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expiredGreenworld123 posted Dec 08, 2019 02:27 PM
expiredGreenworld123 posted Dec 08, 2019 02:27 PM

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:

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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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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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Jul 27, 2020 04:14 AM
15 Posts
Joined Jul 2015
billybobbobilly0Jul 27, 2020 04:14 AM
15 Posts
Quote from redearth :
What happens if I withdraw the app with better do i loose my 550 which I paid
If the $550 paid was for the appraisal fee, that should be refunded if you withdraw the app before the appraisal gets started. Check this with your contact at Better.com
Jul 27, 2020 06:27 AM
18 Posts
Joined Dec 2017
Jerry1223Jul 27, 2020 06:27 AM
18 Posts
Can I get new AMEX card now and try this offer. Which is the best site to chec for refinance.
Jul 27, 2020 09:50 AM
908 Posts
Joined Nov 2017
gk6740Jul 27, 2020 09:50 AM
908 Posts
Quote from rajababu1223 :
Can I get new AMEX card now and try this offer. Which is the best site to chec for refinance.
You apparently did NOT read the offer. Or the first post here.

It has expired.
Jul 27, 2020 02:31 PM
1,157 Posts
Joined Jul 2008
pandy00Jul 27, 2020 02:31 PM
1,157 Posts
For whomever is in NY or states that support CEMA for the transfer taxes ... based on estimate they gave me back a savings of $1500 on 5k in transfer/etc fees -- it does not look to be worth it. It will also take an estimated 7-8 weeks for your current bank to approve the application and a cost of $750 for their lawyer. Taking that into consideration, it's not worth the time/risk of your own rate lock expiring due to that aspect of it. Plus, off the top of my head, I think better.com charges $250 for the cema application.
Jul 27, 2020 02:42 PM
2,594 Posts
Joined Feb 2008
LeaninBack916Jul 27, 2020 02:42 PM
2,594 Posts
Quote from nicemann :
People seem to have better chance of getting a price match if their rate is locked in. Better.com has been known to negotiate more after that.

I have not had anyone mention getting that $100 in cash for not matching or beating a LE. A lot of people have been rejected and not sure how much they pushed back on Better to get the money.
My brother just did the $1000 price match terms when that was in effect as he went with owning when they bottomed out at 2.75% and at the time better would not price match (this was closed in April 2020)

He had to do a few back and forths sending them closing disclosure stuff. He got approval for the $1000 in June 2020 and paid in early July.
Jul 27, 2020 03:11 PM
279 Posts
Joined Sep 2007
fenix8o0Jul 27, 2020 03:11 PM
279 Posts
Can someone recommend a title/abstract company in NY? What quote did you get?
Jul 27, 2020 03:12 PM
279 Posts
Joined Sep 2007
fenix8o0Jul 27, 2020 03:12 PM
279 Posts
Quote from pandy00 :
For whomever is in NY or states that support CEMA for the transfer taxes ... based on estimate they gave me back a savings of $1500 on 5k in transfer/etc fees -- it does not look to be worth it. It will also take an estimated 7-8 weeks for your current bank to approve the application and a cost of $750 for their lawyer. Taking that into consideration, it's not worth the time/risk of your own rate lock expiring due to that aspect of it. Plus, off the top of my head, I think better.com charges $250 for the cema application.
Wow here I was expecting the full transfer tax to be waived.

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Jul 27, 2020 03:17 PM
1,157 Posts
Joined Jul 2008
pandy00Jul 27, 2020 03:17 PM
1,157 Posts
that is what I pretty much thought as well .. or at least ~4k out of 5k.

Quote from fenix8o0 :
Wow here I was expecting the full transfer tax to be waived.
Jul 27, 2020 03:23 PM
1,018 Posts
Joined Mar 2019
CycloneFWJul 27, 2020 03:23 PM
1,018 Posts
Quote from pandy00 :
that is what I pretty much thought as well .. or at least ~4k out of 5k.
I thought the mortgage tax up to the old loan amount would go away, leaving only any mortgage tax if the new loan is larger than the old one. However, you both mention transfer tax and not mortgage tax, so perhaps this is a separate aspect?

Please note, I am NOT a NY resident (nor ever have been), so I'm just speaking as a casual observer vs. someone with experience/knowledge on the subject.
Jul 27, 2020 03:23 PM
279 Posts
Joined Sep 2007
fenix8o0Jul 27, 2020 03:23 PM
279 Posts
Quote from pandy00 :
that is what I pretty much thought as well .. or at least ~4k out of 5k.
How far along are you to get that number? Are you in underwriting? Will you be able to change it? Based on what they tell me any NY loans are default to CEMA which is 75d lock. If we were able to choose a shorter rate lock from the start to forego CEMA we could get a lower rate. I think that's why my rate is so much higher than others here.

Better said they aren't able to change the rate lock term after locking so I am SOL. I may end up withdrawing and going with another company. Even a 0.125% reduction outweighs the $2500 credit in the long run. We still don't know if that's taxable.
Jul 27, 2020 03:29 PM
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pandy00Jul 27, 2020 03:29 PM
1,157 Posts
at least in NY, every loan (even refinancing), there is a transfer tax for the loan amount.
other states may do it differently but every quote/lending estimate I've seen has about the same for the transfer fee (~5k).

some states do not have this for a refinancing if the loan amount is the same and not you're cashing out/etc, is what I've read.

