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Just like any other business field, real estate is also associated with all types of financial transactions, profits and losses, credits and debits, incomes and expenditures and so on. In fact, the figures and data associated with real estate industry can outnumber those available with other businesses. Keeping this fact in mind, we can say that >real estate accounting is more complicated and cumbersome than account maintenance followed by other businesses. Thus, you definitely require accounting professionals with those extra skills to handle your business figure accurately.

If you are in the process of searching for outstanding accounting services for your real estate business, here are few ideas to escort you in this direction.

Less Prone To Mistakes

Accounting is a complex process to handle and even experts are bound to commit mistakes while handling huge calculations. However, there is equal scope of learning from mistakes and one can improve with time. You must analyze the growth record of the individual or firm you think of hiring for handling accounting for your business. It is not a good idea to hire experts with history of committing repeated mistakes.

Experience Does Matter

First time account handling firms lack experience, which is an important requirement for handling capacious figures associated with real estate accounting. Always go for experts, who have been in the field for many years and have served some influential business houses till date. If you feel it necessary, consult these business houses to evaluate the level of expertise of account service providers.

Problem Analyzing Skills

While maintaining large figures and data associated with real estate business, problems are certain to arise. However, a good accounting expert must be a good problem analyzer and solver as well. These firms must be capable of ensuring smooth functioning of accounts department of a real estate business at their own level, without asking assistance from you.

Coping Up With Changes

Real estate business houses are prone to unexpected changes, which may occur more than frequently. If that is the case, then experts hired for real estate accounting must be talented enough to survive under such circumstances. The crux of this section is that these experts must possess good knowledge of accounting associated with real estate industry. As mentioned earlier, accounting for real estate industry is greatly different from normal business accounting. Thus, accounting firm hired by you must specialize in this field.

Short and Long Term Accounting

The firms boasting of expertise in handling real estate accounts must know the importance of short term as well as long term accounting. While short term processes include maintenance of routine expenditures, capital costs, insurances and depreciation costs, long term accounting include tax handling, property taxes, recording profits and loses over an year and so on. Thus, ensure you are going to take assistance from all round experts.

Real estate accounting providers are available online in big numbers. However, it is a mistake to consider all of them as proficient in this intricate process. Take time to research and end up locating capable minds for making this task easier.

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I saw a cartoon the other day that was pretty funny, but also pretty sad when you think about it.  It showed a couple sitting across from a mortgage lender, and the caption read, “We’re here to apply for a tank of gas.”  With increases in prices for just about everything, it gets more and more difficult to stash away a nest egg for a down payment.  And pretty much every loan requires some part of down payment, even if you get a 100% financing loan.  After all, you still are generally going to be required to put down some earnest money on your contract and in most cases, pay for an appraisal up front.  You may have been trying to save it up on your own, but it may be time to accept some help from your family.

Most loan programs, be it Conventional, FHA, VA or Rural Housing, require the borrower to pay for something.  In particular, FHA and Conventional home purchases want a minimum of 3% to come out of the borrower’s pocket.  If you are doing a Conventional loan, you still can’t receive a gift for your 3% down payment, but you can use a gift to help with closing costs. However, FHA will allow your source of down payment to be a gift.  So, if you find yourself a bit short on cash, you may need to ask someone to gift you the down payment or closing costs (or if your really lucky, and it’s allowed – both!).

All lenders are particular about just who can give you a gift for your down payment or closing costs.  Pretty much across the board, the gift must be from a blood relative.  You may have to prove that the gifter is a relative thru birth certificates, christening records, etc.  Strange but true.  Conventional loans will also allow an employer to give you a gift.  But in any case, the most important factor is that whoever is giving the gift does not expect to be paid back.  A certification to that effect will be required to be signed by the donor.  Otherwise, it’s really a loan, now isn’t it?  And as a responsible lender, we’re going to include that payment in your debt to income ratio, and we’ll probably want a bunch of documentation to prove the terms, etc.  So, make sure it truly is a gift.

As of the date I’m writing this article, FHA will allow for down payment assistance programs, such as Nehemiah or Ameridream.  Lenders view these products as “gifts” in a sense. They are basically seller concessions funneled through the down payment assistance channels.   However, by the time this article is published, they may be null and void.   It’s currently being reviewed and could go away.  Or it may still be there, but just know it’s under review.

Lenders are very particular about how the gift funds reach the closing table.  If you deposit the gift before closing, you have to show it coming out of the donor’s account and depositing into your account.  It’s a lot of paper to collect.  The easiest method is for Grandpa or your Great Aunt to just send a cashier’s check payable to you and your title company to the closing table.  Smoother, quicker, simpler.

