Appleton, WI

Housing and Mortgage Industries Benefit from the 2009 Economic Stimulus Plan

Signed . . . Sealed . . . Delivered . . .Tax cuts and spending programs are the target to revive the US Economy. Yes the $787 Billion Economic Stimulus Plan is signed sealed and delivered to the American people. Scaled down from nearly $1 Trillion (with a BIG T), the plan will stand as the largest anti-recession effort in the U.S. since the great World War II.

Key provisions in the plan are Tax Credits for first-time home buyers, tax incentives to jump start energy savings, repair public housing and expand housing assistance to promote neighborhood stabilization.

Keep your eye open in the coming weeks for an expanded plan to assist struggling homeowners before they are faced with foreclosure. Birds flying around Washington are reporting that the Obama Administration is looking to spend an additional $50 billion in direct assistance to homeowners struggling to keep afloat.

Below are more details of the plan in simple terms. It is my intent to help you understand the plan and provide assistance in any way.

Tax Credit for Home Buyers

First-time home buyers who purchase homes from the start of the year until the end of November 2009 may be eligible for the lower of an $8,000 or 10% of the value of the home tax credit. Remember a tax credit is very different than a tax deduction - a tax credit is equivalent to money in your hand, as opposed to a tax deduction which only reduces your taxable income.

The tax credit starts phasing out for couples with incomes above $150,000 and single filers with incomes above $75,000. Buyers will have to repay the credit if they sell their homes within three years.

For a really great comparison and more information, please visit Larry Bettag's post.

Home Buyer Credit is Passed By Congress!!! All you need to know!!!

Additional Housing-Related Provisions

Tax Incentives to Spur Energy Savings and Green Jobs - This provision is designed to help promote energy-efficient investments in homes by extending and expanding tax credits through 2010 for purchases such as new furnaces, energy-efficient windows and doors, or insulation.

Landmark Energy Savings - This provision provides $5 Billion for energy efficient improvements for more than one million modest-income homes through weatherization. According to some estimates, this can help modest-income families save an average of $350 a year on heating and air conditioning bills.

Repairing Public Housing and Making Key Energy Efficiency Retrofits To HUD-Assisted Housing-This provision provides a total of $6.3 Billion for increasing energy efficiency in federally supported housing programs. Specifically, it establishes a new program to upgrade HUD-sponsored low-income housing (for elderly, disabled, and Section 8) to increase energy efficiency, including new insulation, windows, and frames.

Expanding Housing Assistance-This provision increases support for several critical housing programs. It includes $2 Billion for the Neighborhood Stabilization Program to help communities purchase and rehabilitate foreclosed, vacant properties.

More Help for Homeowners in the Future

Another thing to keep an eye on in the coming weeks is President Obama's plan to help struggling borrowers before they are faced with a default on their mortgage.

According to reports, the Obama administration is discussing plans to help borrowers who are struggling to stay afloat, but who have not yet fallen behind on their payments. At this point, details are scarce; however, reports indicate that President Obama is looking to spend approximately $50 Billion to directly help homeowners before they face foreclosure and financial disaster.

While this is good news for individual homeowners, it will likely be good for the housing industry as a whole. That's because, assisting struggling borrowers before they default should help stop the wave of foreclosures, which are estimated to top two million this year. That, in turn, will help stabilize home prices.

The Economic Stimulus Plan is huge, and impacts a number of industries. I've highlighted some of the major provisions that may impact you now and in the future.

I truly hope that this information has been of benefit -

As always, if you have any questions or would like to discuss how this may specifically impact you, I'd be happy to sit down with you. Just call or email me to set up an appointment.

Gwenn Tanvas is a Certified Mortgage Planning Specialists who specializes in Government Programs such as FHA, State and Federal VA and USDA Rural Housing Loans. Visit her website for more information, on-line calculators and a secure on-line application. She is able to assist with transaction throughout the state of Wisconsin. Her offices are located in Appleton, Oshkosh and Green Bay and offers the convenience of one-stop shopping. http://www.WisconsinLoanTips.com or http://www.MortgageProsOfWisconsin.com she can also be reached for comment or to answer questions via email at gwennt@centurytel.net

Happy Friday! I just love this thought and I hear it more and more these days from both sides. A day does not go by with out hearing the jingle from that well known radio station WFMW or WIIFM (What's in it For Me).

