Homebuilders are optimistic about the housing market this spring, relative to recent months. According to the monthly Housing Market Index as published by the National Association of Homebuilders, after 4 straight months of reading 16, March homebuilder confidence ticked 1 point higher to 17. It's the highest confidence reading in 10 months. A value of 50 or better indicates "favorable conditions" for home builders; with more builders viewing sales conditions as "good" than "poor". HMI hasn't read higher than 50 since April 2006. Regionally, the … (2 comments)
mortgage: Make A Mortgage Rate Plan BEFORE Friday's Job Report
- 03/03/11 05:14 AM
Mortgage rates could move higher beginning tomorrow morning. The Bureau of Labor Statistics releases its February jobs report at 8:30 AM ET. Home buyers and rate shoppers in Nashville would be wise to take note. The jobs report is almost always a market-mover. Consider last month. Although net job creation fell well-short of expectations in January - just 36,000 jobs were added - the national Unemployment Rate dropped to 9.0%, its lowest level in 2 years. The marked improvement surprised economists and sparked inflationary concerns within the investor community. This, in turn, caused mortgage rates to rise. In the days immediately following the … (0 comments)
mortgage: Big Changes For USDA Loans Are On The Horizon
- 03/03/11 04:32 AM
Well USDA Guaranteed Rural Housing just got a whamy... all in the same day!Purchasing Power is changing.... Please find attached a notice outlining two very important changes that are scheduled to take effect with loans obligated on or after October 1, 2011. The changes are as follows: (1) An annual fee of 0.3 percent will be charged on all loans obligated on or after this date (this means that USDA will now essentially be charging mortgage insurance and calling it something else); and (2) The up-front guarantee fee for purchase loans transaction will decrease from 3.5 percent to 2 percent … (0 comments)
mortgage: Pending Home Sales Statistics
- 03/01/11 05:06 AM
After a strong run to close out 2010, the market for home resales softened a bit in January. That is, IF you're only looking at home sales from a national perspective. Here in the Nashville market, we are experience an INCREASE in home sales this year compared with where we were last year. It's important that you ask your local realtor how our local market figures match up with the national figures. Your LOCAL REALTOR is your local market EXPERT. However, you can read more about national home sales below. It's important to ALSO remember that all different types of reports … (1 comments)
mortgage: What's Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week: Feb 28th
- 02/28/11 02:40 AM
Mortgage markets improved last week as Wall Street's concerns about the Middle East trumped its fears of inflation. Conforming and FHA mortgage rates in Tennessee fell to a 3-week low. Last week marked the second straight week in which mortgage rates fell, a streak that follows four straight weeks of climbing mortgage rates. It's been a bout of good fortune for rate shoppers and home buyers. In addition, according to Freddie Mac's weekly mortgage rate survey, the average spread between conforming 30-year fixed rate mortgages and 5-year ARMs has widened further. The two benchmark products are now separated by 1.15%. It's … (0 comments)
mortgage: Considering Selling Your Home, FOR SALE BY OWNER??
- 02/24/11 12:26 PM
Let Me Market Your Home At No Cost - Yes, Really. My name is Christina Livingston and I am a licensed loan officer for ACOPIA Home Loans. We're a direct mortgage lender here in Franklin, TN. I provide a FREE online marketing system to all FOR SALE BY OWNER LISTINGS here in the Middle TN community. It's designed for sellers like yourself, looking to avoid paying any of the realtor fees associated with hiring an agent to market /sell your home. I provide the marketing and you use it. I build all of your marketing materials for free, and in … (1 comments)
mortgage: Existing Home Supply Down 40% In Last 6 Months
- 02/24/11 03:17 AM
Home resales rose another 2.7 percent last month, according to the National Association of REALTORS® monthly Existing Home Sales report. An "existing home" is a home that's been previously occupied and is not considered new construction. The number of existing homes sold on a rolling 12-month basis is now at its highest point since May 2010, the month before the federal homebuyer tax credit ended. It's also up some 40% since July 2010, the month after the tax credit ended. But that's not the biggest story in the Existing Home Sales report. The precipitous decline in home inventory deserves more … (0 comments)
mortgage: What's Ahead for Mortgage Rates This Week: Feb 22, 2011
- 02/22/11 04:46 AM
Mortgage markets improved slightly last week, rebounding from the worst 1-week loss in recent history. The gains were geopolitical, however; the result of instability in the Middle East region. Economic data was overlooked as investors made a broad-based flight-to-quality. For just the second time in 2011, conforming mortgage rates in Nashville fell on a week-to-week basis. Rates shouldn't have dropped, though. Here's just a sampling of last week's economic data, all of which can be tied to rising mortgage rates: Oil prices are soaring on supply concerns The Producer Price Index touched a 2-year high Philadelphia Fed Manufacturing Survey predicted … (1 comments)
mortgage: The Complete FHA Streamline Refinance Guidelines
- 02/21/11 09:26 AM
This FHA Streamline information is accurate as of today, February 21, 2011. Mortgage guidelines change all the time. If you get your FHA information somewhere else, double-check the article's publish date first. The FHA Streamline Refinance Returns To Its Roots The FHA-insured mortgage market share has increased nearly 10-fold since 2006, creating a huge class of first-time FHA borrowers around the country. FHA mortgages are identical to conventional mortgages in most ways -- they're offered as fixed rate or adjustable,they're available with 15- or 30-year terms, and they don't have a prepayment penalty. But, because FHA mortgages are insured by … (0 comments)
mortgage: Fed Minutes Show Lower Unemployment and Higher Growth for 2011 and 2012
- 02/21/11 06:07 AM
The Federal Reserve released its January 25-26, 2011 meeting minutes last Wednesday afternoon. Tennessee mortgage rates have been in flux since. Fed Minutes are comprehensive recaps of Federal Open Market Committee meetings; a detailed look at the debates and discussions that shape our nation's monetary policy. As such, they're released 8 times annually; 3 weeks after the most recent FOMC meeting. Fed Minutes can be viewed as the unabridged version of the succinct, more well-known "Fed Statement" that's released to markets immediately post-adjournment. Just how much more lengthy are Fed Minutes? The January 25-26, 2011 statement contains 395 words The January 25-26, … (2 comments)
mortgage: Building Permits Surge in December; Signals a Strong Spring Housing Market
- 02/18/11 04:59 AM
Each month, in conjunction with the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Census Bureau releases its New Residential Construction report. The report is comprised of several sections, one of which counts the number of homes that have "broken ground" nationwide. They're called "Housing Starts" and, by most measures, they faded quickly as 2010 came to a close. According to the Census Bureau's report, Housing Starts of single-family homes fell to 417,000 units on a seasonally-adjusted, annual basis. The figure marks a 9 percent drop-off from November, and is the lowest reading since May 2009. Not surprisingly, the press went bearish … (0 comments)
mortgage: Mortgage Guidelines Starting to Loosen?
