Cash Flow Coach

After yesterday's emergency .75% rate cut by the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), I have received numerous calls and questions as to how low will the FED go and how low will Fixed Rates go?  If you read my previous post on the FED Rate Cuts, you know that the two rates don't always move in t...

Will Fed Rate Cuts Equal Lower 30 yr. Fixed Rates?The Federal Reserve will be meeting on Jan. 29th & 30th to discuss the state of our economy.  Will they cut rates and if yes by how much?  Will the rate cuts lead to decreasing or increasing mortgage rates?There's a lot of confusion about the Fed ...

The President signed into law a new measure that would eliminate the tax burden on forgiven mortgage debt (read more).  With the rise in short sales and foreclosures across the country, many homeowners were responsible to pay tax on any and all of the mortgage balance that wasn't paid or forgiven...

Higher Demand or Lower Supplies = Increased PricesIt's a basic economic principle that when supply increases, prices come down. And, when supply decreases, demand can rise and prices will rise with demand.   (a good resource is Basic Economics, by Thomas Sowell)As Banks take over more and more pr...

Earlier this year, congress passed H.R. 6111, the Tax Relief and Health Care Act of 2006 to allow homeowners who purchased or refinanced a home in 2007 to deduct the private mortgage insurance (PMI) premiums that they pay in their loan payments.  PMI is required when a borrower puts less than 20%...

Will It Help? The Fed met today to discuss monetary policy and voted to cut it's federal funds rate from 4.5% to 4.25%.    The Fed has shifted its focus from fighting inflation to preventing a recession.  There's an interesting article in this week's Business Week that questions how much influenc...

As a mortgage broker in the Lansing area for 14 years, I've seen the real estate industry go through various cycles along with the mortgage industry.  Yes, I understand that the housing market across the country as a whole does not look very positive but we need to be careful to not generalize th...

Technology can cause giddyness in some people, like an 8 year old waiting to open presents on Christmas morning or it can cause paralysis of analysis because you don't know where to start.  It can be a tool that helps you maintain some efficiency throughout your day or it can be a time waster.  I...

Stop me if you've heard this one before, the foreclosures continue to rise, home sale prices are declining, home inventories are rising, shall I go on?  I know all of this negativity can depress even the most optimistic person if you let it.  I would like to suggest a way to take advantage of all...

If you spend any time listening to the various news outlets, it is very easy to become less than positive about Michigan; the slowing economy, declining home values, rising unemployment, etc.  I want to share with you in Paul Harvey's famous words, "the rest of the story."One of the keys to havin...