"Successful people are always looking for opportunities
to help others. Unsuccessful people are always
asking, 'What's in it for me?'"

by Brian Tracy, author, speaker, consultant

All of the money you'll ever make in your entire life currently belongs to someone else. You can ask for it; you can beg for it, you can even trick someone into giving it to you. But you'll never get it UNLESS you give them something of value that they want or something they need. The second you help them, they'll gladly open their wallets and give freely.

Make it a Fabulous Friday!

Gwenn Tanvas is a Certified Mortgage Planning Specialists who specializes in Government Programs such as FHA, State and Federal VA and USDA Rural Housing Loans. Visit her website for more information, on-line calculators and a secure on-line application. She is able to assist with transaction throughout the state of Wisconsin. Her offices are located in Appleton, Oshkosh and Green Bay and offers the convenience of one-stop shopping. http://www.WisconsinLoanTips.com or http://www.MortgageProsOfWisconsin.com she can also be reached for comment or to answer questions via email at gwennt@centurytel.net

This story, RANTshould bring it right home for the good people of Wisconsin - I am quite sure that this is happening all over this great land. This is a personal opinion from a professional mortgage planner who is tired of the snide comments and back lashing we have endured over the course of the past 12 months. I am a professional and have practiced ethically and with my client's best interest in mind. No one is throwing a party for me and my colleagues. And by the way . . . where is my reward for being good and showing a profit? - wheeeew - now I feel better:)

Oh Not So Fast - More RANT- We have been thrown in the pit to defend our industry and our livelihoods as the result of the bad loans originated in the minds of the greedy sitting in Ivory Towers. I did not dream that our local trusted Bank (so highly respected with in the Community) would act so foolishly. After all this is the conservative Mid-West, or is it simply a case of monkey see, monkey do?

Now perhaps the trips were planned prior to this hitting the air waves, but what concerns me is that they took the money even though they do not need it with no plan to stimulate the local economy that supports them. How about extending a line of credit to Mr. Local Business. After all they have been a loyal customer who has always paid their bills for many years now.

OK - I am done RANTING now - Here are the links to the story - They are asking for comments, so please endulge - I am done....

Hot Off The Press Are Two Local Articles

"Associated Bank plans its own fiesta after bailout party" - Posted: Feb. 11, 2009 by Daniel Bice - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Associated Bank is moving from the welfare line to the conga line.

Just three months ago, the state's second-largest bank joined scores of other troubled lenders when it cashed a check for $525 million from the federal government to prop up its bottom line.

Today, Associated is preparing to drop tens of thousands of dollars - and maybe more - to send about 100 employees to a posh Puerto Rican resort as a reward for a job well done.

Making the trip will be everyone from backroom workers to the CEO, Paul Beideman.

CLICK HERE for the rest of the story!!

Associated Bank takes $525M in bailout money, plans Caribbean trip for 100 by reporter Nathan Phelps - Green Bay Press Gazette .

Wisconsin's second-largest bank is sending about 100 employees to a Puerto Rican resort, nearly three months after its parent company accepted more than half a billion dollars in taxpayer bailout money.

Top employees at Associated Bank have earned the trip, chief executive Paul Beideman said, particularly because the bank is profitable and accepted bailout funds only as a precaution, not as a result of mismanagement.

"How are our associates going to react to it if we willy-nilly cancel the trip because of some issues people are having with other companies," he told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on Wednesday. "Given the set of facts that we have, canceling the trip and disappointing these high performers really just wasn't warranted."

CLICK HERE for the rest of the story

Thanks for letting me ramble! Wow I went from fun to furry!

Gwenn Tanvas is a Certified Mortgage Planning Specialists who specializes in Government Programs such as FHA, State and Federal VA and USDA Rural Housing Loans. Visit her website for more information, on-line calculators and a secure on-line application. She is able to assist with transaction throughout the state of Wisconsin. Her offices are located in Appleton, Oshkosh and Green Bay and offers the convenience of one-stop shopping. http://www.WisconsinLoanTips.com or http://www.MortgageProsOfWisconsin.com she can also be reached for comment or to answer questions via email at gwennt@centurytel.net

Less than 30 days into the new administration, Fannie Mae released information on their new change to roll back a very unpopular guideline change that occurred less than 12 months ago.

Information from the revision to the Selling Guide says" Fannie Mae is committed to providing financing opportunities for high-credit quality, bona fied investors. Experienced investors play a key role in the housing recovery and Fannie Mae's continued support for investor borrowers is consistent with its mission to provide stability, liquidity, and affordability to the nation's housing system".

