John Powel Walsh Articles

Debt Settlement Services - a Much Needed Service for Consumers

Patricia Boyd — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 20:47:00 GMT

REAL FINANCE SOLUTIONS is happy to announce a much anticipated partnership with Debt Zero, a Forbes Top 5 debt settlement company.

Our affiliation with Debt Zero will allow RFS Consultants to help Consumers:

· Avoid bankruptcy

· Cut their debt in half

· Get out of debt in a few short years

· Get their good credit life back

This is another great tool to help us live up to the REAL FINANCE SOLUTIONS Mission to help Consumers “Get Out of Debt and Stay Out of Debt”.

Debt Zero is dedicated to success at all levels, providing the right kind of support to the clients you enroll. The power behind Debt Zero is a team of industry leaders dedicated to excellence, whose work experience, educational background, and loyalty to helping others in need is what truly makes them great.

Emily Lopez, our new Debt Zero Team Leader/Product Specialist, is looking forward to working with everyone and helping all consultants and their clients reach the end of their distressful credit tunnel!

Emily is excited about using her years of consulting experience as a vehicle to not only facilitate your clients' path back to a debt free credit life, but make you, the consultant comfortable knowing that your clients are "in good hands". She would also like you to know that she is available to help you with your personal debt as well and that she maintains strict confidentiality with all of her clients.

Our goal at REAL FINANCE SOLUTIONS is not to just help consumers get out of debt and stay out of debt but to help our Consultants do so too and to create wealth and financial independence along the way.

Emily stated with enthusiasm, “Here at Real Finance Solutions we have the capability to help people in so many ways and now to be able to offer this newest service, it is just another way we are "Standing Guard for the Consumer"!

Upon enrollment into the Debt Zero debt settlement program, each client receives a “client toolbox” filled with helpful information. Included in the toolbox is instructions on how to follow the progress of their account 24/7, a copy of their signed contract, the balance of their savings account, a monthly newsletter, scripts on what to say to a creditor, educational material, and much more! Your client won’t help but feel like family with over 70 customer service representatives at their disposal, and a prepaid legal hotline to help them deal with those harassing creditors or answer any questions they may have along the way!

You can be proud to let your customers know that Debt Zero is a nationally recognized debt settlement company and that Emily Lopez will be making "raving fans" of your customers with her great customer service and knowledge of this new service!

You can reach Emily by emailing her at successships1@gmail.com .

Real Finance Solutions Inks a Deal With Financial Powerhouse!

Patricia Boyd — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 11:50:00 GMT

Real Finance Solutions Inks a Deal With Financial Powerhouse!

Through strategic planning and a bit of fate Real Finance Solutions and the Kerpan Team have finalized a growth plan for RFS that will take it to the next level!

Jennifer & Nathan Kerpan, our new Team Leader / Product Specialists, with Benchmark Home Loans - A Nationwide Direct Lender, are very excited to be a part of the support behind the Real Finance Solutions Mission. They are certainly Up to the Challenge of Serving you and your Team!

In fact Jennifer & Nathan say, "We are very proud to be a part of the Significant Change that is taking place within Real Finance Solutions! We look forward to helping RFS rise to become not only the best of its ability, but become part of the new standard for which all Mortgage & Real Estate business is transacted! Consumer Advocacy is in dire need and is the wave of the future!"

With Jennifer & Nathan's extensive 10-Year Experience of Serving Families within Home Finance and overall Life Planning they are a perfect fit in line with the RFS Mission. It is no wonder since they have treated their Mortgage Business more as a Mortgage Practice than like a Mortgage Drive-thru! Their Mortgage Planning approach to serving their clients will be a sure fit into your RFS Consulting arsenal!

Available Loan Programs

Conventional
FHA
VA
Rural Development
203k Rehabilitation
Reverse Mortgages
Purchase & Refinance

The Kerpan Team would like you to learn more about them and the resources that they bring to the table. You can do this by visiting the Real Finance Solutions Group Folder by Clicking Here - or Seeing the folder labled Kerpan Team under the RFS Group Resources Page!

Your Partner in Success..