Gifts are a wonderful thing, and a gift of a down payment is a useful gift.  After all, I think it’s safe to say that homeownership is one gift that keeps on giving, wouldn’t you?

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FHA Mortgage Checklist

Prepare for a Smooth Application Process with an FHA Mortgage

Before you start the FHA home loan process, be prepared to provide some information to your FHA loan officer. Have it ready now to save time later.

• Address to your place of residence (past two years)
• Social Security numbers
• Names and location of your employers (past two years)
• Gross monthly salary at your current job(s)
• Pertinent information for all checking and savings accounts
• Pertinent information for all open loans
• Complete information for other real estate you own
• Approximate value of all personal property
• Current check stubs and your W-2 forms (past two years)
• Personal tax returns (past two years), current income statement and business balance sheet for self-employed individuals

In addition, you will need to pay for a credit report and FHA appraisal of the property

Down payment of most FHA approved loans is 3.5% down.

FHA Closing Costs

APPLY FOR AN FHA HOME LOAN AT  http://www.fhamortgagefhaloan.com/

Allowable Charges that Borrowers Need to Understand

While FHA defines which closing costs are allowable as charges to the FHA mortgage applicant, the specific costs and amounts that are deemed reasonable and customary are determined by each local FHA office. All other costs are generally not allowed and are usually paid by the seller when buying a new Florida home, or paid by the lender when refinancing your existing FHA loan.

• Lender’s origination fee
• Deposit verification fees
• Attorney’s fees
• The appraisal fee and any inspection fees
• Lender’s origination fee
• Cost of title insurance and title examination
• Document preparation (by a third party)
• Property survey
• Credit reports (actual costs)
• Transfer stamps, recording fees, and taxes
• Test and certification fees
• Home inspection fees up to $200

Allowed in an FHA refinance loan are wire transfer fees, courier fees, reconveyance fees, and fees to pay off bills.

FHA Debt to Income Ratios

Comparing Your Debt to Your Income

In order to prevent Florida homebuyers from getting into a home they cannot afford, FHA guidelines have been set in place requiring mortgage applicants and/or their spouse to qualify according to set debt to income ratios. These FHA ratios are used to calculate whether or not the potential mortgage applicant is in a financial position that would allow them to meet the demands that are often included in owning a Florida home. The two ratios are as follows:

1) MORTGAGE PAYMENT EXPENSE TO EFFECTIVE INCOME Add up the total mortgage payment (principal and interest, escrow deposits for taxes, hazard insurance, mortgage insurance premium, homeowners’ dues, etc.). Then, take that amount and divide it by the gross monthly income. The maximum ratio to qualify is 31%. See the following example:

Total amount of new house payment:

$750

Borrower’s gross monthly income (including spouse, if married):

$2,850

Divide total house payment by gross monthly income:

$750/$2,850

Debt to income ratio:

26.32%

2) TOTAL FIXED PAYMENT TO EFFECTIVE INCOME. Add up the total mortgage payment (principal and interest, escrow deposits for taxes, hazard insurance, mortgage insurance premium, homeowners’ dues, etc.) and all recurring monthly revolving and installment debt (car loans, personal loans, student loans, credit cards, etc.). Then, take that amount and divide it by the gross monthly income. The maximum ratio to qualify is 41%. See the following example:

Total amount of new house payment:

$750

Total amount of monthly recurring debt:

$400

Total amount of monthly debt:

$1,150

Borrower’s gross monthly income (including spouse, if married):

$2,850

Divide total monthly debt by gross monthly income:

$1,150/$2,850

Debt to income ratio:

40.35%

Please note that the above indicators do not exclusively determine whether or not a candidate will qualify for an FHA loan. Other factors will be considered, including credit history and job stability.

 APPLY FOR AN FHA HOME LOAN AT  http://www.fhamortgagefhaloan.com/

FHA Credit Guidelines

What FHA Lenders Want to See When They Review Your Credit

NO CREDIT HISTORY

Two lines of credit are necessary to apply for an FHA loan. However, in the event a borrower does not have sufficient credit on their credit report the FHA will allow substitute forms.

CHAPTER 13 BANKRUPTCY

FHA mortgage lenders will consider approving a borrower who is still paying on a Chapter 13 Bankruptcy if those payments have been satisfactorily made and verified for a period of one year. The court trustee’s written approval will also be needed in order to proceed with the loan. The borrower will have to give a full explanation of the bankruptcy with the loan application and must also have re-established good credit, qualify financially and have good job stability.