Quote from CycloneFW :
I thought the mortgage tax up to the old loan amount would go away, leaving only any mortgage tax if the new loan is larger than the old one. However, you both mention transfer tax and not mortgage tax, so perhaps this is a separate aspect?

Please note, I am NOT a NY resident (nor ever have been), so I'm just speaking as a casual observer vs. someone with experience/knowledge on the subject.
Jul 27, 2020 03:33 PM
1,018 Posts
Joined Mar 2019
CycloneFWJul 27, 2020 03:33 PM
1,018 Posts
Quote from pandy00 :
at least in NY, every loan (even refinancing), there is a transfer tax for the loan amount.
other states may do it differently but every quote/lending estimate I've seen has about the same for the transfer fee (~5k).

some states do not have this for a refinancing if the loan amount is the same and not you're cashing out/etc, is what I've read.
My third party interpretation may have been off (even compared to this quote), but it seems Freddie Mac disagrees with you.

http://www.freddiemac.com/cim/pdf/nycemaqa.pdf
Quote from Freddie Mac :
The NY CEMA enables Borrowers with Mortgages secured by property located in New York to reduce the amount of Mortgage recording tax paid in connection with the refinance. Since tax on the outstanding Mortgage balance has already been paid, the Mortgage tax is waived on that amount.
This essentially matches my understanding, but it is outstanding principal and not original loan amount. However, it again is about mortgage recording tax and not transfer taxes. I've seen others in this thread comment how their state charges transfer taxes even on refis while some, like NC for me, don't.

If indeed for NY that transfer tax and mortgage recording tax are two different things vs. terminology differences for the same thing, then a CEMA doesn't impact the transfer tax from what I have seen.
Jul 27, 2020 03:34 PM
1,003 Posts
Joined Nov 2013
sowhatwegetdrunkJul 27, 2020 03:34 PM
1,003 Posts
Quote from Letsgogogo :
Was this from better tho?
Nope. My best with better was 4.8K
Jul 27, 2020 03:36 PM
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Joined Jul 2008
pandy00Jul 27, 2020 03:36 PM
1,157 Posts
I locked in my rate about 7-9 days ago. It's with underwriting. Stupidly, I got loan estimate from another lender after the lock (LD) and waiting or Better to try and match.

Their email this morning was to ask if I wanted to continue with the CEMA based on the estimated savings and notifying me of the lawyer fee. I declined.

Have you gotten another loan estimate from someone else? How is your credit/ratio of loan? LD gave me a loan that was 0.25 lower by default and no points.

Is it really the rate lock term that is making your rates higher? I got 2.25% but with really high pts. So, I went for 2.5% based on the math of what it would cost me in the 0.25 difference over the life of my loan ... (just a 2-3k more vs paying an extra $4k now).

Speaking in hindsight, you should definitely get at least 1 other quote compare. PM for me the guy at LD that gave me the quote. Someone else I referred him to got a lower quote than Better from the get-go. I think the guy is pretty honest with the quotes (even if he is persistent on following up after).

According to Better's website, can cancel at any time and you'd just be liable for the fees incurred up to that time (appraisal, etc). If they don't match my LD offer, I'm going to ask them how much i'm in the hole for ... if it's $300-500, I'd save a lot more than that with my LD offer.

Quote from fenix8o0 :
How far along are you to get that number? Are you in underwriting? Will you be able to change it? Based on what they tell me any NY loans are default to CEMA which is 75d lock. If we were able to choose a shorter rate lock from the start to forego CEMA we could get a lower rate. I think that's why my rate is so much higher than others here.

Better said they aren't able to change the rate lock term after locking so I am SOL. I may end up withdrawing and going with another company. Even a 0.125% reduction outweighs the $2500 credit in the long run. We still don't know if that's taxable.

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Jul 27, 2020 03:46 PM
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Joined Jul 2008
pandy00Jul 27, 2020 03:46 PM
1,157 Posts
You are correct. Thanks for this ... I learned something today! Somehow, all the articles I had read, my brain lumped the whole 'taxes and government fees' into one line item. Re-reading them, all the articles mention it as 'recording fee'. My brain would have never corrected itself if I had read any more articles on it as of this writing. Thankfully, I think because you wrote it short and sweet, I picked up on it.

So, looking at it now, with all the fees involved for cema and what you could theoretically save, imo, it's better not to waste time applying for it to save what looks like $1k at most (if approved).

Quote from CycloneFW :
My third party interpretation may have been off (even compared to this quote), but it seems Freddie Mac disagrees with you.

http://www.freddiemac.com/cim/pdf/nycemaqa.pdf


This essentially matches my understanding, but it is outstanding principal and not original loan amount. However, it again is about mortgage recording tax and not transfer taxes. I've seen others in this thread comment how their state charges transfer taxes even on refis while some, like NC for me, don't.

If indeed for NY that transfer tax and mortgage recording tax are two different things vs. terminology differences for the same thing, then a CEMA doesn't impact the transfer tax from what I have seen.

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