In doing client research of the Lone Tree/Highlands Ranch area (DHL), I am seeing some interesting trends in comparison to last year.  Based on the MLS stats compiled by Land Title, it is interesting to see just how much the sales in this area have dropped compared to last year.  In May and June, sales are off more than 25% when compared to the same month last year.  At the same time, active listings are up 10%. 

When compared to last year, the most significant change can be seen in the Absorption Rate (Active Listings/monthly closed sales).  In June of '08 the Absorption rate was just 2.9 months.  That value has jumped to 4.2 months - an increase of nearly 45%.  With increasing supply and decreasing demand it seems that prices should be falling, when in actuality, the average price has increased 2% from $360,673 to $368,011.  It seems like something will have to give...

As a point of comparison to illustrate the difference between lower and higher priced neighborhoods, the Absorption Rate in North East Denver (DNE) has decreased from 4.4 months to 2.9 months when compared to last June.  The average sold price has stabilized, raising 1.1% from $203,423 to $205,731.

This difference really illustrates the fact that the ‘Denver Real Estate Market' is anything but uniform.  I believe that an understanding of the overall market dynamics should be a consideration when writing offers.

I look forward to your comments!

About two months ago, 10 "sold" signs popped up.  Last week the site prep started, now this - two homes are nearly framed, four more foundations are poured, and the site prep is being done on another two...  Here in Green Valley Ranch, there are still a handful of listings.  There seems to be an even split between retail owner listings and REO.  There are also some empty but not yet listed homes.  All-in-all, the supply seems to be down significantly from the previous two years.  With all of the doom and gloom in the press, I think that this is a bit of a good sign...

Colorado Mortgage Broker Licensing

In response to the troubled national real estate market and Colorado’s high volume of home foreclosures, efforts have increased to make higher caliber professionals involved in real estate. Licensing, rules and regulations have become more stringent for agents, appraisers, title companies and mortgage brokers.  In regards to mortgage brokers, the below items are mandatory.  No longer can someone open up the Yellow Pages, claim to be a mortgage broker and then be compensated for placing a loan --- what a novel concept.  Before committing to a mortgage broker, please make sure that they are licensed in Colorado by searching for them on the following link:  http://eservices.psiexams.com/crec/search.jsp

·       Licensing
All mortgage brokers conducting business in CO must be licensed with the Division of Real Estate and pass the criminal background check. Only those mortgage brokers who are licensed or exempt from licensure by law may broker a mortgage, offer to broker a mortgage, act as a mortgage broker, or offer to act as a mortgage broker.  Licensing registration and renewal is $200 every three years.

·       Surety Bond
Prior to licensing, an applicant for license shall post with the Director of the Division of Real Estate a surety bond of $25,000.  Yearly premium approximately $190.00.

·       Errors & Omissions Coverage

All CO mortgage brokers must carry Errors & Omissions coverage.  For mortgage brokers with less than five years of experience, the annual premium is $600.  With five years or greater lending experience, the premium is $500 per year.

·       New Pre-Licensing Education & Continuing Education

1. Complete 40 hours of licensing education and pass the two-part licensing exam (Mortgage Lending Basics & State and Federal Law) by January 1, 2009.  Approximate cost for course is $250 and $74 for the exam.
2. Complete a minimum of nine hours of continuing education every three years.

Loan Considerations for Buy and Hold Investors

As far as investment loans, little or no money down loans are impossible.  However, lenders do permit the use of Home Equity Lines of Credit or second mortgages from other properties owned by the borrower as a source of down payment.  Or, self-employed borrowers are using funds from business lines of credit to fund down payments or renovations (please note: there are asset seasoning guidelines for doing so and the debt incurred by accessing other credit lines must be accounted for against the borrower’s debt-to-income ratio). Thus, we have clients leveraging themselves with other homes they own in order to get in with little or nothing down. 

