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Amazon.com: Back Home: Music Your Store Music See All 32 Product Categories   Your Account | Cart | Wish List | Help | advanced search | browse styles | classical | top sellers | new & future releases | music you should hear | blowout music | used music | free downloads Search Amazon.com Popular Music - Artist Name - Album Title - Song Title Used Music Classical Music Music Downloads Web Search Join Amazon Prime and ship Two-Day for free and Overnight for $3.99. Already a member? Sign in . MUSIC INFORMATION Explore this album buying info listen to samples editorial reviews customer reviews RATE THIS ALBUM I dislike it I love it! 1 2 3 4 5 Edit your ratings Visit the DVD Store Cream - Royal Albert Hall - London May 2-3-5-6 2005 DVD Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering. A9.com users save 1.57% on Amazon. Learn how . 120 used & new from $4.75 Available for in-store pickup now from: $16.99 Price may vary based on availability Enter your ZIP Code Have one to sell? Back Home Eric Clapton List Price: $18.98 Price: $13.49 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. See details . You Save: $5.49 (29%) Availability: Usually ships within 24 hours 120 used & new from $4.75 See more product details Best Value Buy Back Home and get American Made World Played at an additional $2 off Amazon.com's everyday low price. Total List Price : $37.96 Buy Together Today: $25.48 You Save : $12.48 Click here for promotion rules Customers who bought this title also bought: Souls Alike ~ Bonnie Raitt A Bigger Bang ~ The Rolling Stones Magic Time ~ Van Morrison Prairie Wind ~ Neil Young 80 ~ B.B. King Chaos and Creation in the Backyard ~ Paul McCartney Wildflower ~ Sheryl Crow Devils & Dust [DualDisc] ~ Bruce Springsteen Explore Similar Items : 20 in Music , 20 in DVD , and 20 in Books What similar items do customers ultimately buy after viewing this item? More than 33% buy CDs from The Bob Dylan Bootleg Series . 26% buy this item(Back Home~ Eric Clapton 12% buy Cost of Living ~ Delbert McClinton 6% buy Hillbilly Deluxe ~ Brooks & Dunn 4% buy All That I Am ~ Santana 4% buy The Word Is Live ~ Yes 2% buy At Carnegie Hall, Vol. 1-4 (Chicago IV) ~ Chicago Explore Similar Items : 9 in Music , 9 in DVD , and 9 in Books Product Details Audio CD (August 30, 2005) Number of Discs: 1 Label: Warner Bros / Wea ASIN: B000A3DFZE Average Customer Review: Based on 114 reviews. Write a review . Amazon.com Sales Rank: Today: #248 in Music Yesterday: #215 in Music Popular in: Osseo, MN(#13) , Coventry, RI(#13) . See more Customers interested in Eric Clapton may also be interested in Sponsored Links ( What's this? ) Feedback Eric Clapton Songs Download Your Favorite Songs 100% Free And Legal! www.GetMusicFree.com Eric Clapton Concert 01/06/06 Ahoy Rotterdam Bestel uw tickets op onze website www.onlineticketshop.nl Listen to Samples To hear a song sample, click on the "Listen ." Visit our audio help page for more information. 1. So Tired Listen Listen 2. Say What You Will Listen Listen 3. Im Going Left Listen Listen 4. Love Dont Love Nobody Listen Listen 5. Revolution Listen Listen 6. Love Comes To Everyone Listen Listen 7. Lost And Found Listen Listen 8. Piece Of My Heart Listen Listen 9. One Day Listen Listen 10. One Track Mind Listen Listen 11. Run Home To Me Listen Listen 12. Back Home Listen Listen Editorial Reviews Amazon.com Back Home is Eric Clapton in a good mood, filled with upbeat toe-tappers about hearth and home (a young child even puts in a cameo on "So Tired"). Blues-rock ("Lost and Found"), reggae ("Revolution"), and R&B (the Spinners' "Love Don't Love Nobody") mingle comfortably with laid-back pop (George Harrison's "Love Comes to Everyone"). Recorded around the same time as Me and Mr. Johnson , his bestselling collection of Robert Johnson songs, Clapton's first recording of (mostly) original material since 2001's Reptile is a combination of solo compositions, covers, and collaborations with writing partner Simon Climie. Backing musicians include John Mayer (guitar), Blind Faith mate Steve Winwood (synthesizer), and longtime associate Billy Preston (keyboards), whose expertise with the Hammond B3 shines brightest on the Vince Gill cowritten "One Day". There are no real surprises on Back Home , just Clapton doing what he does best--with an extra spring in his step. --Kathleen C. Fennessy Album Description Back Home, Eric Clapton's first album of original material in several years, follows this summer's historic and heralded Cream reunion and 2004's gold, Top 10 Me and Mr. Johnson covers disc (and it's audio/video companion, Sessions for Robert J). With Back Home, three-time Rock and Roll Hall of Famer and 16-time Grammy winner Clapton finds his way home with another modern classic. Spotlight Reviews (What's this?) Write an online review and share your thoughts with other customers. 