Dan Melson's San Diego Real Estate and Mortgage Website

• New Consumer Article: The 2010 Good Faith Estimate (Page Three)

  Today we have the final installment in the series on the new Good Faith Estimate formThe 2010 Good Faith Estimate (Page Three). Your government that should be protecting you from the worst sort of mortgage provider lies is now actively enabling those lies by allowing/making a false statement that [...]
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  Posted: December 09, 2009, 10:15am EST
  by Dan Melson

• New Consumer Article: The 2010 Good Faith Estimate (Page Two)

  The second installment in the series The 2010 Good Faith Estimate (Page Two) is now up. Read it and weep - for consumers nationwide who were hoping the government would provide the solution to their troubles. Didn't happen. Instead, it's same old game of low-ball the consumer to get' [...]
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  Posted: December 08, 2009, 10:00am EST
  by Dan Melson

• New Consumer Article: The 2010 Good Faith Estimate (Page One)

  It's been a while, but the most recent Transaction From Hell (seller's tenants didn't want to move out - or even let inspectors in) is finally over and I've had a little bit of chance to recover. Today's new consumer article is The 2010 Good Faith Estimate (Page One). [...]
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  Posted: December 07, 2009, 12:00pm EST
  by Dan Melson

• Project VALOUR-IT

  (This will remain on top through Veteran's Day. Scroll down for newer posts) I think that one charitable fund raiser per year is both reasonable and an absolute limit, so I have to be very picky as to which one I choose. I could choose the San Diego Zoo, American [...]
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  Posted: November 12, 2009, 2:11am EST
  by Dan Melson

• New Consumer Article: Changes In The Mortgage Market And Transparency Since 2005

  It's been a while because I've been both busy and depressed over dis-improvements in the market and their effects upon consumers, but yesterday I found time to write a new article Changes In The Mortgage Market And Transparency Since 2005. It explains a lot of changes in the mortgage' [...]
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  Posted: October 28, 2009, 10:20am EDT
  by Dan Melson

• New HOMESTEPS Property List October 22nd, 2009

  This is the new list of HOMESTEPS properties from Freddie Mac for the areas I specialize in. These properties qualify for special financing. I can get the list for other areas. Be aware that Freddie Mac does not remove properties from this list (even though they may be Pending) [...]
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  Posted: October 22, 2009, 7:00pm EDT
  by Dan Melson

• Real Loans for Real People September 18th, 2009

  The Best Loans Right NOW Based upon "average credit", not absolutely perfect credit. People who do have better credit get even better rates! Conforming Rates Thirty Year Fixed Rate Loans 4.875% 30 Year fixed rate loan, with one total point (that covers both discount and origination) to the consumer and NO PREPAYMENT PENALTIES!. [...]
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  Posted: September 18, 2009, 4:30pm EDT
  by Dan Melson

• New HOMESTEPS Property List September 10th, 2009

  This is the new list of HOMESTEPS properties from Freddie Mac for the areas I specialize in. These properties qualify for special financing. I can get the list for other areas. Be aware that Freddie Mac does not remove properties from this list (even though they may be Pending) [...]
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  Posted: September 18, 2009, 3:30pm EDT
  by Dan Melson

• New HOMESTEPS Property List September 10th, 2009

  This is the new list of HOMESTEPS properties from Freddie Mac for the areas I specialize in. These properties qualify for special financing. I can get the list for other areas. Be aware that Freddie Mac does not remove properties from this list (even though they may be Pending) [...]
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  Posted: September 11, 2009, 10:00am EDT
  by Dan Melson

• New Consumer Article: Low Asking Price on Unfinanceable Properties

  The new consumer article for today is Low Asking Price on Unfinanceable Properties. Almost always, the reason for an asking price well below other equivalent properties is the presence of some factor that means you cannot obtain a regular real estate loan on the property. If you have the [...]
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  Posted: September 08, 2009, 10:00am EDT
  by Dan Melson

• Real Loans for Real People September 1, 2009

  The Best Loans Right NOW Based upon "average credit", not absolutely perfect credit. People who do have better credit get even better rates! The lenders and investors seem to be sending a strong signal that they expect rates to rise. The cost curve to buy down loan rates is steeper than [...]
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  Posted: September 01, 2009, 1:00pm EDT
  by Dan Melson

• New HOMESTEPS Property List August 27th, 2009

  This is the new list of HOMESTEPS properties from Freddie Mac for the areas I specialize in. These properties qualify for special financing. I can get the list for other areas. Be aware that Freddie Mac does not remove properties from this list (even though they may be Pending) [...]
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  Posted: August 27, 2009, 2:40pm EDT
  by Dan Melson

• New Consumer Article: Automated Underwriting In Pre-Qualification or Pre-Approval Letters

