Hal Tennant's (haltennant) Blog

The new Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP) hasn't even kicked in fully and already there is an uproar over what is growing more controversial by the day. Here's the question. Is this really going to help homeowners or just cost the taxpayers more money? HARP appears to be designed to help h...

Lets start with the basics. There are two types of USDA Home Loans, USDA Guaranteed Loans and USDA Direct Loans. The Guaranteed Loan is made by banks and lenders who are approved to participate in the Single Family Housing Guaranteed Loan Program.The terms are as follows: Loans are fixed rate for...

The volume of VA Home Loans has increased 135% since 2007. It's no wonder - Veterans and active duty servicemembers can buy a home with no money down. This is indeed a powerful benefit. In 2010 nearly 90% of the VA loans funded were no down payment loans. Most people, especially younger people an...

HARP 2.0 – The New Government Refinance Program  December 1, 2011 is the date lenders are expected to begin accepting applications for HARP 2.0 Estimates are that as many as 7 million homeowners will qualify under the expanded guidelines. This could cause a “flood” of loan applications from home...

One of the best kept secrets in the mortgage industry is the USDA Rural Development Loan or RD loan as it is sometimes known. There are several reason why this may be just the right loan for you. ·         Zero Down Payment ·         Seller may pay some or all of the closing costs ·         Compe...

Should you use your 401k to pay off your mortgage? You may already know that there is a 10% penalty for early withdrawal, but a new bill proposed by Sen. Johnny Isakson and Rep. Tom Graves seeks to allow you to pull money out of your 401k to pay off or pay down your mortgage.   Here are some of t...

The Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP) has been extended until December 31, 2013 and allows homeowners to refinance into low mortgage interest rates even if the property has decreased in value. Established in 2009, for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the Home Affordable Refinance Program provid...