You Tube Video of the Fan

Check out this informative video of The Fan area of Richmond, VA

Who Services My Mortgage Now?

So you have bought your first (or second, or third) house and signed all of the loan papers and now your loan is sold to another lender...and another etc. In case you didn't know there is a company that maintains all the information. They are Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems (MERS) and they have a website and PHONE # (yes you can call them).
So, what do they do and why to you need them??? I copied this straight from their website because noone better to explain what they do then themselves

"WHAT IS MERS?"

"While MERS primarily provides services to mortgage companies, we also offer an important benefit to homeowners—we keep track of the identity of Servicers that registered loans on our system.

WHAT IS A SERVICER?

The servicer is YOUR mortgage company. It is the company that handles the day-to-day tasks associated with managing your loan. Their duties include but are not limited to:

Collecting and remitting loan payments
Responding to borrower inquiries
Making advances when required
Accounting for principal and interest
Holding funds for payment of property taxes and hazard insurance (also called Managing your escrow account)
Making any physical inspections of the property
Counseling delinquent mortgagors
Supervising foreclosures and property dispositions in case of defaults
After your mortgage loan closed, your lender more than likely outsourced the job of managing your loan to another company called a SERVICER. This is the company you call when you have questions about your loan.

HOW CAN I FIND OUT THE IDENTITY OF MY SERVICER?

MERS can help! You may:

Dial the toll-free MERS® Servicer Identification System at 888-679-6377, an automated touch-tone system, or
Access MERS® Servicer ID, a free web-based system.
Before calling or accessing the website above, please have the following information ready:

The property's mortgage identification number (MIN), or
The borrower's name and social security number, or
The property address"

Click on the title above and you will go to the site.

Fix It Website

Hey everyone,
Hurray for this website. Have you ever had something break that you figured you could fix with a little instruction? Well here it is for all of you "fix it yourselfers". Be sure to bookmark this website or come back to RichmondHomeownersDepot.com if you need it again.
Hope it helps!
Wythe

Insider's Passport Website

Just found this great site that as they put it...."Insider's Passport is an online publication committed to helping you uncover and experience the best restaurants, attractions and activities our locations have to offer you! We have combined our Insider's Blogs, complete with location research, reader recommendations and reviews, and suggested itineraries into one dynamic site to help you get the most out of living in and traveling to our Insider's locations. See what the Power of Insider's Passport has to offer you."
They cover Richmond, Williamsburg, Norfolk, Newport New/Hampton Rhoads and Virginia Beach. They will be adding Charlottesville soon.
I have added the link to this blog so come back here if you need it.
Wythe

First Time Homebuyers Guide from HUD

This tool from the US Housing and Urban Development is a very comprehensive and a "must read" for all new home buyer's.