104 of 126 people found the following review helpful: A happy Eric is not Eric... , September 2, 2005 Reviewer: Albert G. Smith Jr. (Daytona Beach, Fl USA)- See all my reviews I am torn here. In the review I posted for the last Mark Knopfler CD, I defended the lower prominence of lead guitar, based on the fact that this is 20-something years later than "Sultans of Swing", and an artist grows, as they should. I tried to apply this same standard to this Clapton album, but it just doesn't work for me. Knopfler might have cut back on the guitar gymnastics, but the tone and subject matter of the songs remain that same Knopfler that made me buy all of those albums. A happy Clapton is not Clapton. I'm glad his life is going well, but this also might prove that art comes from suffering. I am not a casual fan. I have every Clapton release (some on old vinyl), and tracked every vintage of his career. I can throw an old disc on that I have heard a thousand times, and experience it like new every time. I'm afraid "Back Home" will soon be relegated to the back of my CD shelf next to the dusty Pilgrim and Reptile discs. Thanks for the decades of great music Eric, but it looks like the days of buying every new album sight unseen has reached the end. I wanted to like this disc, I really did. 3 stars because this is technically a fine recording. The two missing stars are for the missing desire for me to listen to this disc after the first couple of tries. Was this review helpful to you? ( Report this ) 33 of 37 people found the following review helpful: In a nutshell - pleasant, but unexciting , September 20, 2005 Reviewer: Amanda Richards (Georgetown, Guyana)- See all my reviews It's been about five years since Eric Clapton delivered an album with original material. Of the twelve songs, Clapton has writing credits for five, including the first single "Revolution", a reggae-based song reminiscent of "I Shot the Sheriff", except unlike the latter, this one is a somewhat flat, unexciting track. Boosted by guest appearances, the album mixes reggae, R&B, pop and country. Contributors include George Harrison, who wrote "Love Comes to Everyone"; The Spinners' "Love Don't Love Nobody"; "I'm Going Left" from Stevie Wonder and Syreeta Wright; plus Vince Gill, Steve Winwood and John Mayer among others. Most of the songs can be classified as "easy listening" and can evoke the occasional head bob and hum, but they're all relatively standard songs, with nothing really worth shouting about. An average album, and not one of Clapton's best, something like an Oreo cookie without the good stuff inside. Rated 3.5 stars Amanda Richards, September 21, 2005 Was this review helpful to you? ( Report this ) All Customer Reviews Average Customer Review: Write an online review and share your thoughts with other customers. Middle of the Road , December 29, 2005 Reviewer: John Harwell (Grove City, OH USA)- See all my reviews Eric Clapton's new CD is not Eric Clapton. That's as plain as I can say it. The majority of the cuts are lilting Top-40ish sounding ditties about love and kids and general non-offensive subjects. The few blues sounding cuts have huge organ runs and what sounds like an entire choir backing his vocals. Orchestrated Blues? C'mon. There will probably huge numbers of fans who like this album, but they are NOT Eric Clapton fans. This is purely a generic "hit" album. I am not saying EC should not do happy songs, but I did not buy the CD for this "kinder, gentler" music. I personally want raw guitar and damnable blues. He is too talented for this pop album. Pure middle of the road. Was this review helpful to you? ( Report this ) What's wrong with this album? , December 29, 2005 Reviewer: Andrew Brooks (Carson, California)- See all my reviews After one listen, particularly after the jigging "So Tired," I started liking this album immediately. It's an easy-listening/bluesy album about love, introspection ("Back Home" comes to mind), family, and belonging. I don't understand why people only listen to just Eric Clapton's guitar and not his vocal. The singer's vocal, as well as his/her instrument, is what sets the mood for the song. Just like that saying in "Death of a Salesman," it's not "what you say." It's how you say it. And here, Eric Clapton says it well. He's happy, he's living life to its fullest, and he wants his audience to know it. A person doesn't always have to be depressed in order to make good music. Eric Clapton is one of THEE best musicians that have ever lived, next to Bob Dylan. Give the man a break. :-) Was this review helpful to you? ( Report this ) 1 of 3 people found the following review helpful: quit knockin a great master , December 27, 2005 Reviewer: Patrick Tsushima (San Diego, CA USA)- See all my reviews Clapton has been through more than any other musician alive the only part he may have been beat on is the drugs by say perhaps ozzy but clapton can still talk like a normal person. Anyhow point is this album may not be his classic heavy blues and whiskeyed downtime kind of thing, but for some jack ass to say that a sad clapton is not clapton annoys me enough to waste my damn time writing this stupid review when I could be playing the git fiddle I was juts