Use cash to start a business or for a down payment on a home. [more inside]
posted by mintchip on Sep 1, 2009 - 10 answers

My fiancee and I recently applied for a mortgage on a $200k property in Portland, OR. We have a lot of assets (at least I think so), but were denied for a mortgage loan where we would have put 20% down. Why, and what can we do about it? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Jul 5, 2009 - 17 answers

Should my refinance warrant such a long delay? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on May 6, 2009 - 5 answers

How do I get a mortgage if I'm self employed? [more inside]
posted by Scientifik on Apr 14, 2009 - 11 answers

Buying a first residence in a major city: can it be done? [more inside]
posted by cranberrymonger on Apr 13, 2009 - 15 answers

What would you do if you had a passive income stream which covered your mortgage? [more inside]
posted by lilyflower on Apr 12, 2009 - 29 answers

I've decided it makes sense to refinance my mortgage. I'm going to call the mortgage broker I used for my initial mortgage. a) Where else should I call (and how do I find them?) b) What questions do I need to make sure I ask of everyone? [more inside]
posted by davebug on Apr 3, 2009 - 12 answers

Should I take this FHA refinance, or wait for the new mortgage plan to take effect? [more inside]
posted by RobotNinja on Mar 23, 2009 - 5 answers

How can I lower my interest rates on my credit card and mortgage? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Oct 8, 2008 - 8 answers

We have some money in a Wamu checking account, and an equity loan. Since the word is that Wamu is teetering, what should we expect to happen to the checking account money and the equity loan? [more inside]
posted by everichon on Sep 15, 2008 - 16 answers

Mortgages, interest rates, inflation, recession (UK-specific)... what to do? [more inside]
posted by le morte de bea arthur on Sep 10, 2008 - 7 answers

I'm selling a piece of property to someone with a seller-financed loan -- so I make the money from the power of compound interest instead of a bank. We've got lawyers handling the paperwork for the transaction. However, I've never been a loan shark before. Suggestions for financial software to manage the loan so I can enter payment amounts and dates and such and keep the magic of compound interest accurately compounding? [more inside]
posted by rmd1023 on Apr 10, 2008 - 6 answers

FinanceFilter: Is the money supply contracting, or expanding, after netting all the Fed action, bank closures, mortgage defaults, etc? The dollar falling seems to signal a net increase of money supply, but this is inconsistent with the thesis of a credit or liquidity crunch. If the money supply is growing at a slower rate due to tighter lending practices, shouldn't the dollar be rising, even in the face of Fed-rate cutting? Do we know the net expansion or contraction of the money supply due to the combination of rate cuts and mortgage defaults? [more inside]
posted by Pastabagel on Mar 17, 2008 - 8 answers

Does a student loan in deferment count as debt for the purposes of figuring debt to income ratios in an FHA loan? [more inside]
posted by Dr. Zira on Feb 27, 2008 - 3 answers

Is it possible to refinance through the bank that holds your mortgage? Is it desirable? Is it easier? [more inside]
posted by condour75 on Feb 21, 2008 - 12 answers

I'm applying for a mortgage, my wife is European and has debt in a foreign country but has been living here for 3 years and has a green card and a short credit history. If I don't report her foreign debt in our financial disclosures when applying for the mortgage will the bank here be able to find out? will they look?
posted by anonymous on Jan 15, 2008 - 8 answers

We're expecting our first child in a matter of months. My wife's employer doesn't provide paid leave so we've tried to rearrange the budget so we can soften the blow of lost income. I had a thought... can you delay a mortgage payment 1 or 2 months and add those months on the end? [more inside]
posted by timmins on Jan 8, 2008 - 14 answers

How and when do I "shop" a mortgage? (first-time buyer questions inside) [more inside]
posted by escher on Jan 2, 2008 - 12 answers

Finance Filter: I have a second loan on my condo at a rate of 7.75%.. I did this to avoid PMI. I have the cash to pay it off.. 35k or so.. Is it likely a good idea to pay it off and forgo the tax breaks I'm getting on the interest, to avoid the 7.75% rate? [more inside]
posted by seinfeld on Oct 16, 2007 - 7 answers

A matter of curiosity: What's a mortgage worth? [more inside]
posted by azpenguin on Aug 18, 2007 - 11 answers

Should I refinance now, or wait until my 5-year ARM "expires"? More details inside. [more inside]
posted by tom_g on Aug 7, 2007 - 30 answers

Do most people try negotiating near the end of a teaser rate? [more inside]
posted by acoutu on Jun 18, 2007 - 4 answers

My father, grandfather, and I all have the first and last names, with only different middle names to distinguish us, no suffixes. How do I go about untangling our credit reports? [more inside]
posted by aristan on May 10, 2007 - 12 answers

I am about to buy a house which I can afford to make the mortgage payments on, but it will wipe out all of my cash. Is this a bad idea? My wife and I both ave stable jobs, but we also have three kids.
posted by gogomickey on Feb 22, 2007 - 34 answers

How can I estimate what the mortgage payment on a commercial building loan will be? [more inside]
posted by ignignokt on Dec 4, 2006 - 7 answers

I am just starting the process of applying for a home loan. I've attended a first-time home buyer seminar in my city, read tons of books and have done my homework regarding mortgage options, home buying process, etc. I have an excellent credit score, and one debt (car payment), and make a decent salary. I've been advised to deal with a direct lender as I could get better rates, and fewer fees with them than through a mortgage broker. My problem is, I get virtually no response from the lenders. They take my information to start the pre-qual/pre-approval process, then nothing. They don't call back, and don't return my calls. This has happened 4 times in the last month. Has anyone else experience this? I live in Southern California (LA/Southbay area); do lenders here not need the business? I have never seen this issue addressed in home buying books or websites. Any insight, advice or recommenations?
posted by socrateaser on Jun 19, 2006 - 10 answers

I own a condo with a mortgage and tax deductions and equity. SO moving in. How do we split expenses fairly? Many other questions about financial logistics. [more inside]
posted by commander_cool on Feb 13, 2006 - 20 answers

Mortgage-Filter: Is using a mortgage offer aggregation webiste like Lending Tree a bad idea? [more inside]
posted by OmieWise on Jan 3, 2006 - 23 answers

Can I renegotiate my variable rate mortgage? [more inside]
posted by acoutu on Nov 2, 2005 - 20 answers

MortgageFilter: I'm in the UK, and starting to look around for a house. Yes, I'm going to see an Independent Advisor, but for one reason or another, I can't just yet. So I thought I'd ask here first... [more inside]
posted by nafrance on Oct 7, 2005 - 2 answers

I just read an interesting article regarding long term mortgages. Basically fixed rate, 30 yrs = Good. 15 year = bad. What are some counterpoints to this argument. Drawbacks to long term mortgages? Advantages to paying it off early? [more inside]
posted by rschroed on Apr 25, 2005 - 20 answers

So yesterday my wife — Ms. We're-Not-Moving — found a house closer to Portland that she loves. We both love it. The only offer we can make, though, is contingent upon selling our home, which we hadn't even considered until yesterday. Help! Does anyone have experience with this kind of thing? What can we do to make a contingency offer more attractive? What about bridge loans? Anyone have experience with those? I need advice on hurried real estate transactions (other than "don't do them").
posted by jdroth on May 6, 2004 - 10 answers