On the onset of Spring, Investors will once again have the opportunity to own and finance up to 10 individual properties. The change is in effect on March 1, 2009 but it is important for Investors to be aware of the restrictions that are attached to this change:

Investors who are purchasing their 5^th through 10^th home will be required to meet the following minimum requirements: For a complete illustration of the changes, see Fannie Mae's Announcement 09-02.

Okay, here is a snapshot of the credit restrictions:

• 720 credit score
• 25% down payment for 1 unit properties and 30% for 2 to 4 unit properties
• Cannot have any late payment on a Mortgage in the past 12 months
• Will require 6 months of reserves for each property (Principal, Interest, Taxes and Insurance + any Association Dues, etc).

This is a good sign for Investors who can meet the above criteria - It would appear that Fannie Mae is seeing the light. There are experienced investors who meet the limitation, and can play a "key role" in housing recovery.

There is one more important point to make . . . Investors that had been stymied by the previous restrictions can now take advantage of the refinance opportunities that had limited them over the past 12 months.

Let's hope that this change will promote foreclosure liquidation which will provide support to the housing market as a whole. .

Fannie Mae 2009 Changes can be viewed here:

Gwenn Tanvas is a Certified Mortgage Planning Specialists who specializes in Government Programs such as FHA, State and Federal VA and USDA Rural Housing Loans. Visit her website for more information, on-line calculators and a secure on-line application. She is able to assist with transaction throughout the state of Wisconsin. Her offices are located in Appleton, Oshkosh and Green Bay and offers the convenience of one-stop shopping. http://www.WisconsinLoanTips.com or http://www.MortgageProsOfWisconsin.com she can also be reached for comment or to answer questions via email at gwennt@centurytel.net

Closing on your new home is an exciting time. You have just received word from your Realtor that your offer has been accepted, the closing date is set and you are pulling together all the final details. The final step is the settlement or closing.

If not prepared, the settlement statement (ie: good faith estimate), breakdown of the loan cost from the lender can be a real eye opener. You ask yourself, where on earth did all these closing costs come from; and do you really have to pay all these fees?

Regardless of how you negotiated your purchase contract and the structure of your loan with your mortgage professional, it is important to understand the fees associated with your new loan. Some fees represent actual costs to the lender imposed on them by third parties, and are NOT negotiable. As with anything in the home buying process, ask about any fee whose purpose you don't understand. Here are some examples of common non-negotiable fees:

• Credit check fee. The lender has to pay this to verify your credit history.
• Appraisal fee. A lender must make sure your house is worth the price you're paying.
• Underwriting and Processing: These are fees charged to the borrower to underwrite the loan and process and prepare the loan for closing.
• Title insurance fee. Title Insurance is required on all mortgage loans and is a requirement by the lender. This fee purchases an insurance policy protecting the lender in case legal problems crop up with the title to your new home. The insurance doesn't protect you, the buyer, in anyway if you want such an insurance policy, you have to purchase it yourself at or within a stipulated time period of closing. Most title insurance companies recommend you do this. Problems with title are very uncommon, Keep in mind that legal fees can be costly, so make some inquiries and decide whether or not you want to assume the risk.
• Courier fees and document preparation fees for the title insurance company.
• Fees for determining whether you live in a flood-prone area.
• Government fees for tax stamps affixed to the deed and for recording the transfer of the deed.

Finally, expect your closing costs to include what is referred to as "pre-paid items". Pre-paid items would include portions of your homeowners insurance and property taxes to put into your escrow account, in addition to pre-paid interest on the new loan. Mortgage interest is always paid in arrears or backwards. In simple terms, your mortgage interest is paid after it is earned. Example: Payment due on March 1st is paying for the interest earned on the loan for the previous month, in this example, February. So if you close your loan on the 15th of the month, you can expect to see 15 days of interest as a pre-paid item on your settlement statement.

If you are interested in more information or would like a personal "No Obligation" consultation, please feel free to contact my office at 920-560-5606 x 103 and ask for Gwenn Tanvas. We are here to help you through the mortgage planning process and assure that you have all the facts into front of you to make an informed decision.

Gwenn Tanvas is a Certified Mortgage Planning Specialists who specializes in Government Programs such as FHA, State and Federal VA and USDA Rural Housing Loans. Visit her website for more information, on-line calculators and a secure on-line application. She is able to assist with transaction throughout the state of Wisconsin. Her offices are located in Appleton, Oshkosh and Green Bay and offers the convenience of one-stop shopping. http://www.WisconsinLoanTips.com or http://www.MortgageProsOfWisconsin.com she can also be reached for comment or to answer questions via email at gwennt@centurytel.net