and will be in just a second laying on my lap. That jackass may not be a casual eric clapton fan but he probably doesn't play guitar otherwise he would know how to critique a guitarist singer, without making himself look like a fool, and yes jackass too. Was this review helpful to you? ( Report this ) 1 of 2 people found the following review helpful: Give him a break, he's happy! , December 23, 2005 Reviewer: C. Lyons (Phoenix, AZ USA)- See all my reviews I have been a fan of Eric Clapton since he was in Cream, and have every one of his CDs. I think that Mr. Clapton has earned the right to let his fans know that he has found love and happiness in his beautiful wife and children. I think he has accomplished that without being untrue to his roots. I for one, and happy that he has found happiness and I am enjoying this toe-tapping CD! Was this review helpful to you? ( Report this ) See all 114 customer reviews... Customers who bought titles by Eric Clapton also bought titles by these artists: Derek & The Dominos John Mayall Cream Allman Brothers Band Jimi Hendrix Explore similar artists So You'd Like To... Stock up on these great things. :by Philipa C. Field , SL Interpreter, shopper, parent Have A Fundamental Eric Clapton Collection :by Mike Vegas King , A Journeyman Fan delete a "so you'd like to?" but can't? lol :by MovedbyMusic , can find loopholes anywhere Listmania! What"s in the CD changer right now :A list by Earl Biringer , Music Listener The Rolling Stones Studio Albums :A list by DEAN M. Dent , Musician Bonnie Raitt: Blue Angel From ... Southern California! :A list by Themis-Athena , a rock music fan Browse for music in: Styles > Pop > Adult Contemporary > General Styles > International > Europe > British Isles > Britain Styles > Pop > General Styles > Rock > General Travel > Music for Travelers > Europe > British Isles > Britain Feedback I have listened to this recording, and I want to review it. Tell a friend about this album . Write a So You'd Like to... guide . Check Purchase Circles . Is there a specific product you'd like us to sell? Tell us about it. Suggestion Box Your comments can help make our site better for everyone. If you've found something incorrect, broken, or frustrating on this page, let us know so that we can improve it. Please note that we are unable to respond directly to suggestions made via this form. If you need help with an order, please contact Customer Service . Please mark as many of the following boxes that apply: Product information is missing important details. 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foreclosure property There are

Is Foreclosure Investing for You? Online Catalog | Shopping Cart HOME | Foreclosure Investing | Short Sales | Articles | Financing | Commercial | Mobile Homes | Cash Flow | Legal | News Group CRE Online > Money-Making Ideas > Is Foreclosure Investing for You? Is Foreclosure Investing for You? by Ronald Starr If you are new to real estate investing and considering buying foreclosure properties, you need to be realistic about what you are facing. If you feel more sober about foreclosure investing after reading what I have written below, I will have accomplished my goal. Foreclosure investing is not a good investment approach for beginners. I recommend that you have at least a couple of years' experience with more traditional real estate investing first. The profits from foreclosure investing can be huge. That makes foreclosures attractive. There is an awful lot to know in order to avoid the problems that can occur. If you don't know what you are doing, one disastrous foreclosure investment can wipe out your capital and your enthusiasm for all real estate investing. Three ways to buy a foreclosure property There are three basic approaches to buying properties in foreclosure depending on the stage of the foreclosure process: buying pre-foreclosures, buying at the foreclosure auction, and buying from lender after the foreclosure sale. If you buy from the delinquent property owner before it goes to auction, you have bought a pre-foreclosure deal. Buying at the auction is self-explanatory. If nobody bids, the lender ends up with the property. Buying from the lender after the auction is called buying REOs (real estate owned) or Repos, (repossessions). Sometimes you will see them referred to as "corporation owned" or, my favored term, "lender owned." REOs are the least risky way to buy foreclosures You may have more risk than you would in a regular real estate transaction, but REOs are less risky than in buying at the auction. Since REOs are somewhat similar to a regular sale, they can be pretty safe. You might not get a seller's disclosure. In California, a lender who acquires a property through foreclosure does not have to offer a disclosure to you as a buyer. But, if there are problems after you buy the property, you might be able to sue the lender who sold you the property, or at least threaten to sue them, and they might make things right or pay part of the cost. There's a good chance they will still be around