Mortgage Applications Surge With Large Drop In Mortgage Rates
Last week, the number of Americans applying for mortgages surged over the previous week, according to a report released today by the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA).
Quizzle is thankful for all of YOU!
Happy (belated) Thanksgiving! It’s no-doubt been a crazy year in the financial industry with a large heap of uncertainty and a bounty of unforeseen changes. But it’s Thanksgiving time - a time to put worries aside, count your blessings and feast on the most important things in life: family, friends, health, job, etc.
Here are a few things that Quizzle is thankful for today:
- YOU! And the other 96,913 people who have decided to settle in the land of Quizzle!
- The unbelievable word-of-mouth from you, Clark Howard (radio), Dave Ramsey (radio), Wall Street Journal, and many others who have helped gather and educate new Quizzlers!
- Those of you who are using Quizzle to harvest your good credit, make smarter decisions, and realize the American Dream of home ownership.
Here are a few things that you early Quizzle settlers have told us you were thankful for this year:
- Your site is really awesome. It has come in handy during these really hard times. Thank you Quizzle.
- Very user friendly and flexible. You will receive consideration for my future mortgage needs.
- This is the kind of service internet users should expect - great information. Now I know where I stand and what steps are needed to upgrade my fico score. Thanks!
- Thanks Quizzle. I will work harder to pay off my credit cards early.
- You provide a great service. I’m glad I heard about you on the Clark Howard radio program.
- This site is super awesome! My new favorite everything site. WOW!
- Everything was right on the money….I Love Quizzle….it’s the Best!
- I heard about you on the Dave Ramsey show…Thank you so much…I am trying to buy a home and this was a very helpful site.
- Great website! Fun to use too. Thanks!
- This is a very cool tool! I am very much looking forward to using it going forward to assess my standing and purchase a new home in the next year and a half. Thanks.
- Quizzle is ridiculously amazing!
- This was so easy and FRIENDLY. I have put off looking at my “bad credit report” for so long. You helped me get started and encouraged me to raise my score. THANK YOU!
We are thankful to each of you who’ve provided feedback this year! We use these daily “conversations” with you to make important changes and improve you Quizzle experience - please keep the feedback coming!
Enjoy the holiday season and remember to be smart and stay in-the-know with Quizzle!
Homeowners for the Holidays – The Best Gifts for Buyers and Sellers
With Thanksgiving just days past us and “Black Friday,” another memory of furious crowds and shopping mayhem, the holiday season is officially upon us. This year with the market still under duress, it won’t come as a surprise when families turn to practical gifts rather than gifting lavish luxuries.
Very Low Mortgage Rates and Stronger Purchase Activity Drive Mortgage Applications Up
Last week, due to a huge drop in mortgage rates, the number of Americans applying for mortgages increased slightly over the previous week, according to a report released today by the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA).
Mortgage Rates Drop on News of Fed’s $800 Billion Housing Plan
Get ready for an early holiday present, dear consumers.
Existing Home Sales Decline Despite Homes Becoming More Affordable
The National Association of Realtors announced today that existing home sales in October were down 3.1 percent as compared to September 2008.
Home Improvements May Come With Tax Credits
Making home improvements? With economic and election news dominating recent headlines, you might have missed some important information affecting homeowners like you. Most importantly, several tax credits for certain home improvements were just added or renewed. Make sure you are taking advantage of all of these home improvement tax credits!
Free credit report from Quizzle alerts Quizzler of identity theft
Financially-reformed Cap from StopBuyingCrap.com (love the domain name) found one unpleasant surprise when he signed up for Quizzle: an unauthorized balance for $20,000 on his free credit report. Not fun.
After some investigation, Cap realized the debt had been opened a family member. Lucky enough to pinpoint the source, Cap can make sure the debt gets paid and off his report as soon as possible. For some people not lucky enough to find offenders, fixing identity fraud can be a long and harrowing road with little recourse available.
Paraphrasing here from the Federal Trade Commission, here are the steps to take if you’ve been the victim of identity theft:
1. Get copies of your credit report from every bureau and place a fraud alert. You only need to contact one of the bureaus – that company is required to alert the other two. Here is the contact info for each bureau:
- TransUnion: 1-800-680-7289; www.transunion.com; Fraud Victim Assistance Division, P.O. Box 6790, Fullerton, CA 92834-6790
- Equifax: 1-800-525-6285; www.equifax.com; P.O. Box 740241, Atlanta, GA 30374-0241
- Experian: 1-888- 397-3742; www.experian.com; P.O. Box 9532, Allen, TX 75013
2. Close the accounts that have been tampered with or opened fraudulently. Speak with the fraud departments and send them any documentation they need via certified mail. Many companies may have their own dispute forms available. If not, the FTC has an ID Theft Affidavit you can download and fill out and should cover everything the company needs to know. Get documentation from that company stating the account has been closed for proof.
3. File a complaint with the FTC. Couldn’t be easier. The whole complaint process can be completed online. When you do this, you help them catch identity thieves all other the country. This is a war best waged by many people, not just a few.
4. File a police report. Even if your local police office is reluctant, insist on a police report. It’s your identity! Make sure you bring all your documentation from the FTC and disputed accounts as support.
And, like Cap, always be aware. The best way to not have your identity stolen is to constantly be on top of things. Quizzle loves you enough to give you a free credit report and free credit score every 6 months.
Also, thanks to Cap for his lovely review of Quizzle. He’s got a pretty sweet finance blog too and we promise not to be jealous if you go check it out. Just come back, k? We’ll miss you.
Mortgage Applications Drop, Despite an Increase in Refinancing, in Latest Report
The number of Americans seeking a mortgage to purchase a home fell, while applications for those seeking to refinance increased, according to this morning’s Market Composite Index, released by the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA).
Government Announces Loan Modification & Foreclosure Prevention Plan
On Tuesday, the Bush Administration laid out a plan to rescue struggling homeowners and put an end to the crippling housing market. The plan is based around the mortgages held by now government-run Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The details of the plan are as follows…