The LendingTree Blog http://blog.lendingtree.com Thu, 01 Dec 2011 21:40:29 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Like Your Way to One Less Mortgage Payment! http://blog.lendingtree.com/blog/2011/12/01/like-your-way-to-one-less-mortgage-payment/ http://blog.lendingtree.com/blog/2011/12/01/like-your-way-to-one-less-mortgage-payment/#comments Thu, 01 Dec 2011 21:35:54 +0000 Megan Greuling http://blog.lendingtree.com/?p=9165  Ring in the new year with one less mortgage payment… courtesy of LendingTree!  Be sure to click here, become a fan and submit your entry for your chance to win! We’ll be running this contest all the way through the end of 2011 (contest ends 12/31/11 at 11:59pm EST). After some hefty holiday spending, wouldn’t it be nice to take a break from making your mortgage payment?

 

 

 

 

]]> http://blog.lendingtree.com/blog/2011/12/01/like-your-way-to-one-less-mortgage-payment/feed/ 0 Fees, Fees, Everywhere! Four Home Loan Fees to Be on the Lookout For http://blog.lendingtree.com/blog/2011/10/07/fees-fees-everywhere-four-home-loan-fees-to-be-on-the-lookout-for/ http://blog.lendingtree.com/blog/2011/10/07/fees-fees-everywhere-four-home-loan-fees-to-be-on-the-lookout-for/#comments Fri, 07 Oct 2011 19:46:10 +0000 Megan Greuling http://blog.lendingtree.com/?p=9153 The heat surrounding the unexpected increases in bank fees this week serves as a reminder for borrowers to read the fine print in their mortgage agreement.  Even though rates are at an all-time low, borrowers should not only want the best rate, but the best overall deal on their next home loan.

We’ve identified a few fees borrowers should watch out for when beginning the home loan process:

Processing fees Processing fees may be referred to as underwriting fees, processing charges, application fees or even rate-lock fees.  Application fees are fairly common, although lenders may tack  on additional fees and call them processing fees or underwriting fees.  On your Good Faith Estimate, be sure you walk through each fee with your loan officer so you know exactly what you’re being charged for. Appraisal Fees Appraisers may collect fees uprfont, even if your loan falls through.  With new, longer appraisal forms, appraisers who are billed hourly ...]]> http://blog.lendingtree.com/blog/2011/10/07/fees-fees-everywhere-four-home-loan-fees-to-be-on-the-lookout-for/feed/ 0 The Cost of College: Then vs. Now http://blog.lendingtree.com/blog/2011/09/12/the-cost-of-college-then-vs-now/ http://blog.lendingtree.com/blog/2011/09/12/the-cost-of-college-then-vs-now/#comments Mon, 12 Sep 2011 18:05:02 +0000 Megan Greuling http://blog.lendingtree.com/?p=9030 This summer, LendingTree was fortunate enough to have intern Abigail Harris from Charlotte, NC in the office for a few weeks before she headed to the West Coast to attend the University of Southern California.  Before she took the big next step, Abigail analyzed the cost of college today versus the cost of college two decades ago. Read below for Abigail’s interesting analysis:

Last month I flew to Los Angeles for my college orientation and while waiting to board my flight bound for LAX I conversed with a businessman. Mid conversation he interjects, “Man, that’s scary to think about. I must have graduated from college around the time you were born, I graduated in 1992”.  I grinned and replied “Yes, I’m 18, I was born in 1992”.

Having just spent several months “angsting” over which university to attend I had become well versed in the complexities and nuances of the college decision process ...]]> http://blog.lendingtree.com/blog/2011/09/12/the-cost-of-college-then-vs-now/feed/ 0 Mortgage-Rate Spread Costs Borrowers http://blog.lendingtree.com/blog/2011/08/23/mortgage-rate-spread-costs-borrowers/ http://blog.lendingtree.com/blog/2011/08/23/mortgage-rate-spread-costs-borrowers/#comments Tue, 23 Aug 2011 19:06:38 +0000 Cameron Findlay, LendingTree Chief Economist http://blog.lendingtree.com/?p=9120 Increased activity in the mortgage market since the GDP revision July 29 has created a noticeable gap between the Primary (borrower) market and the Secondary (Investor) market, as indicated by the wider “spread” shown in Fig.1. You’ll see it’s now almost twice as wide as it was prior to the release, and it’s at the the highest levels we have seen since Oct. 2010.