after the sale. The risks of buying pre-foreclosure real estate The next riskiest foreclosure purchase is the pre-foreclosure. If an owner of a pre-foreclosure disappears, you risk not getting anything from him after the sale. A pre-foreclosure seller might be desperate and lie to you about the condition of the property and the neighborhood. There might be liens on the property that the seller "forgot" to mention. The big utility bills become the buyer's responsibility if the pre-foreclosure investor failed to check them out. Ditto for unpaid property taxes. There may be another person on title who did not sign the deed, and so on. In California and, I believe, some other states, there are special laws related to dealing with and buying a property from a homeowner occupant who is in default on a loan. If the contracts and the sale are not done according to the law, the seller has the right to rescind the sale and could, long after the sale, sue to have the sale reversed. There are extreme penalties for violating the law. Remember, "Ignorance of the law is no excuse." You need to know the state law when you do pre-foreclosure investing. Can the seller can legally deed the property to you? What if the seller is already in bankruptcy? The deed is likely not valid unless it has gone through the bankruptcy court. You have to call the local bankruptcy court to check for a possible filing. And, of course, the seller could have filed bankruptcy in another bankruptcy court that you did not call. And, even if the seller does not file bankruptcy until after your purchase, you may have to deed the property back to the seller up to three years after you bought it. If selling the property made the seller destitute, and the seller sold for much below market value--which you hope he did so you could make a good profit--the bankruptcy trustee can require you to deed the property into the bankruptcy estate on the grounds that the sale was a "fraudulent transfer," wherein the seller deprived his creditors of an asset which could help pay the debts. At that point, you become a creditor of the bankruptcy estate. Is this really what you planned when you bought the "great pre-foreclosure deal"? A lot of pre-foreclosure buyers may forego some of the inspections because they are hurrying to buy before the foreclosure auction. Sometimes the buyers will give money to the owner, get a deed, and record the deed themselves in the land records office of the county. The pre-foreclosure buyer has to be very alert to a lot of possibilities and check them out. You must have superior knowledge of real estate investing before you start doing pre-foreclosure investing. But, if you sign a proper sales contract with the owner, get appropriate inspections, go through an escrow with a knowledgeable escrow agent, and look at the property yourself, you probably will not be at great risk. If you use the safeguards above, you are going to have less risk than in most foreclosure auction buys. The risk of buying at the foreclosure auction Buying at the auction is the riskiest foreclosure purchase. At the auction you have no real estate agent to lead you through the process. You have no escrow and no title report let alone title insurance. In most jurisdictions it is an all cash sale. In some states you may have a week to a month to come up with the full purchase price. If you do not raise the money, you lose your deposit. At the auction the people conducting the sale will announce that the successful bidder will receive NO WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. You have no assurance that there are not other liens or loans on the property. You do not have any inspections by contractors, roofers, pest inspectors, building inspections, water well, or septic system experts. You get no disclosure from the seller as to the condition of the building or what is happening in the neighborhood. Usually you cannot see the inside of the building; perhaps not even the back of the outside. You know nothing about the electrical system, the plumbing, the heating, or air conditioning. If you buy an occupied property, you have to do an eviction, which, in some states, can drag out for a while, preventing you from getting into the property quickly to prepare for resale. Sometimes the occupants, if they are former owners, will vandalize the properties before leaving or steal items, such as cabinets, doors, fixtures, lamps, etc. If you are buying to resell the property quickly for a profit, you had better know if your buyer can readily get title insurance when buying your foreclosed-upon property. When you get a very good deal at a foreclosure auction, you may find that the former owner files a lawsuit to attempt to overturn the sale. So be prepared to hire an attorney and fight for your profit. Experience and knowledge build your foundation Now do you begin to understand why I recommend that beginners not start investing in foreclosures? Start with simpler buying approaches and get some experience with properties, laws, ordinances, deeds, and