Doug Katz's (dmkatz) Blog

By FELICIA DECHTER When Cynthia D. was looking to refinance her condo, her Fannie Mae-held loan made her eligible for a program called Refi Plus. Cynthia, a late-30s professional who works at a downtown hotel, had been laid off for "a bit" and was looking to change her interest-only loan to a sta...

Are you currently in the process of buying a home or refinancing in Chicago or vicinity?  Trying to decide when to lock can be a stressful and difficult decision.  In my job as a mortgage lender, I watch the markets daily to keep my clients abreast of changes to assist them in securing the best ...

This was a hectic week for mortgages, but not necessarily in the rate category. Rates once again skipped along the recent mean but generally ended the week flat. The action was actually on the lender side as demand for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac refinance loans increased to a fever pitch as borro...

Are you currently in the process of buying a home or refinancing in Chicago or vicinity?  Trying to decide when to lock can be a stressful and difficult decision.  In my job as a mortgage lender, I watch the markets daily to keep my clients abreast of changes to assist them in securing the best ...

Since last week’s use of Einstein’s quote was so well received, I thought it appropriate to begin this week’s commentary with a quote from the venerable Yogi Berra. Yogi remarked after seeing back-to-back home runs by Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris that it was “déjà vous all over again.” Such was ...

Are you currently in the process of buying a home or refinancing in Chicago or vicinity?  Trying to decide when to lock can be a stressful and difficult decision.  In my job as a mortgage lender, I watch the markets daily to keep my clients abreast of changes to assist them in securing the best ...

Einstein once said, "Put your hand on a hot stove for a minute, and it seems like an hour. Sit with a pretty girl for an hour, and it seems like a minute. THAT'S relativity." This concept is very important to this commentary as relativity is the guiding principal from which to evaluate the rate r...

Are you currently in the process of buying a home or refinancing in Chicago or vicinity?  Trying to decide when to lock can be a stressful and difficult decision.  In my job as a mortgage lender, I watch the markets daily to keep my clients abreast of changes to assist them in securing the best ...

For those of you that did not read or heed my post last week, congratulations. You have received a reprieve on low rates. Continued abysmal housing data released this week reinforced the belief that we are far from turning the corner on our current economic woes. Existing home sales dropped by a ...

There is a great misconception that there are no options for struggling homeowners. The reality is that major players in the mortgage lending market, specifically Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and HUD (The Department of Housing and Urban Development), would like to avoid foreclosures whenever possible...