and [...]
13Feb2009 | Peter G. Miller | 0 comments | Continued
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