loans, and so on to provide a foundation. Learn to do title searches as fast as the professionals. Get to know intimately the government offices that have property records and tax assessment rolls. Get to know the property values in an area where you invest. Learn about the problems with properties in different neighborhoods, such as bad soil, poor construction in certain subdivisions, problems with septic systems and wells, and soil contamination. When you have learned all that, start studying up on foreclosures. Study the foreclosure laws in your state. Study law books on the priority of liens, bidding at auctions, title insurance, and bankruptcy. When you fully understand foreclosures, start buying them. I am not trying to stop you from investing in foreclosures. They can be profitable for those who can practice it well. But, few beginners can do it well. I'm telling you to be realistic and get the background that will allow you to be successful in foreclosure investing. The field is rife with risk. You can easily lose your whole investment if you make a single mistake. Please believe me, even with all my years of real estate investing experience, it has happened to me. Good Investing, Ron Starr MORE INFORMATION More on this topic... Customers also bought...

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Viewpoint Paid Discussion: Mortgages and Investments Wednesday, August 17, 2005 at 1 p.m. ET I'm interested in hosting a Viewpoint paid discussion Viewpoint discussion archive Welcome to Viewpoint, a live discussion forum on washingtonpost.com. This forum offers washingtonpost.com sponsors a platform to discuss issues, new products, company information and other topics. Mortgage Loans and Investment Properties Interested in a mortgage, home equity or refinance loan? Want to learn more about investment properties? Lonnie Cooper, top producer at Absolute Mortgage Co., was online Wednesday, August 17 at 1 p.m. ET to discuss mortgages, the recent interest-only craze or the ins and outs of investment properties. Lonnie Cooper is a senior loan officer at Absolute Mortgage Incorporated in West Chester, Pennsylvania. Lonnie closes approximately $7 million per month in mortgage volume over the past four years. Before coming to Absolute Mortgage, he worked as a loan officer at Independence Mortgage Group and was made partner. Lonnie also owns several rental properties and can provide suggestions and solutions for being a landlord. Lonnie is a graduate of Penn State University. The transcript follows. _______________________ washingtonpost.com: Welcome to Viewpoint. Our guest today is Lonnie Cooper with Absolute Mortgage Co. to answer your questions about loans, mortgages and investment properties. Let's get started! Lonnie Cooper: Lets do it. _______________________ Oaks, Pa.: How do you close so many loans each month? Lonnie Cooper: Hello Oaks, I close approximately 35-40 mortgages each month. _______________________ Washington, D.C.: Hi Lonnie, Thanks for taking my question. My husband and I have been in our house for about a year. We recently received a notice from our mortgage company that basically said our escrow amounts hadn't actually covered everything that the escrow pays for (taxes and insurance). So, we had a shortfall, and we should send in a large chunk of money so our mortgage wouldn't increase by $150 a month beginning in October. Okay. So, even if we do send in the large amount, our mortgage is still going to increase by about $70 because of our increased county taxes. Now, I'm a newbie at this, but is this normal? Does this happen to other people, etc.? Does everyone's mortgage increase when their county taxes increase? We have a 30-year fixed mortgage by the way. I'm sure I sound like a complete idiot, but any insight you could share would be great, since in the past we have had ZERO response from our mortgage company when we've had questions. Lonnie Cooper: I'm sorry to hear that you are getting zero response from them. Taxes often go up and unfortunately the lender has to re-structure your escrow account accordingly. You certainly don't sound like an idiot. _______________________ Washington, D.C.: I keep on hearing that interest only loans are a bad choice and that people are using them to afford homes they could not with a traditional 30. What do you think? Lonnie Cooper: Interest only loans are very popular right now. Unfortunately, many people are taking them for the wrong reason. If used properly by the right person, an interest only loan can make sense. In the current housing market, homes are becoming less and less affordable and an interest only loan is the only way that many people can qualify for the loan. My personal opinion is that if you can't make at least the amortizing arm payment (meaning principal and interest) then you probably are looking at too much home. _______________________ Edgewater, Md.: I am in the process of buying a house that I think we will have for a long time, but I am thinking about starting out with an interest only loan with