Eustis, Florida

The following is a Rate Lock Advisory issued by a la mode, inc and Mortgage Commentary. The views and opinions expressed are not that of Knightlines Mortgage Services, LLC. Please contact your mortgage professional before locking an interest rate.

Tuesday’s bond market has opened in negative territory due to early stock gains. The stock markets are off to a strong start with the Dow up 165 points and the Nasdaq up 30 points. The bond market is currently down 6/32, which will likely push this morning’s mortgage rates higher by approximately .125 - .250 of a discount point over yesterday’s morning rates.

There was no relevant economic news posted this morning. Stock traders are showing their optimism in the economy following another decline in oil prices. High fuel costs have been noted by many sources as a contributing factor to the slowing economy. As oil prices fall well off their recent highs, that concern seems to be easing. This leads to better expectations for economic activity and corporate earnings.

Today’s FOMC meeting will adjourn at 2:15 PM ET and is expected to bring no change to key interest rates. If that is indeed the result, I expect top see little reaction in the markets. However, the post-meeting statements seem to have more of an influence on the markets than the rate adjustments themselves, or a lack of one in many cases. Accordingly, we may still see some volatility in the markets and possibly mortgage pricing during afternoon hours even if the Fed leaves interest rates alone.

Look for an update to this report after the markets have an opportunity to react to the news.

If I were considering financing/refinancing a home, I would…. Lock if my closing was taking place within 7 days… Float if my closing was taking place between 8 and 20 days… Float if my closing was taking place between 21 and 60 days… Float if my closing was taking place over 60 days from now… This is only my opinion of what I would do if I were financing a home. It is only an opinion and cannot be guaranteed to be in the best interest of all/any other borrowers.”
©Mortgage Commentary 2008

Our lender, whom which we owe.

Oh, how much we owe!

The bills will come,

The monies all gone, this mortgage we should not have had.

Forget this debt, as we forgot our payments,

Do not deliver us to the courts

Or send us into foreclosure.

We would sell, but the market is just not there.

For in the future, we will use Knightlines. This mortgage we would not have ’cause they do care.

Amen.

Do not let this be you saying this prayer because you wanted a house you could not afford. While some brokers and lenders only watch out for their well-being, we at Knightlines Mortgage Services, LLC watch out for yours. Putting your faith in us will not get you into heaven, but it will help you keep you in your home.

Just because you live in Eustis, Mount Dora, or Tavares, you are not immune to this mortgage financing fee that mortgage brokers and correspondent lenders almost always charge.

Yield Spread Premium (often referred to as YSP) is quite simply the opposite of buying down an interest rate. For example, if you want to buy down your interest, you can pay the bank/lender a point (1% of the loan amount) or more. Each point you pay is not a direct reduction of your rate by a percent. It is often 1 point buy down equals .25% reduction in interest rate. This differs from lender to lender. With YSP, you can increase your interest rate in exchange for the bank paying you points.

Why is this good? Lenders originally created the concept of YSP for borrowers that want to finance closing costs into their loan by taking the higher interest rate. Let’s say you have a mortgage for $100,000. Your closing costs are about $4000 (this includes pre-pays, lender fees, title fees, government fee, etc). You only have $3000 towards your closing costs. Your par rate (no buy down or YSP) is 6.0%. To come up with the extra $1000 needed to close, you can request a higher interest in exchange for the YSP to be credited to your closing costs. To obtain the 1% YSP (or $1000), the lender may increase your rate to 6.5%. So it will cost you .5% in interest to raise 1% of the loan amount in cash.

Why is this bad? Lenders have gone from mentality of helping borrowers with YSP to rewarding brokers and correspondent lenders with YSP for charging a higher interest rate. Until recently, this fee was never disclosed until the day of closing on the HUD-1 Settlement of Costs. Borrowers would see this fee, but were calmed over with the simple explanation of “Do not worry about this fee. The lender pays this fee, not you as the borrower.” Well, as I just got done explaining the way this fee works, the borrower does pay this fee. They pay it each month with the higher mortgage payment resulting from the higher interest rate.

A broker or correspondent lender can make extra money off of a borrower without them ever having knowledge of it through YSP, unless the are paying close attention to certain documents that are now being required be disclosed. Even though they are disclosed, if you do not know what you are looking at or where to look, you may agree to paying this fee.

So where do you look? The first place to look is on the Good Faith Estimate (GFE). There is a place clearly defined on all GFE where Yield Spread Premium is listed. This is labeled as a fee paid outside of closing and again is explained as the lender pays this fee not the borrower. Not true. Then, you can look at the broker fee agreement. It has to be listed here as it is a fee being paid to the broker or correspondent lender. Finally and the more difficult way of finding this fee is the the Truth In Lending (TIL). I will cover how to read a TIL in a future blog. But for a quick explanation of how to tell if you are paying too much for your loan, the higher the APR is from your actual interest rate, the more you are paying for you loan.

Now, you may have figured something out while reading this post, do not worry if you haven’t because I am going to cover it right now. NO CLOSING COSTS Loans… that is right. There are closing costs. You are just paying them through the YSP created by the higher rate. Next time you see a NO CLOSING COSTS Loan, look at their interest rate and compare it to a loan that is charging closing costs. You will see that the interest rate is higher. Nothing is ever truly free.

