Details how refinance leads can help mortgage brokers and loan officers compete in the ARM and refinance market.
Adjustable rate mortgages are going nuclear: consumers who entered the housing market with low introductory “teaser” rates are seeing their interest rates explode—vaporizing their household budgets in the process.
According to Christopher L. Cagan, Ph.D., the director of research and analytics for First American CoreLogic, more than 1,720,000 adjustable rate mortgages are scheduled for their first reset in 2007. Most of these homeowners will struggle to make the new, higher payments. Many will default unless they are saved by “market remediation”—econo-speak for refinancing to something more affordable.
The mortgage refinance market is enormous. The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) estimates that $1.5 trillion worth of adjustable rate mortgages will reset this year. The MBA figure includes not just first-time resets, but all resets. While some of these homeowners are already coping with their increased payments, others are struggling to keep up. Nearly all are looking to save money through refinancing.
The race is on to capture them. The lending giants are sparing no expense to attract to distressed ARM customers. Capitol One has rolled out a television commercial and internet banner ads featuring a twist on the monkey-on-your-back theme: a chimp representing an ARM clings to a woman’s neck and eventually goes crazy, breaking things and throwing money around. No doubt the big companies are having some success attracting mortgage refinance customers with ads like these, but there are ways to win the ARMs race without a huge budget.
Savvy lead generation companies are now offering enhanced refinance leads (ARM leads) for as little as $12.50 each. These are not your typical loan lists, culled from county records offices. These new ARM leads take basic records and enrich them with detailed loan and property information, such as original lender, loan value, current interest rate, loan reset date, maximum interest rate, dollar amount of the increased house payment, property size, and more. Some companies even guarantee that the phone numbers they provide comply with the National Do Not Call Registry.
Mortgage brokers and loan officers can receive these ARM leads as much as 120 days ahead of the scheduled reset date. This allows enough lead time—no pun intended—to mail a postcard or letter to potential customers before calling. Some companies even offer direct mail templates clients can use to make the mailing job easier. The purchaser of the ARM leads can call the homeowners before, during, and even after the reset date. Some people will not be motivated to refinance until they see how much their monthly mortgage payments have increased.
Independent mortgage brokers and loan officers may not have the megatonnage of a Capital One, Chase, or Citibank, but they may find that a well-aimedScience Articles, tactical first strike will help them win the ARMs race.
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