a 7 year arm and refinancing at some point to a 30 year mortgage. Do you think this is the wrong approach? Lonnie Cooper: I do think it is the wrong approach. Rates are at an historical low. 7 years from now you very well may be looking at not only a large rate spike but also a much bigger payment when the principal is also involved. _______________________ Fairfax, Va.: I have a home equity loan and I am maxed out at $100k. I want to extend that to upgrade my house. Do I have to totally apply for a new loan or can I just ask the bank to extend the line of credit? Lonnie Cooper: Hello Fairfax, Often the lender that you have with the existing home equity loan will allow you to extend it. _______________________ Arlington, Va.: What is the best loan product for new construction that will not deliver until mid-spring 2006? We would like to lock in our rate asap but do not know what is the best. Thank you. Lonnie Cooper: Hello Arlington, Many builders have special deals with local banks and their own mortgage companies. They offer long term locks for your situation with a variety of options. Regarding the product, my answer would be the same for you even if you were closing in 30 days- Take an arm if you know that this isn't your 'long-term' home or go with a fixed if it is. _______________________ Camarillo, Calif.: What is your opinion on mortgages for retired people? Your opinion on paying cash for property or financing it? Thank you. Lonnie Cooper: Hello Camarillo, I often get asked by people in the 70's and 80's whether or not they can apply for a 30 yr mortgage. Even though lenders can discriminate for income, credit, employment etc, they can't discriminate for age. So, that being said, if you need the money take it. Mortgage money is the cheapest out there. There are reverse mortgages out there as well for retirees. They often make sense as well. "Cash is king" as they say- but if you have it and it helps you sleep at night paying for your home outright is a wonderful feeling. (Or so I've heard) _______________________ Rockville, Md.: Hi Lonnie, I am a consultant and have a 2-3 year assignment that will keep me in Baltimore during the work week. I currently own a home in Rockville and have a roommate. Recently, I have been thinking about buying a place in Baltimore and also getting a roommate there to help pay for the mortgage. What are the implications of borrowing equity from my current home to buy the new home? What are the tax implications of actually residing in both homes? -Sandra Lonnie Cooper: Hello Sandra, I try not to give out too much info on tax advice as it often varies from state to state. I believe that the other home needs to be 50 miles from your primary residence to qualify as a 2nd home. If its not, it would be viewed as a rental property- ie higher rate etc. There are definitely deductions available for rental properties - consult your CPA. _______________________ Fairfax, Va.: My primary loan is for $300,000 and is a 30-year. I am looking at getting a vacation property. What can I do to get the best rate on my second property? Lonnie Cooper: Hello Fairfax, If its a true second home aka vacation property, the rate will be identical. If there is plenty of equity in your current home you can take out a line of credit, but they are variable and prime seems to be going no where but up. Our rates are available at www.absolutemortgageco.com and my extension is 104 if you'd like to talk later. _______________________ Goshen, Ind.: Could you please elaborate on what the pros and cons of interest only loans and what is negative amortization? Thank you. Lonnie Cooper: Hello Goshen, I was cut short on my response previously. I'd like to apologize to the submitter of that question. Some quick pros are: 1- They create a significant amount of cash flow 2- They enable you to qualify for more 'house' Cash flow enables the owner to take that difference and invest it into the stock market or pay down other non deductable debts. Cash flow for a real estate investor allows for immediate positive income. Qualifying for more house enables for example a young Doctor get into a larger home knowing that his income will be going up in the near future. _______________________ Washington, D.C.: Is this a good time to look for investment property, even though the market is about to bust? Lonnie Cooper: Investment properties are always available, but because of the national real estate buying craze the 'deals' are much harder to find. Like anything else in life, its a matter of hard work and who you know- meaning get a great realtor and an even better mortgage guy. (Okay so I'm a little biased on this one) Regarding the market bursting- many top analysts feel its going to slow down but not necessarily bust. If your question is would you be buying at the top of the market right now, I'd have to say probably. _______________________ San Diego, Calif.: What is a free float down? Lonnie Cooper: Hello San Diego, A free float down is a product that Absolute Mortgage (the company that I work for) offers