Texas Land Title Association
Advanced Solutions International | Texas Land Title Association Advanced Solutions International | Texas Land Title Association Contact Us Locations Events Business Opportunities Press Room Overview Press Releases Success Stories By Industry By Business Need New Clients Fact Sheet History Leadership Careers Investor Relations Notices Home > About ASI > Press Room > Success Stories > By Industry Ten Years Later, the Texas Land Title Association Continues to Benefit and Grow With Its iMIS System “ iMIS has continued to be a useful software tool for us over the last 10 years because ASI has focused on understanding the specific needs of associations,” stated Leslie Midgley, Executive Vice President at the Texas Land Title Association (TLTA), ASI’s first iMIS customer. TLTA feels that the needs of associations have changed and as technology has advanced, ASI has responded to those changes and advancements with enhancements and new products. “They (ASI) have made it their business to respond to user feedback by updating the software to better serve the needs of their users,” added Midgely. In fact, TLTA has received more than 12 upgrades of iMIS and have upgraded from iMIS LAN to the Microsoft SQL version in the last decade. The TLTA is a non-profit state trade association that represents over 600 Texas title insurance companies, abstract companies and title insurance agents that are engaged in the transference of title to real property. “With iMIS , they have been able to capture an overwhelming majority of the market share for Title companies in Texas through education, advocacy, and other valued services,” stated Mark Jones, President of enSYNC Corporation, the TLTA authorized iMIS Solution Provider. The Flexibility to Handle Growing and Changing Needs iMIS has been particularly useful to the TLTA in managing their meetings and educational programs. “ iMIS allows us to plan a meeting from start to finish without using a lot of different software programs,” stated Midgley. In the area of membership, iMIS has allowed them to keep better track of information about their members. “Over the years, we have determined that we need to store more and more data, and iMIS has allowed us the flexibility to expand and change.” Authorized iMIS Solution Provider, enSYNC Corporation, provides support to TLTA for their iMIS system. They have been an integral part of TLTA’s satisfaction and success with the product. “Both Mark Jones and Clark Jones are great to work with and are always there to help us solve a problem or overcome a challenge. Currently, they are working with us to increase our skills with report writing using Access and Crystal and to help us utilize more of the features that iMIS offers,” commented Midgley. “ iMIS is still meeting the business needs of the organization after 10 years, that really says something about the greatness of the product,” summed up Jones. Terms of Use | Privacy Policy © 2005 ASI, Inc. Site designed and developed by ASI Web Services Group , managed by iMIS Content Manager.
Buy Property
Buying Property in Mexico: from The Peoples Guide to Mexico: People's Guide Homepage Copper Canyon Live & Retire Carl's Mexico Notebooks Letters Favorite Books Visit our Sponsors Table of Contents The Best of Mexico: Favorite Places Search This Site Live & Retire in Mexico Buying Property in Mexico Building in Puerto Vallarta "Could you tell me what one would would expect to pay for new construction per sq ft in Nuevo Vallarta today?..." .... ( more ) Q&A: Charles Sloan & Robert Foster Buying Property in the Lake Chapala Area In the last decade or so, it is estimated that more than 10,000 foreigners have purchased property on the Northshore of Lake Chapala. Long prized as a weekend retreat by wealthy Guadalajarans, the villages from Lake Chapala to Jocotepec now boast an expatriate community said to be the largest in the world. Ajijic has become the prime location for foreigners because of its infrastructure of services, such as internet access, and the existence of the Lake Chapala Society, an English-speaking resource for newcomers and residents .... ( more ) by Tony Harries & Teresa A. Kendrick Buying Restricted-Zone (Coastal and border zone) property First, as most folks are aware, Mexican residential property in the coastal or border zones can be legally purchased by foreigners, but only through the fideicomiso (bank trust) method set up expressly for this purpose by the federal government....( more ) by Robert Foster Budget Living in Puerto Vallarta by Robert Foster (Jennings) Dobie and Sergio are homesteading in a former coconut plantation on Mexico's Pacific Coast. Top of Page Homepage Table of Contents Site Map Write to us, Carl & Lorena http://www.peoplesguide.com ©1972-2004 by Carl Franz & Lorena Havens Copper Canyon Live & Retire Table of Contents Book Reviews Letters Carl's Mexico Notebook Search This Site
Home Equity Conversion (HEC).