CHAPTER 7 BANKRUPTCY

At least two years must have elapsed since the discharge date of the borrower and / or spouse’s Chapter 7 Bankruptcy, according to FHA guidelines. This is not to be confused with the bankruptcy filing date. A full explanation will be required with the loan application. In order to qualify for an FHA loan, the borrower must qualify financially, have re-established good credit, and have a stable job.

LATE PAYMENTS

During an underwriter analysis of borrower credit, the overall pattern of credit behavior is being reviewed rather than isolated cases of slow payments. If a good payment pattern has been maintained, regardless of a specific period of financial difficulty preceded it, the borrower may escape disqualification.

FORECLOSURE

FHA insured mortgages are generally not available to borrowers whose property was foreclosed on or given a deed-in-lieu of foreclosure within the previous three years. However, if the foreclosure of the borrower’s main residence was the result of extenuating circumstances, an exception may be granted if they have since established good credit. This does not include the inability to sell a home when transferring from one area to another.

COLLECTIONS, JUDGEMENTS AND FEDERAL DEBTS

A collection is minor in nature usually does not need to be paid off as a condition for loan approval. It is stated as such in FHA guidelines. Any judgments will have to be paid in full prior to closing. Borrowers who are delinquent on any federal debt, such as tax liens, student loans, etc., are not eligible.

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Introduction to Mortgage Refinancing:

A mortgage refinance is the process of taking out a new loan, and using the proceeds to pay off your old one. Generally, you’d do this to make a change in the structure of your debt in order to get more money, a lower monthly payment, or a shorter pay-off schedule.

Why refinance?

You’d trade-up your mortgage for the same reason that you’d trade-up your job, car, or living arrangement-because circumstances change. What you need out of a mortgage today may be different from what you needed five years ago. Refinancing can achieve one or more of the following objectives: 1. Lower your monthly payment. You can reduce your monthly payment by refinancing to a lower interest rate. Have market rates dropped since your old mortgage was funded? Has your credit improved? Has your home increased in value? Any one of these happenings could mean that you’d qualify for a lower rate. 2. Shorten your pay-off term. Paying off your mortgage loan in 15 years rather than in 25 can save you tens of thousands of dollars in interest over the life of the loan. If you can afford the higher monthly payment and plan to stay in the home indefinitely, it’s well worth it. 3. Optimize your loan structure. Your current loan structure may no longer be suitable for you in the future. Maybe you bought your home with an adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) and your initial fixed-interest period is about to expire. Perhaps you have a fixed-rate mortgage, but you’d like to take advantage of the more flexible option ARM. Discuss your objectives with your lender to determine the most appropriate loan structure for you. 4. Consolidate your debt. If you’re carrying a lot of credit card debt, you can lower your monthly repayments through consolidation. To do this, you’d take out a mortgage loan large enough to pay off all the debts on your cards plus the balance on your old mortgage. 5. Fund large, one-time expenses. You can raise the funds you need by doing what’s called a cash-out refinance, where you’d take out a loan that’s larger than your current one. As soon as you pay off the old loan, the excess funds can be used to pay for home improvement projects, college tuition, your daughter’s wedding, long-term care expenses, etc. Essentially, your mortgage is a financial tool that might need occasional sharpening. As life throws you new circumstances, trading up that mortgage may be one way to manage change.

Tax Advantages of Refinancing:

Saving on taxes:

As an existing mortgage borrower, you already know that your mortgage interest is tax deductible. You may also know that you pay far more interest in the early years of a mortgage than you do later on. And the more interest you pay, the higher your deduction. Replacing your current mortgage loan with a refinance might lower your tax liability. And if you intend to use the refinance to consolidate credit card debt, the benefits would be even greater, because you’d be replacing non-deductible credit card interest with tax-deductible mortgage interest.

Tax deductions and refinancing:

The IRS designates two types of mortgage debt: home acquisition debt, and home equity debt. Home acquisition debt is what you paid to buy the house. When you refinance, the amount of the new loan used to pay off the old loan qualifies as home acquisition debt. Any amount over that would be home equity debt. The following example will help clarify the point: • Suppose Jenny owes $200,000 on her mortgage. She takes out a new mortgage for $225,000 and pays off her old mortgage. For tax purposes, $200,000 is home acquisition debt, and the remaining $25,000 is home equity debt.Interest paid on home acquisition debt is generally tax deductible in its entirety. You can also deduct interest paid on the first $100,000 of home equity debt.

Refinance or Second Mortgage?