along with a few others. Basically its a s simple as "if the rates go lower while you are locked in, you get the lower rate" Its a product that brings a lot of people to us and when the rates go down, people love benefitting from it. It basically makes locking in a win-win _______________________ Falls Church, Va.: Does Absolute Mortgage offer long-term interest only loans and are these available on investment properties? Thank you. Lonnie Cooper: Yes, we offers long term interest only loans. These come in quite a variety. They can be fixed/adjustables that are fixed for the first 10 years or 30 years fixed that are interest only for the first 20 years. There are some that are interest only for all 30 as well. The rates obviously vary on all of these. Yes, we have I/O loans for invest. properties as well. _______________________ Bethesda, Md.: I was looking to buy a plot of land for a second home sometime down the road. What type of land loan products are available and do you offer such a mortgage? Lonnie Cooper: Hello Bethesda, There are many land loan products out there. The majority of them are not 30 year fixed loans, but realistically if you are building on the land in the future you wouldn't want one anyway. Local banks are often the best for this. We don't offer them. _______________________ Reston, VA: Is there a hard-fast rule about refinancing? I thought there used to be a rule that if rates .5 point below your rate you would refinance. Is that still a good rule? Lonnie Cooper: Hello Reston, Thats a great question. The old 'rule of thumb' was that the rate had to be 2% lower. That is certainly no longer the case. We offer what is called a 'True No Cost" mortgage where you can refinance with no costs at all. The costs are not rolled into your principal balance- we pay them. As an example- if you have a 30 yr fixed today at 6.0% and you owe 200k then at todays rate of 5.5% it probably wouldn't make sense to refinance with a traditional closing cost loan. However with a 'True No Cost' loan at say 5.875% you'll save thousands over the life of the loan for simply signing your name. _______________________ Yardley, Pa.: Hello Lonnie, I recently purchased a new home and would like to refinance the 2nd loan for Home Improvements. How long would I have to wait in order to accomplish this? The home was purchased for $279k, but with the right repairs and can be valued at $350k. Christian Lonnie Cooper: Hello Christian, Most 2nd mortgage lenders have at least a 6 month "seasoning" rule for 2nd mortgages in that they won't let you take out a new 2nd based on your new/higher value. We have some products with no seasoning that would allow you to accomplish what you are looking for. Yardley is fairly close to West Chester, Pa. feel free to stop in. _______________________ Front Royal, Va: I have a rather high fixed rate mortgage currently and I am looking to refinance. I have one negative on my credit report which is probably a few months away from coming off which would greatly increase my credit scores. Would you recommend waiting until my credit is clean or refinancing now to take advantage of these great rates. My average score is 674 but should be in the mid 700's. Thanks. Lonnie Cooper: Hello Front Royal, Great question. You guys are full of the. With a 674, I'd recommend giving the refinance a shot now. With the right amount of equity in the property and assets in reserve you very may still be approved. _______________________ Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.: Does Absolute Mortgage offer loans in other states and what is involved to apply as far as upfront fees (does this vary state to state or based on the loan amount or credit scores)? Thanks Lonnie. Lonnie Cooper: Hello Ponte Vedra, (That is a beautiful part of Fla if I may say so myself) We are licensed in a number of states that are listed at www.absolutemortgageco.com. The owner doesn't believe in charging up front fees- its a much cleaner way of doing business. _______________________ Wilmington, Del.: I currently have quite a bit of equity in my home (primary residence) and was looking to do quite a bit of renovations to the property - which would increase the value. Would you recommend to refinance my existing mortgage for cash out or get a Home Equity Loan or Line. I currently have a 30-year Fixed at around 6% and plan on living in the home for quite some time. Thank you very much. Lonnie Cooper: Hello Wilmington, See my response above for a "True No Cost" loan. It would work great for you. The home equity lines are very popular, but most are variable and again- prime seems to be consistently going up. _______________________ Cherry Hill, N.J.: What is involved with a No Doc or stated income loan? Lonnie Cooper: Hello Cherry HIll, The question is what is not involved- We have a "True No Doc" loan in which we don't even ask if you are employed. We don't need any bank statements etc. Its just a credit score and a pulse. _______________________ Newark, Del.: Is there any tried and true rule to figure out