There are exceptions, but practically every lender requires Full Income Documentation on any investment purchase.  Full Documentation requires the proof of income through W2s, pay stubs and/or tax returns, as well as proving liquid assets with bank statements.  The max LTV is 85% on a non-owner single family property (75% for a 3 - 4 unit); however, most homes are being affected with the ‘declining market’ tag.  As such, the maximum loan permitted would be 80% of the purchase price.  This is due to mortgage insurance companies refusing to provide MI on investment properties in declining markets.  Also, if an investor does not have landlord experience in the past two years, new rules will now not allow any rental income to be included as monthly income.  Hence, the buyer would need to qualify with the entire payment going against his/her debt-to-income ratio. 

Another point to keep in mind is that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are only permitting a maximum of 4 financed properties on a borrower’s credit report.  Hence, if a borrower is looking to purchase or refinance a fifth home and already have four loans on their credit, they will face a tremendous challenge in securing financing.  This latter rule only affects someone purchasing or refinancing an investment property/second home and NOT an owner occupied purchase.

All this being said, if an investor can put down 20% (or borrow a good chunk of that 20% from other homes they own or lines of credit), is Full Doc, with a 680+ credit score and DTI below 50%, rates are in the upper 6% range on 30yr fixed mortgages with no prepay penalties.  With home prices bottoming up in most neighborhoods, coupled with a bullish rental market with increasing rents and low vacancy, investors can easily generate hundreds of dollars of cash flow per month.  In fact, many investors choose 15 year fixed mortgages to pay off the loan quickly, yet still cash flow tremendously.  

Loan Considerations for Fix & Flip / Short-Term Investors

Securing conventional financing on a fix & flip or short-term loan is not recommended.  Most conventional lenders sell off their mortgages to investors on the secondary market.  If the loan is paid off early (before six payments are made), the investor has not recovered their initial investment.  The investor will attempt to recover their loss from the lender, who will ultimately come after the loan originator.  The loan originator would then be obligated to pay back any premium paid out by the lender.  If such activity becomes habitual with the loan officer, the lender can cease doing business with them and their firm.

Furthermore, conventional loans require conventional appraisals.  The lender will require that the home is a) habitable in its present state b) in at least ‘average’ condition and c) not in need of any repairs greater than 2% of the purchase price.  All three points can be challenging to overcome for investments properties, especially bank owned homes.  Consequently, many investors use private money, hard money, home equity lines of credit, cash or specialty investment lenders to avoid failing a conventional appraisal.   All of the aforementioned sources of funds can be worthwhile to pursue, but they are meant for short-term loans.  Hence, the borrower needs to have a clear exit strategy(ies) to avoid costly extension fees and holding costs.  Such loans carry higher interest rates and up-front fees due to their considerable risk.  They can be a great route to pursue; however, the investor better be prepared in case the home is not able to sell. 

Fix & flip investors should also be cognizant of title seasoning issues.  FHA guidelines require that a seller be on title for 90 days before a buyer can purchase the home with an FHA loan.  Most flips take longer than 90 days to renovate, market and actually close.   But, some deals need limited work and can be turned around quickly.  Ultimately, you will want to verify that the new buyer’s lender understands the title guidelines of the lender being used.  Furthermore, a flip investor is going to list the remodeled home for significantly higher than what they had paid for it.  The lender providing financing to the buyer purchasing the renovated home will scrutinize the new appraisal to ensure the value is justified.  Lenders got burned in the past on property flipping schemes and are wary of substantial value increases in short periods of time.

Loan Considerations for Jumbo Mortgages

For the Greater Metro Denver area, any loan amount greater than $417,000 is considered a jumbo loan.  Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac assign different thresholds for various regions across the country.  For instance, $417,000 is not considered a jumbo loan in a high cost city like San Francisco, yet there will still be higher rates for going above $417K. 

Due to the size of jumbo loans, they are considered greater risk for lenders, resulting in higher rates.  Rates have fluctuated greatly over the past few years on jumbos.  As of today, a 30 year fixed could range from 7% - 8%; a full point higher than the prime rate below a loan amount of $417,000.  Five year ARMs are popular on jumbo loans, as they typically price out a half point lower than fixed products. 