Here is the link you and your team can use to sign up for Platinum Partners! (Be sure to NOT use WWW as the below link will only work as it is written!)

http://platinumpartners.setthemark.com

How do I get Benchmark Platinum Partners?

Please distribute this to your team and let Nathan know if you would like to schedule any Webinars where he can do a walk through on how to use this exciting technology in your RFS Business!!!

Questions of comments? Email Support@TheUniversalFamily.com or call 866-448-3874

The Kerpan's are dedicated to being more than just a Lender to RFS and have extended a Special Invitation to ALL RFS Consultants to particiapte in their Benchmark Platinum Partners program!

(Read More by Clicking Here or below!)

New Good Faith Estimate Launches January 1, 2010

Patricia Boyd — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 19:54:00 GMT

New Good Faith Estimate of Charges Launches

January 1, 2010

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development issued long-anticipated mortgage reforms that will help consumers shop for the lowest cost mortgage and avoid costly and potentially harmful loan offers. HUD will require, for the first time ever, that lenders and mortgage brokers provide consumers with a standard Good Faith Estimate (GFE) that clearly discloses key loan terms and closing costs. HUD estimates its new regulation will save consumers nearly $700 at the closing table.

HUD is the nation's housing agency committed to increasing homeownership, particularly among minorities; creating affordable housing opportunities for low-income Americans; and supporting the homeless, elderly, people with disabilities and people living with AIDS. The Department also promotes economic and community development, and enforces the nation's fair housing laws.

HUD continues to believe that consumers need to be aware of the key aspects of their loan as well as associated settlement costs.

To facilitate comparison between the HUD-1 and the GFE, each designated line on the final HUD-1 will now include a reference to the relevant line from the GFE. Borrowers will now be able to easily compare their estimated and actual costs.

HUD will require the new standardized GFE and HUD-1 beginning January 1, 2010.

To view these documents, click on the following links:

HUD's standard Good Faith Estimate

HUD-1 Settlement Statement

The new Good Faith Estimate (GFE) must be delivered within 3-days of application.

Using a series of "Yes/No" checkboxes on Page 1, mortgage lenders specifically note:

• Interest rate on the mortgage

• Whether rate can change over time

• Whether loan carries a prepayment penalty

• The length of the rate lock

Important Dates

• The “interest rate” and “other settlement charges” dates are independent of each other

• At lock, an updated GFE must be issued with “Important Dates” sections updated.

• Line 4 may contain “N/A” at this point.

Disclosing Fees

All fees typically charged to borrowers regardless of who pays must be listed on the GFE except:

Owners title, even if typically paid by the seller, must be disclosed on the GFE in Block 5

Items to Note:

• Fees disclosed, but paid by others are still bound by tolerances

• Block 3 includes all third party settlement services selected by the broker/lender

– Exception: Document preparation performed by a third party should be disclosed in Block1 (Our origination charge)

– Exception: Charges for appraisals performed by in-house appraisers should be disclosed in Block 1 (Our origination charge)

Changed Circumstances

What is a changed Circumstance?

– Acts of God, war, disaster or other emergency

– Changed situation or inaccurate information provided by the borrower after issuance of the GFE

What can change?

– Only those fees impacted by the changed circumstance

– If pricing changes due to a changed circumstance, or a borrower requested change, only the interest rate dependant charges and terms may change. This includes only those charges or credits in Block 2 which will, in turn, impact the “Adjusted Origination Charges.”

– If pricing changed due to going from a float to a lock, only the interest rate dependant charges and terms may change (Block 2 and the impacted, “Adjusted Origination Charges.”)

– Block 1 fees CANNOT change, even with a changed circumstance

Exception: If the loan amount changes and a portion of the “Origination Charge” is a percentage of the loan amount or the overall loan program changes Important Dates Section – must be updated to reflect any new information.

More information about HUD and its programs is available on the Internet at:

www.hud.gov

espanol.hud.gov

For more information about FHA products visit

www.fha.gov.

What is a REAL FINANCE SOLUTIONS Consultant?

Patricia Boyd — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 18:19:00 GMT

What is a REAL FINANCE SOLUTIONS Consultant?

