Articles by: Joe Wallace

Joe Wallace has been specializing in military and personal finance topics since 1995. His work has appeared on Air Force Television News, The Pentagon Channel, ABC and a variety of print and online publications. He is a 13-year Air Force veteran and a member of the Air Force Public Affairs Alumni Association. He was Managing editor for www.valoans.com for (8) years and is currently the Associate Editor for FHANewsblog.com.

Connect with Joe:

May 20, 2020

Mortgage Relief Scams To Avoid

By Joe Wallace

In an age where millions of Americans have applied for coronavirus-related mortgage relief, there are also con artists at work trying to steal money they haven’t earned from people who cannot afford to lose what money they have. What should you be aware of to avoid being conned while seeking home loan relief or foreclosure avoidance? Beware Mortgage Relief Scammers Some scammers just make random phone calls, hoping to strike gold. Others are far more careful and methodical. In those cases, mortgage relief scams often rely on a con artist viewing public records of homes that may be in the pre-foreclosure process, targeting these owners and hoping to take advantage. One of the hallmarks of a mortgage relief scam? The scammer comes in with promises to save the home outright, | more...

May 15, 2020

FHA Extends Coronavirus Policies

By Joe Wallace

The Federal Housing Administration has issued a press release announcing an extension to coronavirus-related mortgage relief for American borrowers with FHA home loans. One major feature of that extension? More time on the FHA eviction and foreclosure moratorium issued on FHA mortgages. That moratorium now lasts until June 30, 2020. This applies to homeowners with “FHA-insured Title II Single Family forward and Home Equity Conversion (reverse) mortgages” according to the HUD official site. Until these measures expire, FHA lenders are directed to: Halt all new foreclosure actions; Suspend all foreclosure actions currently in process, excluding legally vacant or abandoned properties; Cease all evictions from FHA-insured Single Family properties; This excludes actions “to evict occupants of legally vacant or abandoned properties”. Also extended? The length of time for FHA’s temporary policies | more...

May 11, 2020

Buying A House In The Era Of COVID-19

By Joe Wallace

Who buys a house during a global pandemic? The answer to that question may surprise you at first, but a quick look at the official site for the Department of Housing and Urban Development and it’s clear that there’s a demand, and with good reason. Some Americans not only consider buying or renting a new home during COVID-19, but some actually have no choice but to seek new housing. This could be due to any number of factors including illegal evictions, loss of income, job changes that require relocation, natural disasters, changes in family size, changes in marital status, many reasons. And those people create a demand that must be met, even during a national emergency. Granted, not all home loans during this time are out of necessity, but the | more...

May 7, 2020

Thinking About Buying Your First Home?

By Joe Wallace

As a first-time home buyer, you might think your home loans are limited to a certain type of property, a certain price range, or other limitations. But did you know that with FHA mortgages, first-time borrowers who qualify may be able to apply for condo loans, construction loans, and even loans to buy and rehab a fixer-upper property. There are myths about FHA mortgages that hinder some borrowers or prevent them from exploring FHA loan options altogether. One such myth is that FHA mortgages are ONLY for first-time home buyers or that there is a first-time buyer advantage for loan approval. Not true. Another myth is that FHA mortgages are only for low-income people or those with a demonstrated financial need. This is also not true. There are no income | more...

Build on your own lot. Construction loan basics

May 1, 2020

FHA Construction Loan Facts: What You Need To Know

By Joe Wallace

There are many options available when you are searching for a house to buy. The first set of choices often involves the type of home loan you want to apply for–believe it or not there is no one-size-fits-all mortgage. If you want to purchase a condo with an FHA mortgage, for example, there is a specific loan and procedures for that. But what if you want to have a house built for you from the ground up? This is also an option, even for first-time home buyers. You can apply for a conventional one-time close construction loan, but you’ll be applying for conventional loan interest rates and terms; an FHA One-Time Close construction loan has a 3.5% down payment requirement, which is lower than you may be offered on a | more...

April 29, 2020

Protect Your Credit With Free Weekly Credit Reports Until 2021

By Joe Wallace

COVID-19 has created an economic situation that has forced millions into unemployment, and literally millions of home loans are now in forbearance. Those who act to protect their home loans early have the most options, but even for those late to the process, catching up on home loan payments, cutting back on new credit use, and other measures can help soften the economic blow in the long run. Coronavirus outbreak containment measures, while absolutely necessary, have put a massive strain on the economy. Now, more than ever, knowing your credit report is essential, especially if you have plans to buy a home in the near to mid-term future. Credit will likely be harder to come by in the coming months. borrowers who understand the importance of this will be pulling | more...

April 27, 2020

Save Money On Your FHA Mortgage With Streamline Refinancing

By Joe Wallace

How can refinancing your FHA mortgage help save you money? Not every refinance loan can lower your interest rate or your monthly mortgage payments, but the FHA Streamline Refinance loan is designed to provide some benefit to the borrower, which can include a lower payment. How does it work? Streamline Refinance loans have no FHA-required appraisal, and no FHA-required credit check. That is a very important factor to consider as cash-out refinancing always requires both, and most other refinance loans will too. Features of the FHA Streamline Refinance loan include the following: Streamline loans refinance existing FHA mortgages; FHA Streamline Refinance loans allow an add-on called the FHA Energy-Efficient Mortgage which provides extra loan funds for approved energy-saving improvements to the home; Streamline loans normally must result in a tangible | more...

What Credit Score Is Needed For An FHA Mortgage?

April 24, 2020

FHA Home Loan Approval Rules And Income Verification

By Joe Wallace

Can all of your income be used to qualify for an FHA mortgage? If you need to buy a home soon, it’s important to understand home loan approval rules, especially in times of economic uncertainty. There are some forms of income that don’t qualify to be counted as “verifiable income” for the purpose of establishing the borrower as a good candidate for loan approval. There is specific criteria for the kinds of earnings you can use to qualify, and specific criteria for the types of earnings that the lender cannot count as part of your monthly predictable pay. Understanding those income rules is very important, especially now. Many Americans are receiving unemployment, government stimulus checks, and other financial resources. But not all money can be used toward your verifiable income, | more...

April 22, 2020

Mortgage Scams During COVID-19: Borrower Beware!

By Joe Wallace

The Federal Trade Commission warns mortgage borrowers to beware of scams that prey upon homeowners in trouble during the coronavirus outbreak. The FTC Chairman, Joe Simons, was quoted in an FTC press release advising borrowers about the FTC’s role in prosecuting scam artists taking advantage of Americans who have been affected by COVID-19. “The FTC is ready to assist businesses that may seek guidance about compliance obligations on consumer protection issues during this unprecedented time,” Simons said in the press release. If you have been contacted by a third party about coronavirus financial relief and suspect a scam artist at work, report coronavirus-related scams at ftc.gov/complaint. What should consumers do to protect themselves from coronavirus mortgage scams? The first step is simply to recognize that if you have not initiated | more...

April 21, 2020

How To Protect Your Credit

By Joe Wallace

Do you know how to protect your credit score during the COVID-19 outbreak? Millions of Americans have suffered economic setbacks as a result of containment measures designed to stop the spread of the virus, and many of them were already struggling with credit issues prior to the outbreak. How can you protect your credit going forward? The first step is to know what your credit report says and to actively monitor your credit. In some cases, credit problems wind up being the result of factors beyond the consumer including: Inaccurate credit report data Outdated credit information that needs to be removed Evidence of identity theft Credit report information that is accurate, but for someone else with the same name Any of these issues can hurt your credit, and they take | more...