Home Equity Conversions: Reverse Mortgages Home Equity Conversions: Reverse Mortgages Authors: Celia Ray Hayhoe, Ph.D, CFP®, Family Resource Management Cooperative Extension Specialist and Stacey Williamson, Graduate Assistant; Virginia Tech Publication Number 354-025, Posted April 2004 Many senior adults are finding it hard to live on their fixed retirement incomes and are looking for ways to supplement those incomes. For some, the largest asset they own is their home, but they do not want to sell their home and move. For these individuals, there is an option called Home Equity Conversion (HEC). One type of home equity conversion is a reverse mortgage. The equity or cash value of the house is used to provide income to repay the loan. All reverse mortgage options are not the same. They have different eligibility requirements, income amounts, timing of payments, interest rates, and/or initial costs. Homeowners should compare the different options, keeping in mind their goals and needs. Advantages The value of your house, not your income, is used to determine eligibility. You can receive a lump sum, a line of credit, or a monthly amount, without having to make a monthly repayment. You do not have to sell your home and move, and can continue to live in the same familiar surroundings. You do not have to worry about losing your home to foreclosure since the payments are made out of your equity in the home, not from your income. The loan must be repaid when the house is no longer used as your personal residence. However, the lender can only look to the proceeds from the sale of the house for repayment. They cannot go to your heirs if the house sells for less than what was borrowed. Money can be used for any purpose. You must attend a free HECM/HUD approved counseling session to see if this type of mortgage is right for you. Disadvantages Interest for a reverse mortgage is compounded, and cannot be deducted on income taxes until you repay it. The income you receive decreases the equity in your home, and the equity may not be adequate for your future needs or for your estate. Interest rates and initial costs (application fees, points and closing costs) are usually higher for a reverse mortgage than for other equity loans. Income ends when you sell your home or no longer use it as a principal residence. Payments may affect Supplemental Security Income and Medicaid payments. You must attend a free HECM/HUD approved counseling session. This may add time to the process of obtaining a loan. You may need to pay off your existing mortgage out of the proceeds of your reverse mortgage. You will be required to maintain the house, pay the taxes, and carry property insurance. Eligibility You could be eligible if you own your own home, use the home as your principal residence, and are at least 62 years of age. You must also have adequate equity in the home. A lender looks at the equity in the home plus any expected appreciation or depreciation in the value of the home to calculate a base amount. The costs associated with any reverse mortgage loan (application fees, interest rates, closing costs, initial charges, sales commissions, and homeowner's insurance) also must be considered. All reverse mortgages currently available in Virginia require homeowner's insurance. The lender and the homeowner must work together to determine the type of payment, the payment amount, and the time period. This is determined not only by the calculations of the base amount by the lender, but also by keeping your goals and financial needs in mind. Income Income from a reverse mortgage is not taxable, and will not affect Medicare eligibility or benefits. But the added income can affect both Supplemental Security Income and Medicaid eligibility and benefits for Virginia residents. Confused? A home equity conversion is not a home equity loan! Home-equity loans require that a homeowner has enough income to pay back the loan, and the payments are made in monthly amounts. A home-equity loan would not work for the majority of senior adults who are living on limited fixed incomes and who could not afford a loan payment. Example A wide variety of loan options are available depending upon your age, the amount of equity available, the time period of the loan, and the way payments are disbursed. For example, Mary Jones, a 75-year-old widow whose home is her principal residence, is looking at a ten-year reverse mortgage that will provide her with additional monthly income of approximately $450. At the end of the ten years the monthly income payment will stop. But because her loan is through an insured lender (loans offered by HUD approved lenders have government guarantees), the loan will not have to be repaid until she sells the home, moves, or dies. Home Equity Conversion Checklist These questions can to help you determine if you are eligible for a home equity conversion (HEC). YES NO 1. Are you 62 years of age or older? _____ _____ 2. Is your mortgage paid off in full or nearly so? _____ _____ 3. Do you use your home as your primary residence? _____ _____ If you have answered yes to questions 1 through 3, you might want to consult with an HEC lender for specific information. The following questions will help to determine if you are eligible for a Housing and Urban Development (HUD) home equity conversion. A HUD-HEC is similar to other HECs but with additional requirements for the property and residents. 