A RFS Consultant is a consumer advocate dedicated to protecting Consumers from predatory business practices. We provide FREE consulting services to Consumers.

Our objective is to provide you with the information and tools needed to make educated decisions before entering into financial transactions. We believe an educated Consumer is less likely to become a victim of predatory business practices.

RFS Consultants do not make decisions for you nor negotiate on your behalf. Our role is to provide you with information you need so that you can make wise financial decisions. This includes understanding the importance of working with an honest, ethical team that will hold each other accountable for delivering exceptional customer service.

Our system provides an approved list of Affiliates that offer products to help you reach your financial goals. We hold Affiliates accountable for delivering exceptional service to Consumers they work with through the REAL FINANCE SOLUTIONS System.

All RFS Consultants must complete a certification course called, “Real Finance: A Consumer Advocate Approach to Real Estate & Mortgages”. This gives the Consultant a better understanding of how predatory business practices affect Consumers, common targets of predatory lending and how to work with a team to avoid predatory business practices, as well as, a comprehensive overview of mortgage loan products and credit scoring.

Your RFS Consultant will ask you a series of questions designed to help them understand your financial needs. Then they will introduce you to the tools on their website that will help you determine what financial products may help you reach your goals.

For instance, if you are refinancing you can use our Refinance Analysis Calculator to see how much your payment will change and how much interest you may be able to save. We suggest that you compare a 15-year loan, 20-year loan and a 30-year loan and consider the impact your mortgage has on your overall financial goals.

Then, when you are ready, your RFS Consultant can introduce you to one of the approved Affiliates on our system that will discuss your options, provide current interest rates and a Good Faith Estimate of Charges. They can help you decide if now is the right time for you to refinance by considering how long you will remain in the home and how long it will take for you to recoup the cost of refinancing.

The Refinance Analysis Calculator is only one of the many tools available that can provide you information upfront before you make a commitment to enter into a financial transaction. We believe an educated consumer is less likely to become a victim of predatory business practices.

REAL FINANCE SOLUTIONS provides a team of approved Affiliates on the System that can help you with commercial and residential financing, commercial equipment leasing, RV/Boat/Aircraft financing, credit management and many other services. We hold our Affiliates to a high level of quality service and if they do not live up to our expectations they are removed from the System.

The end result is that we hope you will become a Raving Fan of our services and not only use us again in the future but also refer your friends and family.

FHA Adopts HVCC Requirements

Patricia Boyd — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 19:10:00 GMT

Effective October 1, 2009, all FHA transactions must adhere to the appraisal guidelines outlined in the Home Valuation Code of Conduct that is currently in place for conventional financing.

This change in FHA guidelines has been enacted to limit the communication between loan officers and the appraisers assigned to case files. Loan Originators, Loan Officers, and Mortgage Loan Production Staff are not permitted to have any substantive contact with the appraiser and must direct all appraisal orders and communication through an Appraisal Management Company.

In addition, FHA appraisals are only valid for a period of 120-days from the date of the appraisal.

While the new FHA guideline does not specifically state that FHA has adopted HVCC guidelines, the new directive mirrors the requirements of HVCC.

New Conforming Mortgage Guidelines , Effective September 1, 2009

Patricia Boyd — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 18:36:00 GMT

I am re-posting a recent blog from our partner Ed Hollinshead, GHMC; the author of The Wealth Catalyst Report.

The information contained in this blog is very important and essential for you and your clients to understand.

As a reminder, Fannie Mae is rolling out new lending guidelines Tuesday, September 1, 2009.

Starting next week, being approved for a home loan could be much more difficult.

The new rules mark the first major underwriting update since April of this year. The changes are mostly geared at fraud prevention.

Among the updates:

Stock options are no longer eligible for "reserves"
Relocating families can't use the "trailing" spouse's projected income for qualifying
"Tip" income must be documented and verified
Lenders must call employers to verify employment
Lenders must verify tax transcripts against IRS records

But there are other changes, too. As examples:

Owners and buyers of 2-unit homes are subject to new minimum FICOs with larger down payment and equity requirements.
Only 70% of stock, bond and mutual fund values may be used as reserves.
Only 60% of retirement assets may be used as reserves.