It was shortly after the last spread widening that we saw rates increase from 4.20% on Nov 20 to 5.19% on Dec 15. The magnitude and the rapid pace of that rate increase caught many market participants by surprise.

“Current Coupon,” as shown below, is represented by the yield on securities guaranteed by Fannie Mae. Loans made to borrowers represented by “30yr Fixed” are eventually packaged into these securities. The “spread” indicates that rates to borrowers could have declined even more than their current levels but instead have remained elevated (despite falling) because ...]]> http://blog.lendingtree.com/blog/2011/08/23/mortgage-rate-spread-costs-borrowers/feed/ 0 5 Tips for Finding Your First Home Together, Without Arguing http://blog.lendingtree.com/blog/2011/08/15/5-tips-for-finding-your-first-home-without-arguing/ http://blog.lendingtree.com/blog/2011/08/15/5-tips-for-finding-your-first-home-without-arguing/#comments Mon, 15 Aug 2011 12:49:04 +0000 LendingTree http://blog.lendingtree.com/?p=9048 After planning a wedding, buying a house is often the next big project a new couple tackles together. And it can be even more contentious than selecting flower arrangements and cake flavors for your big day. Buying a house is a big, long-term financial commitment, and you both are likely to have strong ideas about what’s important to look for in a home.

So we were actually impressed that only 28 percent of respondents to a recent TheNest.com survey said that they argued with their partner during their house hunt. Most said their disagreements were no big deal. But there was a unfortunate two percent that said their arguments “got heated at times.” And while that is still a tiny percentage, that’s not how you want to start your home ownership journey.

So we asked editor Kristine Solomon at TheNest.com for her advice on how to keep your cool as a ...]]> http://blog.lendingtree.com/blog/2011/08/15/5-tips-for-finding-your-first-home-without-arguing/feed/ 0 10-Year Real Yields = 0.00% http://blog.lendingtree.com/blog/2011/08/12/10-year-real-yields-0-00/ http://blog.lendingtree.com/blog/2011/08/12/10-year-real-yields-0-00/#comments Sat, 13 Aug 2011 01:01:56 +0000 Cameron Findlay, LendingTree Chief Economist http://blog.lendingtree.com/?p=9106 We care about “real interest rates” (which simply reduce the nominal yield an investor would receive by considering the implied cost of inflation) because lower levels of real interest reduce savings and investment and risk taking the economy further away from any long-term sustainable growth. Short-term low or even negative real yields might be considered a challenge for recovery. But if experienced for an extended period, the economy will no longer be able to allocate capital efficiently, ultimately slowing growth. Think of the economy like riding a bike, with momentum the bike is stable even with a few rocks on the path, slow down until you almost stop and those rocks can easily make you topple over. We have some real challenges ahead with 0.00% real yields.

 

If you earned 4.00% nominal with your money and you assume 1.00% inflation and 25% tax bracket…your real rate of return is [4.00% x 0.75] – 1.00% = 2.00%

 

]]> http://blog.lendingtree.com/blog/2011/08/12/10-year-real-yields-0-00/feed/ 0 Market Tension: Some Perspective http://blog.lendingtree.com/blog/2011/08/09/market-tension-some-perspective/ http://blog.lendingtree.com/blog/2011/08/09/market-tension-some-perspective/#comments Tue, 09 Aug 2011 14:06:47 +0000 Cameron Findlay, LendingTree Chief Economist http://blog.lendingtree.com/?p=9018 The events of the past week have created an obvious level of tension in global equity and debt markets – so I wanted to place some of this in perspective with a quick graphic. The levels and magnitude of change have broken some records recently and it’s helpful to consider how fast and in what direction rates have moved.