Understanding your options:

1:Lower your monthly payment
2:Shorten your pay-off term
3:Optimize your loan structure
4:Consolidate your debt
5:Fund large, one-time expenses

The first three can only be accomplished with a refinance. The last two-consolidating debt and funding one-time expenses-can be accomplished with either a refinance or a second mortgage. To decide between a refinance and a second mortgage, compare your mortgage interest rate with current market rates. If you’re paying more than what’s available, a refinance will lower your overall interest costs. If you’re paying less, a second mortgage might be the better option. When the two rates are roughly comparable, many borrowers prefer the efficiency of a refinance-one loan, one monthly payment. It’s also worth noting that refinance loans generally carry lower interest rates than second mortgages. You cannot, unfortunately, take your new debt for a test drive before signing up. Therein lies the importance of making informed decisions; refinancing your mortgage every year, after all, can get expensive. That leads us to the next topic: closing costs.

Closing Costs and Refinance Risks:

1:Application Fee
2:Loan Origination Fee
3:Discount Points
4:Appraisal Fee
5:Title Search Fee
6:Title Insurance Fee
7:Prepayment Penalty on Existing Mortgage

The first three listed above are within your lender’s control; the others are not. If you have great credit, you might be able to negotiate lower application fees, loan fees, and discount points. Be cautious if a lender offers to cover your closing costs; this may mean you’ll be charged a higher interest rate. Closing costs have been known to change at the last possible moment. Your best protection against unpleasant surprises is to request a written estimate. Also find out what the lender’s policy is on closing cost changes; some lenders guarantee their estimated costs, and others don’t. If you’re refinancing just to save money, be sure to weigh the closing costs against your monthly savings. If the new loan saves you $50 monthly, but you have to shell out $1,200 in closing costs, it will be two years before you break even.


Risky business:

Are there risks involved with refinancing? The short answer is yes. But there are also risks involved in relocating, like noisy neighbors, a house that’s a potential money pit, and schools for the kids. Just like these examples, refinancing risks can be managed-if you’re prepared. Here are the most common to watch out for: 1. Taking on too much debt. Reputable lenders are trained to find you a mortgage loan program that you can afford. Trust that they know what they’re doing, and be honest about your financial situation. Over-burdening yourself with debt could put you on the fast track to bankruptcy. 2. Putting your home at risk of foreclosure. This should be a consideration if you want to consolidate credit card debt into your mortgage. When you consolidate such obligations with a mortgage refinance, your home becomes collateral for debt that was previously unsecured. 3. Increasing your total interest costs. If your old loan has 25 years left until its maturity and you replace it with a new 30-year loan, you’ll be incurring interest costs for an extra five years. In the end, you’ll have to evaluate the risks and advantages of refinancing relative to your situation. Since you already have the basic knowledge in your back pocket, that evaluation process should be pretty straightforward. Just stay focused n one goal: a financially stronger you! for mortgage calulator visit http://mortgagerefinanceidea.blogspot.com/

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As things are changing in the economy, you may be looking at your current mortgage and trying to decide whether you should refinance home loan debt now. There are some advantages but before you decide, be sure to ask yourself some of these important questions.

Would an Adjustable Interest Rate be Smart?

If you are thinking about choosing to refinance home loan with an adjustable interest rate, you may want to rethink the idea. While adjustable interest rates can be a good choice when you are taking out a loan when the rates are elevated, you would be better off in most cases choosing a fixed interest rate. The benefit of the latter choice is that you’ll always know how much each monthly payment is going to be. You don’t have to worry about unexpected increases that you cannot afford. Remember adjustable interest rates are one of the reasons for the current foreclosure crisis in the real estate market.

Will You Save Money by Refinancing?

Although you could refinance home loan balances to save money, you won’t always be able to cut down your bills this way. You have to look carefully at the details of the refinancing to make sure you will lower your payments. Obviously, you will be spending more in the long-term because of the added years of interest payments above the original terms of the loan. However, you may cut your costs for monthly mortgage payments which could be a huge help if you’re struggling to make those payments now.

Is This the Best Time to Refinance?

One way to determine if you should consider refinance home loan charges now is by looking at the existing interest rates. When you see those rates start to fall below your current rates, you may want to consider choosing this option. You will save a lot of money even if the interest rate drops by only a couple of percentage points. However, there may be other factors that would make this a bad time to refinance. For example, you may want to avoid refinance home loan if your credit isn’t in tip-top shape. If you have just a few dings on your credit report, you could end up paying a higher interest rate when you refinance and that’s not a good idea. Consider talking to a financial advisor before making the final decision.

What Costs Will I Have to Pay?

Although you could save money if you refinance home loan debt, you can also look at having to pay some fees upfront. For example, your home will need to be appraised to ensure its value warrants the cost of the loan. You’ll also have to pay closing costs and title fees just as you would otherwise. Occasionally, you can still find lenders who will roll over those expenses into the cost of the loan but that’s only going to cost you more in the long run. Remember you’ll end up paying interest on those fees, too.  

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