Jun

24

From Denver RE Investor to CO RE Agent

By Angela Lanfranco

Denver Real Estate Investors become Agents

The housing boom gave a lot of Denver real estate investors the hands-on training and competence of a savvy real estate agent. Having worked through the explosive boom and then bust phase of this market, many of these real estate investors earned their stripes to enter the ranks of the professional real estate agent set.

Formal Training

Many existing real estate agents are concerned that if the flood of real estate investors that flowed into the market over the past several years take on the training to make them a Colorado real estate agent, the already tight competition will get worse. In reality, many real estate investors are already competent real estate agents. It is for the handful of real estate investors that don’t hold a real estate licenses that many education sources exist.

Resources are not limited to existing real estate agents, and maintaining the integrity and training of anyone calling themselves a Colorado real estate agent can only help the perception of the whole. While some real estate investors can succeed without a real estate license, there viability to prospective clients will be enhanced if they do hold one.

Education Options

Any Denver real estate investor interested in pursuing formal training to obtain their real estate agent license can look to several sources within the real estate market. First and foremost, MLS.com offers real estate courses in pre-license, post-license, brokers’ pre-license and continuing education. These courses are available to real estate assistants at half the agent costs, and are available online. Each course is set to cover information covered in specific states’ license exams.

Real Estate Investment Association offers some continuing education training seminars for real estate agents that are specifically target real estate investors and how to assist them. The REIA is very supportive of the proposition of educating Denver real estate investors to help them become licensed, professional Colorado real estate agents.  By leveraging their experience earned in the housing market, the expectation is emerging real estate agents with the know-how to deal with extreme market situations like we have faced over the last few years.

Going Forward

As the housing market continues its path to level all around the country, the need for more savvy real estate agents with “in the trenches” skills is palpable. The experience of successful real estate investing in the Colorado market has given Denver real estate investors a leg up in becoming skilled, licensed Colorado real estate agents.

May

31

Time is Ticking on Denver Colorado Home Refinancing

By Angela Lanfranco

Great refinancing rates in Denver and other Colorado areas is slowly starting to dry up according to a nationwide report last week.  Some rates by lenders across the U.S. went up almost one percent. This could be because of the Feds recent comments on the economic stabilization looking a little brighter. With the growing number of folks refinancing, this has to play a role in a boost in the U.S. economy. Most analysts agree this small  rise in rates won’t necessarily hurt the economy. While some home owners who were pondering on recent offerings of 4 % rates, are now wishing they had acted faster.

The average rate for a 30-year fixed mortgage is back at 4.91 percent this week, up from 4.82 percent last week, Freddie Mac said Thursday. Here at Golden Lenders, we are constantly watching these trends because we have had so many homeowners inquire about refinancing. ” I would say now is the time, it can’t get much better than now” said Golden Lenders Owners D.J. Robbins. D.J. and his team have been processing multiple refinancing packets per day. D.J. when on to say “These homeowners are getting the best possible rates we can offer.”

Most of the fuel behind the recent spike was because of new loan applications rising for the last 5 weeks according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. On top of that, sales of new homes are appearing to bounce back. Here in Colorado, home sales are actually positive from April through May.

We can still lock you in a great refinancing rate, just come in and sit down and talk with us. We will sit and consult with you and figure out the best possible options that suit your needs. Whether your looking to cash in some equity, get a lower rate, or lower your monthly payments, there is something right now that fits your situation. Denver Colorado home refinancing options have still never been better. Don’t wait to long before the time is up. Contact Golden Lenders today!

May

13

Colorado Home Loan Rates

By Angela Lanfranco

AMAZING CO HOME LOAN RATES

 

People in Colorado are refinancing their homes loans all over the state. While the rest of United States struggles with the economy, employment, and financial crisis, Colorado is standing firm throughout it all. Golden Lenders has seen a huge increase in the applications for refinancing in the last three months. If you haven’t looked at your options, you need to act quick. Time could be running out for great rates and this would be an oppotunity that you don’t want to miss.

You can consult with one of our Loan Specialists to weigh out your options. What hurt can that do? You’ll find that our lenders are offering you the most competive Colorado home loan rates in the market today. Staying competitive means informing home owners with not only good information, but ensuring they get the most out of their loan based on their future goals in their lives.

Most people on average that purchased their homes in 2003-2007 came in at 30 yr fixed loans with an APR of anywhere between 5.75% – 6.50%. If you haven’t looked into refinancing, you need to see how much money you’ll save by going with a Golden Lenders refinance loan that could save you tens of thousands of dollars.

As it stands: Based on Approved Credit and also rates subject to changing 

Our rates (based on qualifications) for this month alone are as followed:

15 yr fixed 4.25%/4.59% APR

 

30 yr fixed 4.5%/4.67% APR

 

Could you imagine how much less your monthly payments would be? How much money you would save based on the duration of paying off your home? Why not give Golden Lenders a call or an email today? Colorado home loan rates couldn’t be better, we are here to assist all home owners in refinancing to clear a path to financial stability.

