I want to buy a property in Rhode Island, can I take out more than one VA loan?

On June 9, 2011, in Tips And Advice, by Lynda Mckenzie

How many VA loans can I have? There is no limit on the amount of times eligible veterans are allowed to use their VA loan benefits!  This answer often surprises veteran borrowers who have used the program before. It’s important to understand that you may not hold more than one VA loan at a time. [...]

What Rhode Island Veterans Should Know About the VA Funding Fee.

On April 17, 2011, in Tips And Advice, by Lynda Mckenzie

  What Is The VA Funding Fee? The VA Funding Fee is a fee that is required in order to receive a VA loan.  The VA funding fee is what the Veterans Adminstration charges to guarantee the loan. It is not a fee that has to be paid at closing. This fee is added to your base [...]

Important Factors To Consider When Getting Financing On A Foreclosure, Short Sale or New Construction in Rhode Island.

On March 15, 2011, in Tips And Advice, by Lynda Mckenzie

      Short sales, foreclosures and new construction homes all have caveats that need to be considered when pursuing financing. If the guidelines and potential pitfalls are not properly understood, you could face delays in closing or potentially even a denied loan. Short Sales & Foreclosures – Short sales and foreclosures are everywhere. They often [...]

Understanding the FHA Mortgage Insurance Premium on your Rhode Island mortgage.

On March 15, 2011, in Tips And Advice, by Lynda Mckenzie

Understanding the FHA Mortgage Insurance Premium (MIP) * Disclaimer – all information in this article is accurate as of the date this article was written * The FHA Mortgage Insurance Premium is an important part of every FHA loan.                                 There are actually two types of Mortgage Insurance Premiums associated with FHA loans: 1. Up Front [...]

Changes are coming to the FHA refinance mortgages for Rhode Island homeowners.

On February 17, 2011, in Tips And Advice, by Lynda Mckenzie

HUD has once again announced changes to the FHA streamline refinance program in the mortgagee letter 2011-11 dated Feburary 14, 2011.  The letter can be viewed @ http://www.hud.gov/offices/adm/hudclips/letters/mortgagee/files/11-11ml.pdf.  The changes go into effect April 15, 2011. The key factors that you need to be aware of are as follows: Borrower must be current on both their mortgage [...]

Come April 18, 2011 Rhode Islanders will be paying more for their FHA monthly mortgage insurance premiums.

On February 17, 2011, in Tips And Advice, by Lynda Mckenzie

President Obama’s fiscal year 2012 budget was released on February 14, 2011. FHA Commissioner David H. Stevens announced the same day, a new premium structure for FHA-insured mortgage loans increasing its annual mortgage insurance premium (MIP) by a quarter of a percentage point (.25) on all 30- and 15-year loans. “After careful consideration and analysis, [...]

Tax credit still available for qualified military homebuyers in Rhode Island.

On February 16, 2011, in Tips And Advice, by Lynda Mckenzie

    Back in November of 2009, President Obama signed into law the the Worker, Home Ownership, and Business Assistance Act of 2009.  Included in this law was a special provision for qualified service members, members of the Foreign Service of the U.S., or an employee of the intelligence community.  Also included are military members on official extended [...]

How The New FHA Mortgage Insurance Premium Impacts Rhode Island Home Loans

On November 9, 2010, in Mortgage Payments, by Lynda Mckenzie

New FHA Mortgage changes went into effect on October 4, 2010 that will have an impact on Rhode Island home buyers and owners.

Below are a few bullets, as well as a video that highlights the main points of interest for any property that was assigned an individual FHA case number on or after October 4, 2010:

What Rhode Island homeowners need to know about FHA streamline refinances changes.

On October 12, 2010, in Mortgage News, Tips And Advice, by Lynda Mckenzie

    You may have heard that it has gotten more difficulty to refinance from an FHA to FHA mortgage, commonly known as a “streamline refinance”, than in previous years.  Well you would be correct.  Listed below are the major changes from Mortgagee letter 2009-32 that have occurred.  Rhode Islanders will find that the FHA streamline [...]

Rhode Island 2011 FHA county mortgage limits remain unchanged.

On October 12, 2010, in Mortgage Programs, by Lynda Mckenzie

FHA loan limits in Rhode Island for calendar year 2010 remain the same and have been extended until September of 2011.