When should you use YSP over paying closing costs up front? General rule is if you are planning on refinancing or selling within 3 years. Let’s say the broker fee is 2% (or $2000 on a $100,000 loan amount). Now you can pay the $2000 up front (or on a refinance wrap it into the new mortgage) or take a higher rate. Let’s say that higher rate is .75% higher. That equals to $750 more in interest per year in mortgage payments. That is $750 more in possible tax deductions. Over 3 years, that equals $2250. Yes, it is $250 more than the original amount, but you got the extra deductions to offset that extra amount. Beyond 3 years, pay up front.

If your broker or correspondent lender does not disclose the YSP or give you an option using YSP in lieu of paying the fees upfront, then beware. You have now been educated on this hidden fee and its features. With knowledge comes power. With power, you can now protect yourself and make sure that you get the best deal for yourself.

And one last word of advice, once your rate is locked, ask for a copy of the rate lock. This will show exactly how much YSP is being made. If the broker or correspondent lender was claiming to now charge a YSP, this will prove or disprove it. And YSP is required by law to be disclosed immediately after the final amount is determined, but no less than 3 days prior to closing. Remember, you still have the option of not signing the mortgage even if you find out at time of closing.

If you have any questions or have a Good Faith Estimate that you want reviewed, please call 352-308-7219 or fax the GFE to 888-807-4123.

If you have a Florida Mortgage Brokers license and are looking for a mortgage brokerage business that is still in business, then Knightlines Mortgage Services, LLC wants to talk to you.

We offer training in both residential and commercial mortgage loan origination. No experience required. We currently have offices in Palm Beach County (Palm Beach Gardens) and Lake County (Altoona), and will be opening a new office in Orange County in October of 2008. We encourage out of office work habits (IE work from home, coffee shop, wherever you want to get business, etc.)

No PAC fees. Great splits. Call today.

352-308-7219

Unlike Coca-Cola who decided to revamp itself back in the 1980’s, Knightlines Mortgage Services, LLC of Lake County, Florida is leaving the recipe of its success alone. However, in a bold move Knightlines is updating its branding image.

While the logo remains a knight, the image has been transformed into a more regal and elegant symbol. No longer trapped in a box, the knight is now the central focus of an all encompassing sphere to elude to the company’s wholeness and understanding of the mortgage industry, both commercial and residential.

Along with this change comes a newly designed website. Unlike traditional mortgage sites advertising programs and rates, Knightlines’ website lets the clients know what kind of company they are dealing with. The simple and easy to use site illustrates to borrowers the simpleness and easiness of the mortgage loan process. What you see is what you get. There are no smoke and mirrors with Knightlines. Every mortgage is fully disclosed in a simple to understand manner.

These changes come as part of the company’s goal to make itself a common household name in Lake County, Florida. With an already strong footing in the Golden Triangle area (Eustis, Mt. Dora, and Tavares,) Knightlines is expanding into neighboring cities. We have even made a bold move to open an office in Palm Beach County (Palm Beach Gardens) to begin offering our unique, second-to-none customer orientated services to borrowers in South Florida. And we are scheduled to open a third office in Orange County at the end of the summer of 2008. This branch office will become the flagship of Knightlines Mortgage Services, LLC due to its central location to the main office and the Palm Beach branch.

That’s right! 100% Financing still exists in Lake County, Florida. Despite all the obituaries about these mortgage programs, there is still one program that remains alive and well. This is all thanks to Lake County being USDA Grade A land… and I mean that literally.

The USDA 100% mortgage loans offer many benefits to potential home owners. The biggest being no down payment. Also, at the top of the list is the fact that there is no extra costs in your monthly payment in terms of mortgage insurance. Eh, what the heck? Here is a list of all the benefits a USDA loan has to offer:

1. No Down Payment.
2. If the appraised value comes in higher than the contract sales price, you can wrap closing costs into your loan.
3. No PMI (AKA Mortgage Insurance).
4. No Reserves. This means you do not need to have lots of money in savings, as some banks require.
5. No Minimum FICO Score. You must at least look creditworthy.
6. Available For First Time Buyers and Non-First Time Buyers.
7. Substitute Schooling/Education for Job History.
8. Unrestricted Gifts. Gift money is not sourced or seasoned when used for closing costs.

And yes, just like any loan, you have to qualify for it. So, how do you qualify? Well, the biggest hurdle is already overcome. You live in Lake County. According to USDA Rural Development, you are already in an eligible area. The next obstacle standing in your way is income. If you make too much money, you best be looking somewhere else. For sake of giving a chart and directions on how to use it, visit this site. With its fast and easy calculator, it will tell you whether or not you are eligible (or just call us). (And if you live outside of Lake County, you can use the same site to see if your property is eligible.) Last, but not least, you debt-to-income ratios must be within guidelines. We will be more than happy to calculate this figure for you when you call us for you new home loan.

To qualify for this loan, call 352-308-7219 and ask for your USDA Grade A Home Loan.