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expired Posted by Greenworld123 • Dec 8, 2019
expired Posted by Greenworld123 • Dec 8, 2019

Amex offer: $2,500 statement credit for home refinance Better.com

American Express Giftcards
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Must have an amex to add offer to your account. Details:

Unlock even more as an
American Express® Card Member with an exclusive mortgage offer from Better.com
Better.com is making the homebuying and refinance experiences more rewarding, with a $2,500 statement credit and more, exclusively for eligible Card Members. See offer terms below.

https://www.americanexpress.com/u...-OfferHub2

EDIT information from Better.com!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hello,
I work with Better,com and wanted to see if you could please add in the following information to your post on Amex/Better,com deal as it reads incorrect as it stands, especially regarding eligibility. We want to make sure the offer is stated as accurately as possible:
1) Mortgage rates of any specific customer, stated or otherwise, should not be taken as indicative of a mortgage rate available to all customers. Pricing is based on a number of factors, including the individual credit profile of a potential borrower.
2) The offer is only available to those borrowers who have been marketed to directly by American Express, and those who have not received the offer on their Amex portal or via email are not eligible.
Community Notes
About the Poster
Deal Details
Community Notes
About the Poster
Must have an amex to add offer to your account. Details:

Unlock even more as an
American Express® Card Member with an exclusive mortgage offer from Better.com
Better.com is making the homebuying and refinance experiences more rewarding, with a $2,500 statement credit and more, exclusively for eligible Card Members. See offer terms below.

https://www.americanexpress.com/u...-OfferHub2

EDIT information from Better.com!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hello,
I work with Better,com and wanted to see if you could please add in the following information to your post on Amex/Better,com deal as it reads incorrect as it stands, especially regarding eligibility. We want to make sure the offer is stated as accurately as possible:
1) Mortgage rates of any specific customer, stated or otherwise, should not be taken as indicative of a mortgage rate available to all customers. Pricing is based on a number of factors, including the individual credit profile of a potential borrower.
2) The offer is only available to those borrowers who have been marketed to directly by American Express, and those who have not received the offer on their Amex portal or via email are not eligible.

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9,848 Comments

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Apr 3, 2020
1,446 Posts
Joined Jul 2008
Apr 3, 2020
svinokot
Apr 3, 2020
1,446 Posts
Quote from jerseyben :
There seems to be a lot of unnecessary confusion about the appraisal. I am also in NJ and I just closed yesterday with Better. This AMEX promo includes a waiver of the appraisal FEE only. You still have to have an appraisal done. Better simply pays the fee instead of the homeowner.
You are adding to that confusion. Since your time a lot has changed in the world. Many don't have to do appraisals now.
Apr 3, 2020
7,484 Posts
Joined Sep 2008
Apr 3, 2020
DogAndPony
Apr 3, 2020
7,484 Posts
Quote from tomeaine :
Good site to follow the market
http://www.mortgagenewsdaily.com/...daily.aspx
This is great. Thanks! I've been using bankrate, but it's not the best.

I'll bookmark this
Apr 3, 2020
8,342 Posts
Joined May 2007
Apr 3, 2020
diavolo33
Apr 3, 2020
8,342 Posts
Quote from svinokot :
You are adding to that confusion. Since your time a lot has changed in the world. Many don't have to do appraisals now.

The terms of the promotion waive the appraisal fee, not the appraisal. The confusion appears to stem from posters who said their appraisal was waived. Better apparently is making exceptions on a case-by-case basis, but they have not changed the terms of the promotion to waive appraisals across the board.
Apr 3, 2020
1,446 Posts
Joined Jul 2008
Apr 3, 2020
svinokot
Apr 3, 2020
1,446 Posts
Quote from diavolo33 :
The terms of the promotion waive the appraisal fee, not the appraisal. The confusion appears to stem from posters who said their appraisal was waived. Better apparently is making exceptions on a case-by-case basis, but they have not changed the terms of the promotion to waive appraisals across the board.

I am not talking about the Amex promo, but the better.com online application process. They have an appraisal waiver section in the middle of the application.
Apr 3, 2020
138 Posts
Joined Sep 2009
Apr 3, 2020
rwerns21
Apr 3, 2020
138 Posts
Just locked at 3.25% with 2K in credits. Should make my loan no cost. I'm not escrowing so no escrow prepaids.
Apr 3, 2020
8,342 Posts
Joined May 2007
Apr 3, 2020
diavolo33
Apr 3, 2020
8,342 Posts
Quote from svinokot :
I am not talking about the Amex promo, but the better.com online application process. They have an appraisal waiver section in the middle of the application.