  The new consumer article for today is Automated Underwriting In Pre-Qualification or Pre-Approval Letters. Not to put too fine a point on it, automated underwriting is useless until all details of the transaction have been finalized. If you're selling a property and want to know how qualified a given' [...]
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  Posted: August 17, 2009, 10:00am EDT
  by Dan Melson

• Real Loans for Real People August 14th, 2009

  The Best Loans Right NOW Based upon "average credit", not absolutely perfect credit. People who do have better credit get even better rates! Conforming Rates Thirty Year Fixed Rate Loans 4.875% 30 Year fixed rate loan, with one total point (discount plus origination) to the consumer and NO PREPAYMENT PENALTIES!. Assuming a $400,000 [...]
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  Posted: August 14, 2009, 12:15pm EDT
  by Dan Melson

• New HOMESTEPS Property List August 13th, 2009

  This is the new list of HOMESTEPS properties from Freddie Mac for the areas I specialize in. These properties qualify for special financing. I can get the list for other areas. Be aware that Freddie Mac does not remove properties from this list (even though they may be Pending) [...]
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  Posted: August 14, 2009, 11:20am EDT
  by Dan Melson

• New Consumer Article: Two Things Sellers Need To Understand About Buyers

  The new consumer article for today is Two Things Sellers Need To Understand About Buyers, a discussion of two things both important and basic that sellers do not seem to understand about buyers, and judging by the available evidence, most agents aren't telling them. ' [...]
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  Posted: August 10, 2009, 10:00am EDT
  by Dan Melson

• New HOMESTEPS Property List August 6th, 2009

  This is the new list of HOMESTEPS properties from Freddie Mac for the areas I specialize in. These properties qualify for special financing. I can get the list for other areas. Be aware that Freddie Mac does not remove properties from this list even though they may be Pending I [...]
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  Posted: August 06, 2009, 8:40pm EDT
  by Dan Melson

• New Consumer Article: Asking Price Versus Sales Price

  The new consumer article for today is Asking Price Versus Sales Price, a short discussion of what they are and the relationship between them. Many agents have forgotten this stuff, but it really is very basic stuff everyone should keep in mind. [...]
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  Posted: August 05, 2009, 10:00am EDT
  by Dan Melson

• New Consumer Article: State of The San Diego Real Estate Market August 2009

  The new consumer article for today is State of The San Diego Real Estate Market August 2009 I've been letting this website go for a couple weeks. I'm now in a position to pay a little more attention to it, so expect the regular articles to start back up. I've' [...]
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  Posted: August 04, 2009, 5:00pm EDT
  by Dan Melson

• New Consumer Article: Assuming Seller Concessions On Loan Quotes

  The new consumer article for today is Assuming Seller Concessions On Loan Quotes, which discusses why lenders do this: To make an expensive loan look not so expensive. But there is no way to get seller concessions (Seller Paid Closing Costs) without paying for them in the purchase price. [...]
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  Posted: July 20, 2009, 10:00am EDT
  by Dan Melson

• New HOMESTEPS Property List July 16th, 2009

  This is the new list of HOMESTEPS properties from Freddie Mac for the areas I specialize in. These properties qualify for special financing. I can get the list for other areas. I also have a list of upcoming HOMESTEPS properties not on the market yet Yes, I'm a day and' [...]
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  Posted: July 17, 2009, 8:46pm EDT
  by Dan Melson

• Real Loans for Real People July 14th, 2009

  The Best Loans Right NOW Based upon "average credit", not absolutely perfect credit. People who do have better credit get even better rates! Conforming Rates Thirty Year Fixed Rate Loans 5.00% 30 Year fixed rate loan, with one total point (discount plus origination) to the consumer and NO PREPAYMENT PENALTIES!. Assuming a $400,000 [...]
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  Posted: July 14, 2009, 12:45pm EDT
  by Dan Melson

• New Consumer Article: Some Offers Are More Equal Than Others

  The new consumer article for today is Some Offers Are More Equal Than Others, talking about how to evaluate two different purchase offers even though they may be for the same or similar amounts of money. This is primarily important for property owners looking to sell, but those looking [...]
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  Posted: July 13, 2009, 10:00am EDT
  by Dan Melson

• New HOMESTEPS Property List July 9th, 2009

  This is the new list of HOMESTEPS properties from Freddie Mac for the areas I specialize in. These properties qualify for special financing. I can get the list for other areas. I also have a list of upcoming HOMESTEPS properties not on the market yet If you have questions, Contact [...]
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  Posted: July 09, 2009, 10:00am EDT
  by Dan Melson

• Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Expanding "Upside Down" or "Underwater" Refinance to 125%

  I almost Forgot to mention that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have been pleased with the success of their 105% refinance program. It's keeping them from losing money, and converting adjustable loans into fixed rate loans so the consumers can refinance and keep their property when otherwise they would [...]
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  Posted: July 07, 2009, 2:15pm EDT
  by Dan Melson

