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Rate projections from the Fed - Pay points? - John Sr & John Jr...

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Mortgage and Lending with LX Financial LLC

Fed will publish short-term rate projections
The Federal Reserve will now tell the public its expectations for short-term interest rates, starting after its Jan. 24-25 meeting. I find this odd, and here is why...

 

>>Reliability. If market realities change, the Fed may need to adjust rates. That is the Fed's job first and foremost.

>>Conflict of interest because the Fed may not want to contradict itself, and hesitate to take needed actions that conflict with its own projections.

>>Confusion. This pertains to short term rates, NOT (long-term) mortgage rates. People are constantly confused about this. Mortgage rates are primarily determined by capital markets. I am also concerned consumers will opt for ARMs as a result, rather then long-term security of fixed rate loans. 

>>Independence. To my mind the Fed needs to be independent, and anything that takes away from it is a slippery slope, that can ultimately affect confidence in US monetary policy.


Pay points?
If you plan on owning a property for longer than 4 years and want the comfort of a 30-year rate fix, you may want to consider buying down the rate (pay discount points). A rule of thumb is that a 1.00% "discount fee" or "buydown", results in a 0.25% reduction of the note rate on a 30-year fixed rate loan. (Your payback period is about 4 years). And over the life of the loan you will save about 4% of the original loan amount.
 More information
Pay 1.00%, 4 year payback, save 4% of the loan amount: 1-4-4.

 

John Sr and John Jr...
I am not here to tell you not to give your kids your first name, but know this: You are at risk of credit report mixups, and correcting it may take time and money, especially if derogatory items are involved. Applications may be declined, delayed, or not approved on best possible terms. I have have come across a few nasty situations lately, and I thought I'd share it with you. Oh.... same first name and different middle initial is not an alternative. - P

 

 


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