Apr

18

Colorado Home Financing and Sales 2009

By Angela Lanfranco

The State of Colorado Home Sales in Early 2009

Colorado Home Financing

Are you in the process of obtaining Colorado home financing? If so, you may be walking in better shoes than those trying to get financed elsewhere in the country. According to information released on the last day of March, the average home price fell at an alarming, record pace throughout January. On the surface, this scares off potential home buyers from getting a home loan in Colorado. However, Denver was much better off than other metro areas.

The Standard & Poor’s/Case-Shiller home-price index, which started in 2000, showed the largest drop ever in 20 major cities. Colorado home financing was faring well along with the home prices in the Denver area. Denver seen a mere 5.1 percent decrease, while the average home price across the others decreased 19 percent. Colorado online mortgage lenders will be able to clearly help you understand what is going on with area real estate before you make any decision.

There’s a lot of activity going on with short sales, so much of the Colorado home financing has been helping home buyers get their hands on homes for less than what is owed on them. Jon Terry, a real estate broker from Realty Professional of America, says that’s one of the reasons we seen the small decline that we did.

Real estate broker Jon Terry of Realty Professionals of America Inc. points to a large number of short sales, in which homes are sold for less than the outstanding balance on the mortgage, and foreclosures as driving the decline. Many current home buyers are getting a home loan in Colorado for short sales, while regular home listings are taking longer to sell.

Another reason Colorado homes and Colorado home financing aren’t suffering as badly as in other areas is that there wasn’t an enormous appreciation of home values here. Those who were able to get Colorado home financing and buy a home here didn’t see the quick-rising appreciation as other areas did, such as Las Vegas. So, there wasn’t as much equity to be lost when the troubling times began. So if you’ve been considering a home loan in Colorado for that perfect, new home, hopefully this sheds some positive light on the situation. You can begin to see that this area has a more stable real estate market than in many other places.

If you’re still hesitant about entering into a Colorado home financing contract, look a little deeper than what the news tells you. For instance, it may not be as bad as the Case Shiller index indicates. The Federal Housing Financing Agency is actually more reliable. That’s because they consider appraisals for refinancing, and not solely home sales. The FHFA index only includes homes that are valued $450,000 and less. However, they cover a much larger area. Their numbers indicate nationwide housing sales only dropped 6.3 percent from the last year (with mountain states at 9.2 percent).The FHFA first quarter numbers for 2009 are not available yet, though. They release data quarterly for state-specific areas.

Whether you need Colorado home financing because you want to buy a new home off the regular market or try to get a deal through a short-sale, using Colorado online mortgage lender like Golden Lenders could speed up the process

Apr

7

Colorado Home Loans Going Strong

By Angela Lanfranco

Colorado Home Loans Going Strong Compared to Nation

You would probably assume that Colorado home loans were down in 2008 from 2007, with all the talk about what a bad shape the real estate industry is in. However, Colorado home loans and Colorado home financing in general actually saw an upswing in 2008. Much of the public’s misunderstanding of what is happening in real estate and how Colorado home loans are being affected is due to one thing; the media.

The media is often quick to jump to conclusions. Sometimes they don’t have any real knowledge of Colorado home financing stats, Colorado mortgage rates or anything within the world of real estate. They falsely assume all Colorado home loan lending sources are the same and thus, refer to them all as banks. If you’re in the market for a new home and need to find good Colorado home financing, then please take heed to this. Colorado Bankers Association President, Don Childears, says, banks in Colorado are lending better than ever in the past and that they have the means to confidently do it. That’s great news for anyone seeking Colorado home financing.

So where does the bad media hype come from? At one time, banks were the majority of lenders for Colorado home loans, but then finance companies came into the picture and took up a large part of the Colorado home financing business. Actual banks were lending very little of the overall Colorado home loans that were being processed. Then these finance companies dramatically cut back the amount of Colorado home loans they were approving, leaving banks to try fill that void. Commercial banks are actually lending more for Colorado home financing transactions, but it’s hard to see because it’s difficult for them to make up for the vast lending the finance companies were doing.

Of course, it’s important to note that we’re talking about Colorado home loans and commercial banks in Colorado… not overall for the nation. Most Colorado home financing through banks still have the same standards a borrower must meet, while others have scrutinizing standards.  As a result, good credit, income, and assets are simply a requirement. Working with a smaller to medium size lender is a better way to go. If your credit is decent, and you have an income, chances are we can help.

This doesn’t mean you have to have a flawless record to get a Colorado home loan. If your credit isn’t perfect, try talking to one of our consultants to see just what kind of Colorado home loan you qualify for. Residential Colorado home loans may not be as easy to come by as they once were, but it’s definitely worth the effort considering the low prices you can get for a new home for right now. Not to mention the currently low Colorado mortgage rates on Colorado home loans. Golden Lenders is here to help.