- 02/18/11 04:47 AM
Mortgage lending appears to be loosening. That is, IF you're only looking at certain data. In its quarterly survey of member banks, the Federal Reserve asks senior loan officers around the country whether their "prime" residential mortgage guidelines had tightened within the last 3 months. A prime borrower is one with a well-documented credit history, high credit scores, and a low debt-to-income ratio. Of the 54 responding banks, just 2 said its guidelines had tightened during the period October-December 2010. That's less than 4 percent. And, by comparison, 95 percent of banks said guidelines remained "basically unchanged". The remaining banks … (4 comments)
mortgage: Foreclosure Activity Drops
- 02/18/11 04:17 AM
Foreclosures in Tennessee are still a popular choice for homebuyers here locally as residents in Rutherford, Davidson, and Williamson county seek to find a 'hidden gem' in the sea of inventory available . However, foreclosure activity is slowing nationally. According to foreclosure-tracker RealtyTrac, the number of foreclosure filings dropped 17 percent on an annual basis last month. Monthly filings ticked higher 1 percent after a combined 23 percent decrease through November and December 2010. The phrase "foreclosure filing" is a catch-all term, comprising default notices, scheduled auctions, and bank repossessions. January marked the third straight month of sub-300,000 filings after 20 straight months above … (0 comments)
mortgage: Home Sales
- 02/18/11 04:03 AM
Existing Home Sales surged 12 percent last month, closing 2010′s housing market with strength. An "existing home" is a home that cannot be categorized as new construction; a resale. According to the National Association of REALTORS®, seasonally-adjusted, annualized Existing Home Sales figures climbed by more than a half-million units in December as compared to November. It's the 3rd straight month of home resale improvement nationwide. Sales volume is now as high as it's been since May 2010 - just after the federal home buyer tax credit's expiration. In addition, the number of months needed to sell the complete, current home inventory … (3 comments)
mortgage: Mortgage Rates Return to April 2010 Levels
- 02/18/11 03:57 AM
Mortgage rates are surging. Over the last 7 days, conventional, 30-year fixed rate mortgage rates have jumped 24 basis points, or 0.24%, according to Freddie Mac's weekly Primary Mortgage Market Survey. It's the largest 1-week spike in mortgage rates in recent history. The 30-year fixed rate mortgage now averages 5.05% nationally. This is much, much higher than what we saw last November when mortgage rates were 4.17% and looked headed to the 3s. That's not the case today. In fact, it's the opposite. Mortgage rates have risen quickly and fiercely this year. As of this morning, mortgage rates are higher over … (0 comments)
mortgage: Your ARM Is About To Adjust
- 02/18/11 03:49 AM
If your ARM is due to adjust this spring, your best move may be to allow it. Don't rush to refinance - your rate may be adjusting lower. It's because of how adjusted mortgage rates are calculated. First, let's look at the lifecycle of a conventional, adjustable rate mortgage: There's a "starter period" of several years in which the interest rate remains fixed. There's an initial adjustment to rate after the starter period. This is called the "first adjustment". There's a subsequent adjustment until the loan's term expires. The adjustment is usually annual. The starter period will vary from 1 … (0 comments)
mortgage: What's Ahead for Mortgage Rates This Week: W/O Feb 14th
- 02/16/11 07:02 AM
What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week : February 14, 2011 Author: Christina Livingston | Monday, February 14th, 2011 Mortgage markets worsened terribly last week. Amid more reports of an improving economy and fears of pending inflation, mortgage rates skyrocketed to their highest levels since April 2010. According to Freddie Mac, mortgage rates made their largest 1-week jump in more than a year last week, tacking on 0.24 percent and bringing the average national 30-year fixed mortgage rate up to 5.05%. In some markets, rates are even higher. Since bottoming out in Freddie Mac’s November 11 survey, conforming, 30-year fixed mortgage … (0 comments)
Homebuilders Expect More Sales Volume This Year Author: Christina Livingston • Thursday, March 17th, 2011
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