Regardless, they haven't waived the appraisal requirement completely. It's case by case, so people shouldn't be confused that they absolutely won't need an appraisal. From the Better FAQ:


Quote :
Are there alternatives to in-person appraisals?

We are working diligently with federal agencies and partners to roll out alternatives to in-person appraisals where we can. These measures may vary based on the loan, so your Mortgage Expert can help you discuss your options.

In the meantime, we are requiring appraisers that work with Better.com to observe social distancing standards according to CDC guidelines (e.g., stay home if sick, keep distance, don't touch things unnecessarily).
Apr 4, 2020
707 Posts
Joined Dec 2013
Apr 4, 2020
duasto
Apr 4, 2020
707 Posts
Hi read all the pages. The more i read the more i realized i didnt fully maximize this deal.

So here my case:
Locked in today 3.375% 30yrs
With $400 something credit.
Closing cost with escrow 4.1k that im rolling into loan. Avail the amex offer but didnt get the $1000 lender credit because i didnt present any LE.

The thing i dont get is no matter what we tried. My loan officer cant remove the pmi in the new loan?

We tried the following:
Scenario 1:
Loan amount 504k
Home appraisal value 630k
Closing cost: around 4k that im paying.
So LTV is exactly 80% but they still told me i need pmi for the 1-2 years of my loan?

Scenario 2
Loan amount 508k(rolling the closing)
Home appraisal 630k
So definitely a bit over 80% ltv but very sounds to me that they r pushing me to do this.

Btw, home appraisal is waived because 630k is already what fannie mae thinks the value. Anything above that it requires to do the appraisal which i dont want to because i dont like taking chances of lowering the value. Not sure if that right thing to do.

Another one is they told me without escrow account, i will get higher rates which is not true base on some comments here.


I know this kinda long but my main questions is ....

After locked,

1. can i still ask them to get rid of pmi? Like maybe paying another 1-2k out of pocket.

2. How about escrow? I dont like it but sounds to me i have to do it.

3. can i present LE and ask to match it and will get $1000?

Any suggestions are welcome

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Pro
Apr 4, 2020
682 Posts
Joined Aug 2010
Apr 4, 2020
tromboneboss
Pro
Apr 4, 2020
682 Posts
Quote from tromboneboss :
I submitted my rate quote six days ago to Better. He said he would get back with me. How long have you guys waited for a response? My credit union quoted 2.375% for 15 year. $2200 total costs.
I wanted to update everyone on my poor experience with my Better.com agent named Sean Ritter. As soon as I sent him an offer to beat, he stopped communicating for a week.
After a week of no response to any of my emails, I started calling his office and leaving messages with other people. After the third call in three days he finally started emailing me again. Here's how everything unfolded for me:

First he claimed that the form I sent him was not the proper loan estimate form so he couldn't match. So I emailed him back the correct loan estimate as he asked.

Then he said that he couldn't match the offer since my refinance was only for 110k. They deal primarily with mortgages in the 300-600k range. In the Midwest that is more then most homes sell for. So since he refused to beat the quote I asked for the $1000 guarantee.

Then he claimed that a credit union refinance is not a public offer since you have to be a member and put $5 in a savings account. He blamed it on his legal department. I immediately wrote him back and asked his legal department to review. This credit union is open to anyone that resides in the 5 counties of SE Michigan. It's not any kind of closed club.

Two minutes later he responds that he has seen this issue with my credit union before and the legal department will not make an exception for me. I honestly find it hard to believe that a banker in New York has any idea about my local credit union, or that he checked with any "legal department" that fast.

So clearly my experience with Better.com was a pure bait and switch scam. I filed a complaint with Amex and I sent a complaint to the Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial services. They already asked for a copy of my emails with Better and they said it appears to be a violation of the Michigan Consumer Mortgage Protection Act. I hope everyone else has better luck dealing with these guys but be careful. If you find a good credit union rate, they will probably give you a hard time. Also if you live in the middle of the country with a smaller mortgage balance, they will probably give you a hard time.
Apr 4, 2020
66 Posts
Joined Dec 2007
Apr 4, 2020
jerseyben
Apr 4, 2020
66 Posts
Quote from duasto :
Hi read all the pages. The more i read the more i realized i didnt fully maximize this deal.

So here my case:
Locked in today 3.375% 30yrs
With $400 something credit.
Closing cost with escrow 4.1k that im rolling into loan. Avail the amex offer but didnt get the $1000 lender credit because i didnt present any LE.

The thing i dont get is no matter what we tried. My loan officer cant remove the pmi in the new loan?

We tried the following:
Scenario 1:
Loan amount 504k
Home appraisal value 630k
Closing cost: around 4k that im paying.
So LTV is exactly 80% but they still told me i need pmi for the 1-2 years of my loan?