Frequently, a borrower will need to put more money down on a jumbo loan to mitigate the risk.  Investors that purchase mortgages are still skeptical of the lending industry, especially higher risk loans, which is why we haven’t been witnessing attractive jumbo rates of late.

To limit the impact on the monthly payment and secure a better rate, many borrowers will take out a first mortgage of $417,000 and then try to find a second mortgage to cover the balance.  For example, assume a buyer is purchasing a home for $600,000 and they are able to put 20% down.  Instead of taking out one loan at 80% = $480,000, it will likely make sense to split the loan into a $417,000 first mortgage and $63,000 second mortgage.  Since the combined loan-to-value is 80%, finding a second mortgage lender should be relatively simple.  While the rate on the second will be higher than the first, the blended rate will be significantly lower than the jumbo loan option, resulting in a few hundred dollar savings per month.

Loan Considerations for Loan Amounts Between $200K - $417K

With all the doom and gloom publications that are mostly exaggerated, many potential borrowers believe that home mortgage lending options have dried up.  While underwriters and investors are scrutinizing files more closely, attractive rates and terms still exist for owner occupied purchasers seeking a conforming loan limit (under $417,000).  FHA and VA can still lend up to 100% LTV and conventional permits up to 97% LTV.  There are certain guidelines to meet when going to these high LTVs, but they are not impossible to surmount.

Every home buyer should first ask themselves what payment they feel comfortable in committing to on a monthly basis.  Too many buyers over-extended themselves in recent years on homes they simply could not afford, but qualified for on loose lending guidelines.   Just because you can qualify for a certain loan amount does not mean that it’s the best decision for you. 

Once the comfortable payment has been established, you can back solve for what loan amount will yield an amount close to that payment and search for homes in that price range.  You will need to take the amount of down payment into consideration, as well as whether a 30 year, 20 year or 15 year fixed option is best.  While adjustable rate mortgages (ARMs) are blamed for much of the current lending turmoil, a sophisticated borrower can determine if an ARM product makes more sense for their situation.

As of today, 30 year fixed rates are hovering right around 6% with no prepayment penalties.  But, it is important to keep in mind that if less than a 20% down payment is made on a home, there will be mortgage insurance.  Mortgage insurance protects lenders in case of default.  Loans above 80% LTV are considered greater risk, thus, carry mortgage insurance.  Borrowers can pay mortgage insurance separately per month or it can be built into the rate.  Mortgage insurance premiums will vary based on the LTV.  In recent years, second mortgages were popular to avoid mortgage insurance.  However, they are tougher to secure in this environment in light of the volume of second mortgage lenders that lost millions of dollars in defaulted loans.  Since they were in second lien position, their priority in being repaid was subordinate to first lien holders.  When homes were foreclosed upon, the second lien holders were typically paid back nothing.  

FHA First-Time Buyer Tax Credit

In an effort to boost the sagging real estate market and overall economy, first-time home buyers are being offered a limited time tax credit when purchasing a primary residence. 

The highlights of the tax credit are:

·  The tax credit is available for first-time home buyers only.

·  The maximum credit amount is $7,500.

·  The credit is available for homes purchased on or after April 9, 2008 and before
July 1, 2009.

·  Single taxpayers with incomes up to $75,000 and married couples with incomes up to $150,000 qualify for the full tax credit.

·  The tax credit works like an interest-free loan and must be repaid over a 15-year period.

Due to the volume of questions that can be generated with the above, I would recommend clicking on the below link for answers to frequently asked questions: http://www.federalhousingtaxcredit.com/faq.php

Loan considerations for a first time buyer

Lending guidelines are changing on a daily basis for every type of loan: conventional, FHA, VA & commercial.  Nevertheless, there are still very attractive first-time home buyer options available.   If you are or will be a first-time buyer, it is critical to speak with a loan officer before looking at homes.  It is a crushing feeling to view a home, picture making it your own and then find out that you cannot qualify to purchase it.  A loan officer will pull credit, analyze debt-to-income ratios, review assets and income and determine what you can afford. 