• Real Loans for Real People July 7th, 2009

  The Best Loans Right NOW Based upon "average credit", not absolutely perfect credit. People who do have better credit get even better rates! Conforming Rates Thirty Year Fixed Rate Loans 5.00% 30 Year fixed rate loan, with one total point (discount plus origination) to the consumer and NO PREPAYMENT PENALTIES!. Assuming a $400,000 [...]
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  Posted: July 07, 2009, 2:00pm EDT
  by Dan Melson

• New Consumer Article: The Loan Shopping Koan

  The new consumer article for today is The Loan Shopping Koan, talking about the contradiction offered by dueling interests: The fact that while consumers want the best possible loan, against the opposing fact that it's very easy for loan providers to talk a good game while fully intending to [...]
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  Posted: July 07, 2009, 10:00am EDT
  by Dan Melson

• New Consumer Article: How To Keep Listing Agents From Filtering Out Offers

  The new consumer article for today is How To Keep Listing Agents From Filtering Out Offers. This is a real, major, and once again increasing problem within the real estate industry. You need to take steps to prevent it from happening to you before you sign the listing contract. And [...]
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  Posted: July 06, 2009, 10:00am EDT
  by Dan Melson

• New Consumer Article: Short Sale Negotiators and the Interests of Potential Buyers

  The new consumer article for today is Short Sale Negotiators and the Interests of Potential Buyers. An awful lot of nonsense gets tried with short sales, most of it for the benefit of lazy listing agents who shouldn't have taken the listing rather than any of the principals in' [...]
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  Posted: July 01, 2009, 10:00am EDT
  by Dan Melson

• New Consumer Article: They Told Me Not To Make My Loan Payment

  The new consumer article for today is They Told Me Not To Make My Loan Payment. Ladies and Gentlemen, that's one of the top ways to get yourself in trouble when you're refinancing. What if your new loan cannot be done for some reason? In some cases I may' [...]
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  Posted: June 29, 2009, 10:00am EDT
  by Dan Melson

• New HOMESTEPS Property List June 25th, 2009

  This is the new list of HOMESTEPS properties from Freddie Mac for the areas I specialize in. These properties qualify for special financing. I can get the list for other areas. I also have a list of upcoming HOMESTEPS properties not on the market yet If you have questions, Contact [...]
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  Posted: June 25, 2009, 2:20pm EDT
  by Dan Melson

• Real Loans for Real People June 24th, 2009

  The Best Loans Right NOW Based upon "average credit", not absolutely perfect credit. People who do have better credit get even better rates! Conforming Rates Thirty Year Fixed Rate Loans 5.25% 30 Year fixed rate loan, with one total point (discount plus origination) to the consumer and NO PREPAYMENT PENALTIES!. Assuming a $400,000 [...]
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  Posted: June 24, 2009, 11:00am EDT
  by Dan Melson

• New Consumer Article: Why Sellers Should Counter All Reasonable Offers

  The new consumer article for today is Why Sellers Should Counter All Reasonable Offers. It really isn't rocket science. If your agent advises you otherwise, something is wrong. ' [...]
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  Posted: June 24, 2009, 10:15am EDT
  by Dan Melson

• New Consumer Article: Real Estate and "Priced for Perfection"

  The new consumer article for today is Real Estate and "Priced for Perfection" talks about the house that is too beautiful to pass up - but that you should. [...]
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  Posted: June 22, 2009, 10:00am EDT
  by Dan Melson

• New Consumer Article: There Is No Fairy Godmother for Loans

  The new consumer article for today is There Is No Fairy Godmother for Loans. To avoid becoming a government statistic, ask prospective loan providers the hard questions before you sign on the bottom line - or better yet, before you sign up. "What happens later on?" is a very [...]
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  Posted: June 16, 2009, 10:00am EDT
  by Dan Melson

• By Way of Apology For My Skepticism

  I have a problem with shaving. Specifically, the fact that I have extremely tough facial whiskers, combined with facial skin that's the classic easily cut baby face. Put it all together, and not only do I hate shaving, I quite often emerge from shaving looking like I've lost a' [...]
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  Posted: June 16, 2009, 12:38am EDT
  by Dan Melson

• New Consumer Article: "I'm Working With Someone Else, But Could You Just Help Me With..."

  The new consumer article for today is "I'm Working With Someone Else, But Could You Just Help Me With..." talking about requests for free work from real estate agents. I'm perfectly happy to give general information to non-clients and even talk about general options, but when it comes down [...]
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  Posted: June 15, 2009, 10:00am EDT
  by Dan Melson

• Caught Doing Good!