Scenario 2
Loan amount 508k(rolling the closing)
Home appraisal 630k
So definitely a bit over 80% ltv but very sounds to me that they r pushing me to do this.

Btw, home appraisal is waived because 630k is already what fannie mae thinks the value. Anything above that it requires to do the appraisal which i dont want to because i dont like taking chances of lowering the value. Not sure if that right thing to do.

Another one is they told me without escrow account, i will get higher rates which is not true base on some comments here.


I know this kinda long but my main questions is ....

After locked,

1. can i still ask them to get rid of pmi? Like maybe paying another 1-2k out of pocket.

2. How about escrow? I dont like it but sounds to me i have to do it.

3. can i present LE and ask to match it and will get $1000?

Any suggestions are welcome
My non-professional personal opinion: 3.375% is pretty mediocre. Also, $4k closing costs sounds pretty high. Is that including or excluding your escrow requirements? Unless you are dropping from some crazy high rate of 5%, it might not be worth it. If you have a PMI requirement, that is not worth it, IMO. How much is the PMI per month? When I bought my last house, I only put down 5% which meant I had to have PMI. However, at closing I paid the PMI policy in full vs taking the monthly option. That saved me roughly $15k over the life of the loan. Just something to think about.
Apr 4, 2020
1,960 Posts
Joined Nov 2007
Apr 4, 2020
Rhizzlebop
Apr 4, 2020
1,960 Posts
Hoping rates fall this week or next. Looking for a 3 or 2.875% on 200k on a 20,25, or 30 year. Home value 275k. Currently I'm at 3.75% with $56 in pmi so between dropping rate and pmi I think I can keep same payment and drop the term to 20 yrs cutting 5 years+ off my payments. Ideally low closed g costs so I can put a little Amex money in my pocket. Thoughts?
Apr 4, 2020
1,446 Posts
Joined Jul 2008
Apr 4, 2020
svinokot
Apr 4, 2020
1,446 Posts
My loan officer (so called concierge) at better stopped replying to all means of communication as well right after the rate was locked ( about a week of no response). Some here says it is bc they are busy but that is no excuse. They are your middle men till closing day and are supposed to be busy with you as much as with anybody else. From this angle better is looking like a very bad company right now.
Apr 4, 2020
707 Posts
Joined Dec 2013
Apr 4, 2020
duasto
Apr 4, 2020
707 Posts
Quote from jerseyben :
My non-professional personal opinion: 3.375% is pretty mediocre. Also, $4k closing costs sounds pretty high. Is that including or excluding your escrow requirements? Unless you are dropping from some crazy high rate of 5%, it might not be worth it. If you have a PMI requirement, that is not worth it, IMO. How much is the PMI per month? When I bought my last house, I only put down 5% which meant I had to have PMI. However, at closing I paid the PMI policy in full vs taking the monthly option. That saved me roughly $15k over the life of the loan. Just something to think about.
Im coming from 4.375% without pmi because i did a LPMI. So its crazy to think im getting pmi when i refinance.

$4k closing includes escrow requirements. (A + B + C) = $1,014 which is super low.
(e + f + g + h) = $3,759 which is because of the escrow

pmi is $51 per month

Im right into 80.77% ltv. I can probably just pay the cost to be exactly 80% .


After rate locked, can i still negotiate to remove the pmi and escrow account?
Last edited by duasto April 4, 2020 at 10:32 AM.
Apr 5, 2020
423 Posts
Joined Aug 2009
Apr 5, 2020
penguincatcher
Apr 5, 2020
423 Posts
Quote from hungiema :
thanks for the reply... how did some people get it under 4 weeks?! at least they said everything is fine...hope you get it soon!
Have you gotten your 2500 credit yet? I closed the first week of March as well and recently received the appraisal refund. Which gave me hope as originally amex told me I wasn't available for the offer, but I used an eligible card for the appraisal fee.
Apr 5, 2020
281 Posts
Joined Mar 2010
Apr 5, 2020
hungiema
Apr 5, 2020
281 Posts
Quote from penguincatcher :
Have you gotten your 2500 credit yet? I closed the first week of March as well and recently received the appraisal refund. Which gave me hope as originally amex told me I wasn't available for the offer, but I used an eligible card for the appraisal fee.
i havent gotten it yetFrown

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Apr 5, 2020
423 Posts
Joined Aug 2009
Apr 5, 2020
penguincatcher
Apr 5, 2020
423 Posts
Quote from hungiema :
i havent gotten it yetFrown
I'm confident it will, i'm sure they were/are slammed thats why its taking longer. The rates went up because lenders had too many applications. So I'm betting the credit is taking longer due to the number of applications as well.

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