10yr Treasury yields (2.35%) have another 0.30% to decline before they reach the 2.05% Jun’2008 record low. 30yr Fixed Rate Mortgages are at 4.29%, and if you’re shopping you can probably beat the record of 4.21% in Oct’2010.

]]> http://blog.lendingtree.com/blog/2011/08/09/market-tension-some-perspective/feed/ 0 5 Top Tips From a First Time Homebuyer http://blog.lendingtree.com/blog/2011/08/05/5-top-tips-from-a-first-time-homebuyer/ http://blog.lendingtree.com/blog/2011/08/05/5-top-tips-from-a-first-time-homebuyer/#comments Fri, 05 Aug 2011 11:11:19 +0000 Kristin Offiler http://blog.lendingtree.com/?p=8906 In the year since we closed on our first home, my husband Matt and I have had a lot of time to reflect on our home-buying journey. We went to countless open houses, saw numerous homes that weren’t right and had our hearts broken when an offer on a wonderful house fell through. Eventually, we purchased the perfect home just three days before our wedding. We learned a few things along the way, and I hope these tips will help you on your house hunt.

1.     Make sure you’re ready to buy. About ten months before our wedding, Matt and I started thinking about buying a house. We did research, talked to a real estate agent we trusted, and decided we were ready to buy for a number of reasons. It’s a big purchase, so take the time to be sure it’s the right time for you.

2.     Work with experts ...]]> http://blog.lendingtree.com/blog/2011/08/05/5-top-tips-from-a-first-time-homebuyer/feed/ 0 Interest Rates Are Setting Record Lows http://blog.lendingtree.com/blog/2011/08/04/interest-rates-are-setting-record-lows/ http://blog.lendingtree.com/blog/2011/08/04/interest-rates-are-setting-record-lows/#comments Thu, 04 Aug 2011 16:24:40 +0000 Cameron Findlay, LendingTree Chief Economist http://blog.lendingtree.com/?p=9006 Two important records have been broken…

RECORD # 1 ‐ 2yr Treasury notes this morning have set a new record low of 0.30% (the prior record was established Nov 4th, 2010 at 0.3276%). (No Graph)

RECORD # 2 – The more important record in my view is the new low for 10yr Real Yields of 26bps.

The decline is primarily driven by the forward expectation of inflation and the recent rapid decline in nominal yields.

Inflation erodes the fixed coupon payments from a bond ‐ so as an investor a higher rate of inflation is negative on the real return you will receive. This would usually deter investment in fixed coupon bonds, however, the bond market this morning continues to Rally (higher prices) on a weaker-than-expected jobs result tomorrow.

]]> http://blog.lendingtree.com/blog/2011/08/04/interest-rates-are-setting-record-lows/feed/ 0 Save Money, Eat Well With Edible Landscaping http://blog.lendingtree.com/blog/2011/08/04/save-money-eat-well-with-edible-landscaping/ http://blog.lendingtree.com/blog/2011/08/04/save-money-eat-well-with-edible-landscaping/#comments Thu, 04 Aug 2011 11:46:09 +0000 Miranda Marquit http://blog.lendingtree.com/?p=8802 Having your own garden can be a great way to battle food-price inflation while still providing healthy meals for your family. However, if you have limited space for a garden, you can supplement your harvest with edible landscaping. If you have even a small yard, and local regulations allow it, it is possible to use beautiful as well as edible plants as part of your landscaping. You might be surprised at how many beautiful plants can also provide you with food.

Ground Cover, Vines and Beautiful Flowers

There are plenty of herbs that offer beautiful blooms as well as ground cover. Consider using rosemary (a favorite in our front yard), lavender and chives for their attractive flowers. Beans and peas can provide pretty vines, dotted with flowers, in late spring and early summer. And, of course, the vines remain. My neighbors grow grapes, even in our mountain region. If you want ground ...]]> http://blog.lendingtree.com/blog/2011/08/04/save-money-eat-well-with-edible-landscaping/feed/ 1