4. Is your home a single-family dwelling? _____ _____ 5. Will your home probably meet HUD minimum property standards? _____ _____ 6. Is your family income less than 80% of area median? _____ _____ If you have answered yes to questions 1 through 6; you might want to consult with a HUD-HEC lender for specific information. The following is a list of HEC/Reverse mortgage programs. FHA - HECM (Home Equity Conversion Mortgage) Guaranteed by FHA/HUD Flexible Income Payment Option Growing Line of Credit Maximum Lending Limit - $ 280,749 Cash Account Flexible Income Payment Options Growing Line of Credit Higher Equity Release Options No Maximum Lending Limit HomeKeeper by Fannie Mae Guaranteed by Fannie Mae Line of Credit Options Maximum Lending Limit - $ 322,700 Zero Point Cash Account Closing Costs Limited Minimum Draw at Closing Required Interest Rate Cap No Maximum Lending Limit The following lenders offered HEC/Reverse mortgages as of March 2004: Mortgage Capital Investors Equity Division 6571 Edsall Road Springfield, VA 22151 (703) 941-0711 East West Mortgage - HECM, HK, CA 4321 Northview Drive Bowie, MD 20716 (866) 9REVERSE [(866) 973-8377] (301) 809-1568, ext. 225 Financial Freedom Senior Funding Corp. (Subsidiary of Lehman Brothers, FSB) - HECM, HK, CA (800) 368-3254 Reverse Mortgages of the Mid-Atlantic - HECM, HK, CA (800) 745-0102 Suntrust 564 Lynnhaven Parkway Virginia Beach, VA 23452 (757) 431-4876 Fidelity & Trust Mortgage, Inc. - HECM, HK, CA 7229 Hanover Parkway Suite C Greenbelt MD 20770 (703) 273-3797 (800) 458-4624 People's Choice Mortgage - HECM, HK, CA (757) 564-8596 Wells Fargo Home Mortgage - HECM, HK (888) 292-1180 Inclusion on this list of lenders does not imply endorsement by Virginia Cooperative Extension, nor does omission from this list imply a lack of endorsement. Home Equity Conversion Comparison Worksheet Name of Lender Features Payment Option: ----------------------- ----------------------- ----------------------- Lump Sum Option Line of Credit Option Monthly Benefit Option APR (Annual Percentage Rate) Time Period Application Costs Closing Costs Sales Commissions Insurance Costs Other Initial Charges For More Information AARP Home Equity Information Center 601 E. Street NW Washington D.C. 20004 (202) 638-2863 http://www.aarp.org/revmort/ Reverse Mortgage Money (866) 363-1914 requestinfo@reversemortgagemoney.com American Credit Counselors Tudor Square, Ste. 10 211 Roanoke St. Christiansburg, VA 24073 (800) 926-0042 virginia@cccsswva.org http://www.americancredit.org HECM Counseling National Center for Home Equity Conversion 360 Robert Street North Suite 403 St. Paul, MN 55101 (651) 222-6775 People Incorporated 1173 W Main St Abingdon, VA 24210-2428 (540) 623-9000 HECM Counseling Original authors: Patricia Gorman, graduate assistant, and Kathleen Parrott, former Extension housing specialist, Virginia View this document in PDF format Visit Virginia Cooperative Extension
home loan? How much
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Real Estate Prices ---
Google Answers: Real Estate Prices --- Leading Indicators Log in | Google Answers Home View Question Ask a Question Q: Real Estate Prices --- Leading Indicators ( Answered , 5 Comments ) Question Subject: Real Estate Prices --- Leading Indicators Category: Family and Home > Home Asked by: nronronronro-ga List Price: $25.00 Posted: 19 Apr 2005 15:33 PDT Expires: 19 May 2005 15:33 PDT Question ID: 511542 Hi There!I was goofing off today, and started looking throughwww.craigslist.com for real estate. I looked at 11 different citiesfrom San Francisco to Phoenix to Washington, D.C.Mini-Eureka moment! I noticed the number of lease-options availablehas increased significantly in each and every city. 11 of 11 towns! The last time I checked www.craigslist.com was 5 months ago.This observation sparked my rusty brain cells. There must be leadingindicators for real estate, in the same way there are leadingindicators for stocks. Here's a list of possible danger signals forreal estate off the "top of my head":1. Increasing lease-options2. Increasing number of days on the market3. Increasing number of unsold homes in a city4. Decreasing ratio of Asking Price/Transaction Price5. Increasing number of homes on the market more than 120 days6. Decreasing number of mortgage applications7. Increasing number of newspaper classified ads for real estateI'm not a real estate guy. But I'm sure some brilliant professor hasdevised a computer model to predict when real estate prices willdecline 6-12 months hence.A 5-star answer would be 5-10 additional leading indicators for realestate. No background material needed. (However, if you happen tofind an objective study on leading indicators then I would love totake a look at that, too.)All comments greatly appreciated!Thanks.ronP.S. Please note that indicators like "Forecasted Job Growth" or"Forecasted Property Tax Receipts" won't help much, precisely becausethey are forecasts and not hard data. The best indicators wouldinvolve hard numbers that can be observed right now, and used to makecomparisons.EXAMPLES:1. Days on the market for San Francisco versus days on the market for Phoenix.2. Days on the market for San Francisco in April 2005 versus days onthe market in San Francisco in January 2002.