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Pros and Cons of No-Down Payment Loans

Pros and Cons of No-Down Payment Loans

The prospect of a substantial down payment can be a significant barrier to homeownership. One solution that provides immediate access to the housing market is a no-down payment home loan. However, before choosing this financial path, it's crucial to weigh

Jun 25, 2024 | Purchasing a Home

Building Your Dream Home: The Essential Guide to Construction Loans

Building Your Dream Home: The Essential Guide to Construction Loans

Have you ever envisioned your perfect custom home? The journey to making that dream a reality involves a crucial component: construction loans. These specialized loans are designed to provide the necessary funding to transform your vision into a tangible

Jun 18, 2024 | Purchasing a Home

How To Pay Off Your Mortgage Faster

How To Pay Off Your Mortgage Faster

Achieving mortgage freedom is a dream for many homeowners, but it often seems like a distant goal. However, with the right approach, this dream can become a reality sooner than you might think. Paying off your mortgage early not only provides financial re

Jun 11, 2024 | Purchasing a Home

A Veteran’s Guide to Home Loans with Bad Credit

A Veteran’s Guide to Home Loans with Bad Credit

Navigating civilian life after serving in the United States military can be challenging, especially when it comes to managing credit. Fortunately, there are home loan options available specifically for veterans, even those with less-than-perfect credit. F

Jun 04, 2024 | VA Loans

How to Buy a Home After Bankruptcy

How to Buy a Home After Bankruptcy

Filing for bankruptcy can create uncertainty, especially if you're aiming to become a homeowner. How can you build a secure financial future, and what impact does bankruptcy have on your ability to get a mortgage? Let’s explore this journey from bot

May 28, 2024 | Purchasing a Home

7 Red Flags for Second Home Buyers and How to Avoid Them

7 Red Flags for Second Home Buyers and How to Avoid Them

Considering purchasing a second home? Whether for a vacation retreat or a smart investment, the idea is enticing. However, before diving into property ownership, it's crucial to be aware of potential pitfalls. This guide outlines seven red flags to watch

May 21, 2024 | Purchasing a Home

                                          Don’t Get a Mortgage from a Company that has “Bank” in its name

When buying or refinancing a home, most people don’t even know the first place to start the process. While some may know someone that knows someone, the majority turn to a bank that they have dealt with in the past or an advertisement they see on television for their first call. Others will turn to the internet and take a shot in the dark to see if they hit the target. Unfortunately for these people, after everything is said and “closed”, they realistically didn’t ever have a chance to really see the target. With all of the marketing gimmicks that you see (No closing costs, no money down, $5000 incentive if you pick this lender….. Blah, Blah, Blah!!!!!!), it is very difficult to understand what is the best path and the most sound financial decision when buying a home.

 Before the crash in 2009, everybody played the rate game with lenders, and whoever gave the borrower the best rate won. What most people didn’t realize was that the higher the rate, the more money the bank would make. This was called a yield spread premium. The higher the rate, the higher the yield in the bank’s pocket. Well, that is not the case anymore. The best rate is not always the best decision. Since the controversial “Dodd Frank Act”, the rules have changed drastically, and what most do not realize, this is what changed the game for consumers in a very positive way. Instead of the bank getting paid more when they charge a higher rate, now the homebuyer gets the paycheck the bank used to get to put towards their own closing costs. Yield Spread premium is now called a “Lender Credit”. This means that you can now decide on the rate that best fits your financial situation. For example, at 4% interest on a 30 year conventional mortgage the lender will pay 1% of the loan amount towards your closing costs. If the rate is moved to 4.25%, then the lender will pay back 1.25% of the loan amount. At 4.5% they may credit you 1.5% and so on. Based on a $100,000 loan the credits to you would be $1000, $1250 and $1500 respectively.

How does this help you?   

For someone that may have little money to put down at closing, taking a higher rate would enable them now to have the lender pay for some of the closing costs. On higher loan amounts, all of the closing costs can be paid by the lender. This enables many people that couldn’t buy a home before the crash to have many more options to be able to buy now because they do not have to bring as much money to the table.         

NOW HERE IS THE KICKER!!!!!

All of the gimmicks that I mentioned above (No closing costs, no money down, $5000 incentive if you pick this lender….. Blah, Blah, Blah!!!!!!), well those are all based on the Lender Credit. As a broker, I am required by law to disclose the amount of lender credit for each rate, but the banks are not.

What does this mean?

This means that the bank can hide the money from you and put it in their pocket. This is how they advertise no closing costs or special incentives to use them.  They are just raising your rate to cover everything without you having a say in what you want to do. If they are not offering incentives or showing a lender credit on your loan estimate, then, well they are just raking you over the coals. If you use a broker, that money is always yours, end of story.

The law has again allowed banks to be dishonest with your money. By using a broker, you will always know where every penny of your money is used.

Daniel Cason Lonestar Mortgage Solutions Texasmortgagedc.com