Aug 26

If you thought a bank foreclosure ended the financial miseries associated with your former home, think again. You could soon be hearing from the IRS about taxes due in connection with the residence you no longer own.

You can walk away from the big house payment, but not from the potential tax implications,” says John W. Roth, senior tax analyst at CCH in Riverwoods, Ill. “And if you couldn’t afford the mortgage, you probably can’t afford the taxes.”

As the lending crisis continues to shake out, more homeowners, particularly those who used creative mortgages to buy their houses, could be in this predicament. Even long-time homeowners who refinanced their properties based on increased value when the real estate market was hot could find themselves in tax trouble if they lose their properties to the bank.

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Aug 21

The banking sector’s asset quality recovered slightly last month, with the bad loan ratio dropping marginally and the coverage ratio edging up, statistics released by the Financial Supervisory Commission showed yesterday.

The average non-performing loan (NPL) ratio of 41 local banks dropped by 0.02 percentage points sequentially to 2.33 percent last month, the data showed.

Meanwhile, the coverage ratio, an indicator used to gauge the sufficiency of reserves for loan defaults, rose 0.35 percentage points to 54.5 percent, the data showed.

Aggregate profits shrank by half from a year ago to NT$17.28 billion (US$526 million) last month amid the lingering shadow of the consumer credit abuse storm, the data showed.

The asset quality of troubled Bowa Bank (寶華銀行), one of three remaining blacklisted financial institutions, worsened further, with its net worth becoming minus NT$579 million from NT$41 million in April. Continue reading »

Aug 18

When we think about home loans we’re usually talking about “forward” mortgages, loans where you get cash up front and then pay off the loan over a set term.

But what if you don’t want a forward mortgage? Suppose you’re age 62 or above and have no desire to pay $2,000 a month, or whatever, for principal and interest?

A reverse mortgage is a great way to improve retirement cashflow. Yes, there’s the pesky debt that it will create, but you want to live for today and, besides, think how retirement finances would be bettered if you had a property that was payment free.

A reverse mortgage is not for everyone and it pays to let lenders compete for your business, but in some circumstances it can represent a serious lifestyle improvement.

Aug 15

For many first time home buyers, deciding on the right mortgage program can be overwhelming. There was a time when choosing a mortage was a fairly simple process. A borrower had the choice of one of two options: a fixed or adjustable rate. Times have definitely changed. There are now hundreds of different mortgage programs out there to choose from. Continue reading »

Aug 11

Is your home loan interest rate higher than the national average? Is your home in need of some much-needed repairs or are you in need of some extra money to pay off credit cards or other bills? A mortgage refinance loan may be exactly what you need to take care of these needs and any others that you might think of. Continue reading »

Aug 10

Loan market is flooded with loan types that cater to specific needs of loan borrowers – car loans, education loans, mortgage, home loan etc. But what if a requirement of £250 springs up and you don’t have the needful cash and neither can postpone the payment. For this specific cash constraint, there are instant loans. The word ‘instant’ is self explanatory in reference to instant loans. Instant loans are formulated to cover financial emergencies. If borrowers are looking for a source to provide them small amount of money quickly then instant loans are what they need. Continue reading »

Aug 09

When interest rates drop, the question of whether or not to refinance mortgage loans seems to be a clear “yes.” The process is not as simple as it may sound, however. Most homeowners do not realize they can actually end up losing money on the proposition. Continue reading »

Aug 08

There’s a cliché that tells us that the best things in life are free. Isn’t that comforting to know that the love we open-heartedly give to our family is not just free but it’s priceless. How about the free gifts that we receive from our parents? Aren’t these the most valuable things we have received when we were children? What about the free support your friends sincerely provides you when things in your life do not come out right and you just need that shoulder to cry on? This list of the free things that we receive in our lives goes on. These do not command any cent from your salary and that simply figures why they’re the best things in your life. But do you know what possibly the second best thing that could happen in your life? This would probably be getting an affordable deal in the mortgage of your dream home. The best thing in it is that you can even have a free mortgage rate quote; another perk in life that’s a reason to make you smile. Continue reading »

Aug 07

This is a question that is being asked in a somewhat panicked way across the nation. Over past 10 or more years this country had experienced a real estate boom of epic proportions. This boom inflated prices and kept the market in a seller’s market for quite some time. This also increased the number of homes and condos being developed and there was an incredible supply and a matching demand. This also made it more difficult for some people to get into a home as rising prices kept some people out of the market. This also caused what is now being referred to as the sub-prime lending crisis. So many people chose to take out 100% financing or high-interest loans to be able to purchase a home and when those mortgages could not be paid it led to an all-time high in foreclosures. Continue reading »

Aug 07

A mortgage loan is one of the most basic types of loans you can get from a bank, and meets one of the most basic of human needs, namely shelter. To this end, it is not quite as demanding as getting loans geared towards other things, especially luxury items. Still, because of the sheer amount of money involved in getting a housing loan, you should do your homework first before applying for a mortgage loan to keep yourself from biting off more than you can chew. Here are a few tips to remember when considering a mortgage loan. Continue reading »