(This question doesn't involve specific numbers or specific cities. Rather, it involves the kind of indicators one might observe. Thx.) Answer Subject: Re: Real Estate Prices --- Leading Indicators Answered By: easterangel-ga on 19 Apr 2005 16:59 PDT Rated: Hi! Thanks for the question.The National Association of Realtors provides a list of real estateindicators that one can analyze to indicate some trends. Here are someof the indicators that they follow:- Existing Home Sales- Pending Home Sales Index- New Home Sales- Housing Starts- Housing Affordability- Mortgage Rates- Mortgage Applications“Latest Economic Indicators” http://www.realtor.org/Research.nsf/Pages/EcoIndicator The US Census website provides a historical basis for its leadingindicators for real estate. The statistics are from 1900 to 2002.The indicators mentioned in the Census website are the following:- New housing units started - New one family houses sold- Existing one family houses sold- Manufacturing shipments- Index of industrial production- Manufacturing index- Retail Sales- Exports Basis- General Imports“No. HS-40. Economic Indicators for Construction, Real Estate, Manufacturing,Retail, and Foreign Trade Sectors: 1900 to 2002” http://www.census.gov/statab/hist/HS-40.pdf Finally, here is an academic study about real estate prices.“Real Estate Prices and Economic Cycles” http://urbanpolicy.berkeley.edu/pdf/Q_IRER99PB.pdf Search terms used: “real estate” housing economic indicatorsstudies real estate prices filetype:pdfI hope these links would help you in your research. Before rating thisanswer, please ask for a clarification if you have a question or ifyou would need further information. Thanks for visiting us. Regards, Easterangel-ga Google Answers Researcher Request for Answer Clarification by nronronronro-ga on 20 May 2005 15:33 PDT Alas, Phil...only the women in my life are cash-flow positive. Thatis to say, they stay positive when I let the cash flow.heh heh hehThanks for your great insights, Phil. As always!ron Clarification of Answer by easterangel-ga on 20 May 2005 17:43 PDT Hi!Sorry about this but I just have to make a reply to clarifications.Sincerely.Easterangel nronronronro-ga rated this answer: Heavenly answer, easterangel.As always, thanks a million !ron Comments Log in to add a comment Subject: Re: Real Estate Prices --- Leading Indicators From: easterangel-ga on 19 Apr 2005 18:25 PDT You're welcome as well. Subject: Re: Real Estate Prices --- Leading Indicators From: pafalafa-ga on 20 Apr 2005 05:03 PDT Since we're doing some work on the house in DC, I've been paying moreattention that usual to the real estate pages of the Washington Post.One of the sort-of-indicators that they mention often is theincreasing amount of property that is bought as an investment, ratherthan as a first home. They also cite the increasing trends in2nd-home sales.For both of these though, I don't know if there's an actual statistic,or just the observation of people in the business.Nice work, though, easterangel.paf Subject: Re: Real Estate Prices --- Leading Indicators From: nronronronro-ga on 20 Apr 2005 10:52 PDT Thanks, pafalafa!My business partner just purchased a home across the street from theNational Cathedral. He obviously checked out DC. He found the "PMIRisk Index" for DC was very low, whereas the same PMI Risk Index formy state (California) was very high. The only place more risky thanSan Francisco/San Jose was Boston.Rut Row !ron Subject: Re: Real Estate Prices --- Leading Indicators From: silver777-ga on 24 Apr 2005 05:35 PDT Ron,Your application of logic is spot on.Your points 1 to 7 could relate to any real estate market.In fact, I had counted the number of "for sale" ads by COLUMNnot just the pages. I also counted the number of propertiesfor lease. Another gauge might be to weigh the newspaper, orin the least the real estate section. I reckon that the more "for lease" properties tells us a lot about the climate of the sale market. An increase in borrowing rates will impact on the rental rates and realised sale prices,regardless of the asking prices published. Check also the auctionclearance rates.Have you sourced any cash-flow positive properties of late?Phil Subject: Re: Real Estate Prices --- Leading Indicators From: nronronronro-ga on 20 May 2005 15:34 PDT Alas, Phil...only the women in my life are cash-flow positive. Thatis to say, they stay positive when I let the cash flow.heh heh hehThanks for your great insights, Phil. As always!ron Important Disclaimer: Answers and comments provided on Google Answers are general information, and are not intended to substitute for informed professional medical, psychiatric, psychological, tax, legal, investment, accounting, or other professional advice. Google does not endorse, and expressly disclaims liability for any product, manufacturer, distributor, service or service provider mentioned or any opinion expressed in answers or comments. Please read carefully the Google Answers Terms of Service . If you feel that you have found inappropriate content, please let us know by emailing us at answers-editors@google.com with the question ID listed above. Thank you. Search Google Answers for all questions answered questions unanswered questions Google Home - Answers Help & Tips - Answers FAQ - Terms of Service - Privacy Policy ©2005 Google