http://www.myfico.com/CreditEducation/CreditChecks/Inquiries.aspx
Good info for those shopping for a mortgage.
Great Tips!
Want to buy your first home? You probably have some cash saved for a down payment and recommendations for realty agents from savvy friends. But have you cleared your credit report, hired a tax adviser, or weighed FHA financing, compared with a conventional mortgage?
Kasara Williams, 31, has taken all three steps in a yearlong quest to buy her first home. ‘‘This whole experience has taught me that it’s important to have your financial act in order,’’ said Williams, of Arlington, Va.
Not every first-time buyer needs a tax adviser, as Williams did to withdraw part of her IRA without being penalized. But everyone should prepare early with orderly finances, information, and plenty of patience for a long, complicated process.
Mortgage lenders and home sellers have become more demanding in the documentation they require. And with the market heating up, you should think through the contingencies and prepare your balance…
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The buyer of the 50,000-square-foot estate often described as a French palace isn’t revealed, but may be onetime junk bond king Michael Milken.
After an international bidding war, a Westside mansion often described as a French palace has changed hands for $102 million, making it the most expensive residential sale ever recorded in Southern California.
As is often the case with high-end properties, the identity of the trophy home’s unnamed buyer has been obscured behind layers of lawyers, agents and a limited liability company.
But the real estate equivalent of a bread crumb trail suggests that the purchaser of the opulent estate is onetime junk bond king Michael Milken, who has spent more than two decades devoted to philanthropic efforts since he pleaded guilty in 1990 to securities fraud.
The 50,000-square-foot residence was named Fleur de Lys by the seller, socialite Suzanne…
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On 5/23/2011, there were 42 condominium buildings in Oakland that were approved by the FHA. As of April 1, 2014, there are only 15 FHA approved condominium buildings. Here is a list of those buildings that remain qualified for FHA financing which often allows a buyer to purchase with a lower down payment (though mortgage insurance is likely to be required):
1. 416 North Street, Oakland, CA 94609 (4 units)
2. 428 Alice Street, Oakland, CA 94607 (93 condos)
3. 5343 Broadway Terrace, Oakland, CA 94618 (Rockridge)
4. 55 Fairmount Avenue, Oakland, CA 94611 (51 units)
5. 245 Perkins Street, Oakland, CA 94610 (36 units “Cambridge House Condominiums”)
6. 5405 Carlton Street, Oakland, CA 94618 (17 units “Carlton View Condominiums”)
7. 590 El Dorado Avenue, Oakland, CA 94611 (47 units)
8. 655 12th Street, Oakland, CA 94607 (92 units “Landmark Place”)
9. 6261 Leona Avenue, Oakland 94605 (302 units “Monte Vista Villas”)
10. 1201 Pine Street, Oakland, CA 94607 (163 units “Pacific Cannery Lofts”)
11. 700 Canyon Oaks Drive, Oakland, CA 94605 (66 units “Ridgemont at Skyline”)
12. 440 38th Street, Oakland, CA 94609 (4 units, “Temescal Gardens”)
13. 373 4th Street, Oakland, CA (10 units “Pocket Lofts”)
14. 811 York Street, Oakland, CA 94610 (78 units “The York Towers”)
15. 3240 Peralta Street, Oakland, CA 94608 (28 units “West Clawson Lofts”)
It is possible for buildings not listed here to become FHA approved. There is a process to this but it can be achieved by using the right real estate broker and lender (and consent from the HOA). Please don’t hesitate to contact me should you be in need of our services.
Andy Read
Broker, Caldecott Properties
aread@Caldecott.com
510.594.2400 x 222