if a home improvement project is worth doing in order to add value to your home (adding garage or addition, finishing a basement., etc.? Lonnie Cooper: Hello Newark, I don't know if there is such a rule. If you ask a contractor you may get a different answer though. In speaking with property appraisers over the years, a sure fire return is adding square footage. (As long as you don't over-improve for you neighborhood) Kitchens and bathrooms also provide the highest return for improvement projects. _______________________ Clinton, Md: If you sell a home (designated investment prop) less than 2 years after settlement, do you have to put the proceed into another investment property otherwise pay the taxes? Lonnie Cooper: Hello Clinton, This one is probably best answered by a cpa. My unoffical opinion is as follows: A 1031 tax deferred exchange can be done regardless of how long you've owned the home. If you keep the property for at least 12 months then you'll pay long term capital gains vs. short term. _______________________ washingtonpost.com: Our hour is up. Thank you for taking all of our questions, Lonnie. Lonnie Cooper: You are very welcome. Its been a pleasure. I hope to hear from you all again. Lonnie _______________________ RELATED LINKS absolutemortgageco.com Mortgage Rates Mortgage Calculator Affordability Qualification Payment Tables --

Florida Real Estate Commission

Cooke Real Estate School, leader in Florida Real Estate Classes and Online Courses Welcome to the Cooke Real Estate Licensing Course Website for Florida Using Technology is our Business: Cooke Real Estate School brings technology to the fingertips of its students. Cooke uses the most advanced and latest video conferencing hardware to provide this experience. Cooke's entire video conferencing network throughout the entire State of Florida is based solely on the internet. The opportunity of the internet gives the student a lot more flexibility as to where and when they want to attend a course we provide. Video Streaming: Along with the Video Conferencing experience, Cooke provides a live high quality video stream of the sales licensing course using Microsoft's Windows-Media technology. What this product does is makes available for the student, for a small fee, the ability to review the class they just attended at home in the comfort of their home. For the On-line or CD-Rom student, it allows them to be able to review the In-class version of the course they are taking at home. Easy Access to Information: Within the Cooke Real Estate website you will find access to links, downloads, pre-recorded video clips and a lot more. We try to put up as much information as possible so our students have access to the very latest and up to date information in anything regarding the Real Estate Educational market. Course Approval: All of the school and courses are approved by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation under the Division of Real Estate and the Florida Real Estate Commission (FREC) . The video conference course is accredited by ARELLO - The Association Real Estate Law Enforcement Officials. The course approval code #2001 . Better Business Bureau: Cooke Real Estate School is a member in good standing with the Better Business Bureau and adheres to the Better Business Bureau's Code of Ethics . On-Line and CD-Rom Licensing Courses : Cooke is an approved provider for Dearborn's-REcampus real estate licensing educational courses. Dearborn is America 's largest provider of online and cd rom based real estate education courses. School Policies: It is a policy of the school's that students of the real estate license course can retake and/or review the real estate license course for up to one year from the date of the students' registration. This policy is good for the in-class video conferencing course. The online or cdrom students can review the course material up to one year. Other Courses: Besides the basic real estate licensing courses, we also provide a lot of other great real estate courses such as the Appraisal License Courses and the Home-Inspection Course. Our Goals: Cooke Real Estate School's goal is to provide the best possible real estate license course for all students wanting to succeed in a career in real estate. We know that we can provide this for each and every student that attends our school. News Flash 12/20/05 - Cooke Real Estate School has now available for all students a recording of all Sales Associate License Course sessions produced on this website for students to review and prepare for the course exam and State Exam. The Cooke Companies have been at the forefront of real estate education Since 1972 (Cooke Real Estate School Headquarter's State of Florida - Department of Business Professional Regulation real estate school license #ZH1000576) Privacy Statement home | about us | site map | Real Estate Licensing online courses Real Estate Licensing in-class courses | Real Estate Licensing cd-rom courses Cooke's Real Estate bookstore | search locations by county | testimonials | contact us