  Meant to upload this a few days ago, but I had been having internet difficulties so it got delayed. This year, my elder daughter got Presidential Awards for both the English and Mathematics portions of the big test the state of California does every year. Here's a picture of her [...]
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  Posted: June 14, 2009, 10:30pm EDT
  by Dan Melson

• General Consumer Articles: Week in Review June 1st to June 14th 2009

  Newly Written Articles Segmented Real Estate Markets And Taking Advantage of Them The current response to certain kinds of property is very different from that to other types. This discusses how to take advantage of it. The Sperm Donor Theory of Buyer's Agents. The real estate business is built around the [...]
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  Posted: June 14, 2009, 1:00pm EDT
  by Dan Melson

• New HOMESTEPS Property List June 11th, 2009

  This is the new list of HOMESTEPS properties from Freddie Mac for the areas I specialize in. These properties qualify for special financing. I can get the list for other areas. I've been inside a couple good ones below. I also have a list of upcoming HOMESTEPS properties not on' [...]
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  Posted: June 11, 2009, 10:00am EDT
  by Dan Melson

• Real Loans for Real People June 10th, 2009

  The Best Loans Right NOW Based upon "average credit", not absolutely perfect credit. People who do have better credit get even better rates! I am sorry to have to report that we've had a spike in rates available and costs to get them this week. We may see a small decline' [...]
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  Posted: June 10, 2009, 2:30pm EDT
  by Dan Melson

• New Consumer Article: The Sperm Donor Theory of Buyer's Agents

  The new consumer article for today is The Sperm Donor Theory of Buyer's Agents. The real estate industry is built around the listing of property. Okay, it's actually built around the care and feeding of real estate brokerages, but the activities of real estate brokerages center around the listing [...]
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  Posted: June 09, 2009, 10:00am EDT
  by Dan Melson

• New Consumer Article: Segmented Real Estate Markets And Taking Advantage of Them

  The new consumer article for today is Segmented Real Estate Markets And Taking Advantage of Them. I've written about how hot the current market is in San Diego. But if you break it down into market segments and micro markets, some market segments are much hotter than others. This' [...]
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  Posted: June 08, 2009, 10:00am EDT
  by Dan Melson

• New HOMESTEPS Property List June 4th, 2009

  This is the new list of HOMESTEPS properties from Freddie Mac for the areas I specialize in. These properties qualify for special financing. I can get the list for other areas. I also have a list of upcoming HOMESTEPS properties not on the market yet If you have questions, Contact [...]
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  Posted: June 04, 2009, 9:30pm EDT
  by Dan Melson

• Real Loans for Real People June 4th, 2009

  The Best Loans Right NOW (based upon "average credit", not absolutely perfect credit. People who do have better credit get even better rates) Rates appear to have mostly fallen off a bit from last week in conventional conforming land, but they are showing no signs of returning to levels of the [...]
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  Posted: June 04, 2009, 10:00am EDT
  by Dan Melson

• General Consumer Articles: Weeks in Review April 20th-May 10th

  I've been letting this slide for several weeks due to one thing or another, during which time I've done a few important new articles and republished quite a few important older ones. Therefore, I'm going to limit the review to three weeks and do so more catch up next' [...]
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  Posted: May 24, 2009, 3:00pm EDT
  by Dan Melson

• New HOMESTEPS Property List May 21st, 2009

  This is the new list of HOMESTEPS properties from Freddie Mac for the areas I specialize in. These properties qualify for special financing. I can get the list for other areas. I also have a list of upcoming HOMESTEPS properties not on the market yet If you have questions, Contact [...]
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  Posted: May 22, 2009, 12:45am EDT
  by Dan Melson

• Real Loans for Real People May 21st, 2009

  The Best Loans Right NOW (based upon "average credit", not absolutely perfect credit. People who do have better credit get even better rates) Conforming Rates Thirty Year Fixed Rate Loans 4.75% 30 Year fixed rate loan, with NO points (discount or origination) to the consumer and NO PREPAYMENT PENALTIES!. Assuming a $400,000 loan, [...]
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  Posted: May 21, 2009, 11:30am EDT
  by Dan Melson

• New Consumer Article: The Measurement Unit For Desirability Is Dollars

  The new consumer article for today is The Measurement Unit For Desirability Is Dollars. It really is that simple. A good agent can make a difference, but a property that has more will cost more. It isn't rocket science, but it is easy to lose sight of. ' [...]
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  Posted: May 19, 2009, 10:15am EDT
  by Dan Melson

• Debunking the "Record Wave of Foreclosures Coming" Myth

  Articles like this one: Foreclosures: 'April was a shocker' have gotten an awful lot of play in the media these last couple weeks. Here's what they're not telling you - or not explaining why it's important: This particular article actually mentions it in passing "That's due, according to Saccacio, to the many'" [...]
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  Posted: May 19, 2009, 1:30am EDT
  by Dan Melson