Consider this post to be your advance warning. Not everyone that qualifies for a mortgage on Monday, August 31 will qualify on Tuesday, September 1.

Therefore, if you have a pending need for a mortgage -- for either a purchase or a refinance -- it's probably best to talk with a lender as soon as possible. The deadline is based on the date of application -- not the date of closing.

Read the complete Fannie Mae announcement online.

Are you ready?

Patricia Boyd — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 18:09:00 GMT

I wanted this morning's edition of RFSinsights to re-address the mission of REAL FINANCE SOLUTIONS, because I believe that we truly have the Solution to the problems in the mortgage industry. I also feel that these problems are affecting the quality of life for millions of families across America and that we can make a difference if you are willing to help.

As most of you know, I have been advocating that consumers team up with honest, ethical real estate and mortgage professionals so that they can avoid becoming victims of predatory lenders since 1987. No one wanted to hear the message for many years and it has been an uphill battle getting my message across.

To state the obvious…"America is in an economic turmoil."

I truly believe we can help; together, we need to get the word out to consumers that REAL FINANCE SOLUTIONS is here to help them make educated decisions when buying, selling, refinancing or investing in real estate.

It is interesting to me that so many people, such as Jeff Wirsing (Mortgage News Daily), feel that there still is not an answer to the mortgage industry. In his July 30, 2009 post, Proposing Real Change in the Mortgage Industry, Jeff asks "What if we were to start from scratch, on a blank white board, and completely re-invent the process of originating a mortgage? What might that look like?". This is precisely what REAL FINANCE SOLUTIONS has accomplished; we have re-invented the process of originating a mortgage.

It all begins and ends with taking care of the consumer first and success will take care of itself. That is the philosophy behind REAL FINANCE SOLUTIONS.

As RFS Consultants you are in the unique position to provide consumers the education they need so that they can make educated decisions. It really is all about empowering the consumer to understand the process from loan application to closing and also in understanding the impact their mortgage has in their ability to create wealth. They also need to understand the predatory lending practices that still exist in the marketplace and how they can avoid becoming victims of predatory lenders.

It is up to you as RFS Consultants to learn all you can about the tools and information available to you as a member of REAL FINANCE SOLUTIONS and to use those tools to educate consumers before they make loan application. You have the opportunity to be part of the solution, not part of the problem. The question is… are you ready to commit to learning the system and applying the tools you have available to help consumers? If so, you will find that as you counsel and educate consumers so that they can use their mortgage as a tool to build wealth and financial independence, you are also helping yourself build wealth and financial independence.

If you are ready to make a major commitment to improve the quality of your life and the lives of others then PLEASE JOIN US on our weekly Wednesday night Webinars so that you can learn to use the tools available to you as a RFS Consultant. Please contact every member of your team and ask them if they have read this email and if they are ready to commit to learning the system.

If you have not given Getting Started Interviews with all of your team members and would like for me to participate in one with you please send me an Email and let me know what times would work best for you. I am committed to doing everything I can to help you and your team reach your financial goals and I feel it all starts with the Getting Started Interview and making sure our RFS Consultants know how to access the tools they have available to them to counsel consumers.

We now have over 250 members in our system. We had 28 RFS Consultants join us last Monday night for our RFS Consultant training. While I was thrilled to have those 28 I could not help asking myself, “Where are the other 200+ members”? Don’t they have dreams and goals they would like to achieve to live the life they truly want to have? If so how can we help them reach those goals if they don’t participate in the Webinars? And if they don’t participate in the Webinars how are we going to reach all the families that need our help?

What can I do to help you make a commitment to building your business with REAL FINANCE SOLUTIONS?

We need you to make a commitment to participate in the training and learn how to use the tools available so we can have a powerful team providing counseling to consumers that need our help. We can’t do it without you. There are thousands of consumers across the nation making the decision to buy, sell, refinance or invest in real estate without having the opportunity to receive the counseling they need before they make their decision on which loan is right for them.

Please register to join our Monday night RFS Consultant training webinars and give us the opportunity to help you build your business so that you can truly reach your financial goals. It really all begins with you, doesn’t it?

I have just one question for you, “ARE YOU READY?