Presuming a pre-qualification occurs, the loan officer will then be able to provide an array of loan options.  Presently, FHA loans are the predominant loan for first-time home buyers as they offer flexibility with down payment, income and assets.  In 2009, FHA loans will require a 3.5% down payment; however, such funds can be a gift from friend or family member.  Additionally, pending on where the home is purchased, many cities still offer down payment monies to assist borrowers with little or nothing down.  There is even a program that permits someone to purchase a home for as little as $100.  Please keep in mind that when a borrower does not make a down payment, their interest rate will likely be higher, since it the loan will have greater perceived risk.

Conventional loans are very comparable to FHA loans in loan terms and fees.  They can be more restrictive with down payment options, debt ratios and alternative forms of credit.  But, they require less paperwork than FHA loans, which typically means a smoother underwriting process.  Furthermore, they do not require an up-front mortgage insurance premium like FHA loans ---- although, their monthly premiums are higher than FHA.  FHA, conventional and VA loans are in the low 6% range on 30 year fixed mortgages with no prepayment penalties.  These rates, coupled with lower prices make it an opportune time to purchase real estate.

Overall, there are pros and cons to each option.  As a first-time buyer start thinking through such factors as: what payment you would be comfortable in making, how much money you can put down, establishing a contingency plan for a job loss, how much you would like saved for unexpected expenses and if you were relocated or forced to sell how would handle the situation?

How can you improve your FICO score?

To improve one’s credit score, it’s critical to understand the factors influencing a credit score.  The factors that contribute to a FICO score and the weighted percentages for each are as follows:

• 35% — timeliness of payments
• 30% — the ratio of used debt to allowable debt for consumer credit
• 15% — length of credit history (the more credit history and showing proof of consistent timely payment, the better the score)
• 10% — types of credit used 
• 10% — recent credit inquiries and recent new credit

The greatest driver behind a score is making timely payments on all accounts.  Scores will be adversely affected for any payment that is 30 days late or more.  Being late on a mortgage payment will not only crush one’s score, but will also make qualifying for a new home loan extremely challenging.  Collections and past due accounts are obviously bad; however, paying off old collections can actually hurt FICOs in the short term.  Many collections report from years past.  If that collection is paid off, the account activity date is brought current, which could initially drive down the score. 

A common misconception is that having one’s credit pulled is the worst thing you can do to your scores.  While it’s wise to keep credit pulls to a minimum, keeping the proportion of monthly debt to allowable debt at low ratios is far more critical in improving one’s score.  For example, if a borrower has a credit card with a maximum limit of $15,000 and they owe $14,000, the proportion is almost 100% and the borrower is close to being maxed out.  Getting the ratio below 50% would help and below 35% would be optimal.  For revolving debt, I recommend borrowers contacting their credit card companies every six months to request increased maximum limits.  It is vital not to use this new allowable debt, rather, use it as a means to always keep the proportions in check.  Additionally, many borrowers will spread out their credit debt over a few cards to keep the ratios below 35% on all of the cards.  Or, if liquid funds are available, it could make sense to pay down the debt.

Another method of improving FICOs is to establish credit history over prolonged periods of time.  By doing so, the scoring formula treats longer credit history as a means of proving that a borrower can be extended credit, but do not put themselves into a compromising situation.  Many borrowers will keep inactive credit cards open, instead of closing them, in order to increase credit history.  Most lenders like to see at least four lines of credit on a report (called tradelines) that are open with at least two years of history.  Of these tradelines, it’s ideal to have balance between the types of accounts: mortgages, installment loans, revolving debt. Too much revolving debt, such as credit cards, can adversely impact scores as it can make the borrower to appear to be over-extending themselves.