mortgage: Assumptions are an Alternative
- 07/19/17 05:22 PM
Assumptions are an Alternative
In the late 80’s, both FHA and VA began requiring buyers to qualify to assume their mortgages. The main reason there haven’t been many assumptions in the past 25 years is that interest rates have been steadily going down and if a person has to qualify, they might as well do it on a new loan and get a lower interest rate.
Based on projections by Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, the MBA and NAR, rates for the second half of 2017 and 2018 are expected to be higher. When interest rates on new mortgages are higher than the rates … (1 comments)
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mortgage: Down Payment - Are You Sure?
- 07/03/17 06:27 PM
There is increasing difficulty for first-time home buyers to save for their down payment as indicated in the graph. Several factors that contribute to this trend include rising rents, rising home prices, student loan debt and flat wages.
Some would-be buyers feel they cannot buy a home today but a large part of those decisions may be based on inaccurate assumptions.
Nine out of ten non-owners believe they need ten percent or more for a down payment. The typical down payment for first-time buyers is six percent. VA has 100% loan programs as well as USDA for certain qualifying areas and buyers. FHA … (0 comments)
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mortgage: Must Be This Tall to Ride
- 06/04/17 08:53 PM
Surely, you remember being a child at an amusement park when after having stood in line with your friends and family, waiting to get on a terrific ride, you discovered the sign that read, “you must be this tall to ride.”
Not only was it disappointing, it was slightly embarrassing. You never want to go through that again.
A remarkably similar situation occurs when people are buying a home. After finding the right home and negotiating the contract, they find out that they don’t measure up financially. It’s not something that anyone wants to go through if they have a choice.
Regardless of what … (0 comments)
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mortgage: Would-be Buyers with Student Debt
- 05/22/17 05:43 PM
59% of non-owners are not comfortable taking on a mortgage with their student debt according to the Aspiring Home Buyers 2017 survey. It is estimated that the college graduates have an average of $37,172 in student debt.
Fannie Mae, who has loan programs with as little as three to five percent down payments, has announced changes to how student loan debt is treated that could make the difference in qualifying for a mortgage.
For the 5 million borrowers who participate in the reduced payment plans, actual payments are considered for calculating debt-to-income ratio rather than maximum payment amount.
Non-mortgage debts paid by another party for … (5 comments)
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mortgage: Not Available for Every Buyer
- 03/09/17 05:01 PM
Lenders regularly publish mortgage rates but they may not be available for all buyers.
Imagine that the mortgage payment based on an advertised rate influenced a buyer to make an offer on a home. After negotiating a binding contract, this buyer makes a loan application and finds out that for any number of possible reasons, that rate isn’t available.
Even if the person does financially qualify for a loan at a higher interest rate, it will not be the payment that the buyer expected when the contract was negotiated.
Lenders evaluate several factors such as the borrower’s credit score, debt-to-income and loan-to-value ratios. These … (2 comments)
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mortgage: What Would You Give?
- 02/15/17 10:44 AM
Yogi Berra said he’d give his right arm to be ambidextrous. While most first-time home buyers are not going to that extreme, it is interesting to see what sacrifices are being made according to the National Association of REALTORS® 2016 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers.
43% - cut spending on luxury or non-essential items 34% - cut spending on entertainment 27% - cut spending on clothes 14% - canceled vacation plans
9% - earned extra income through a second job 7% - sold or decided not to purchase a vehicle 44% - did not need to make any sacrifices Forty-percent of first-time buyers experienced … (2 comments)
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mortgage: What a Difference 50 years Makes
- 12/21/16 10:14 PM
In 1966, a gallon of gas was $0.32 and today, it is $2.49. A dozen eggs were $0.60 but they’ve only doubled to $1.33. A gallon of milk was $0.99 and today, it costs $3.98. You could send a letter for five cents and now, it costs forty-seven cents.
The average cost of a new car in 1966 was $3,500 and today, it will cost $33,560. New cars have more features than the earlier models but they’re still ten times more expensive. The median price of a new home was $21,700 and now, is $304,500.
Interestingly, mortgage rates are actually lower today at … (4 comments)
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mortgage: Avoid Wasting Time
- 08/17/16 11:23 AM
“If you waste my time, don’t expect me to hang out with you very long.” This could have been said by a buyer or seller or a real estate agent. Time is valuable and no one wants to waste their time.
Most people can’t put their lives on-hold while they’re trying to buy or sell a home. Whether they have a family, a couple or single, life continues and the time constraints of moving can become burdensome.
Your agent is committed to helping you save time while making the experience memorable. They know the process and the potential problem areas and can help … (0 comments)
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mortgage: Pay Yourself First
- 02/26/16 07:10 AM
Pay Yourself First - 2/22/2016
The principle to pay yourself first has been referred to as the Golden Rule of Personal Finance.
The concept is that one of the first checks you write each month is for your own savings. The rationale is that if there is no money left after a person pays their bills, there is nothing to contribute to savings or investments that month.
By establishing a priority to save, a person realizes that the balance of their monthly income must cover living expenses and other discretionary spending. This is a much different strategy than saving what is left over from monthly expenses and … (2 comments)
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mortgage: Homeowners Advisory
- 02/17/16 12:12 PM
Homeowner Advisory
Similar to an annual wellness physical, homeowners should consider an annual review of the financial elements of their home. It’s particularly valuable based on the fact that their home and its equity is generally, one of their largest assets.
List of similar properties recently sold and currently available Information on challenging property tax assessment Refinance Analysis to: lower your rate shorten the term make improvements eliminate mortgage insurance remove a person from the loan eliminate credit card debt combine loans take cash out of the equity Equity Accelerator to retire the mortgage within a specific period of time Repairmen and … (0 comments)
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mortgage: Is Understanding Costing You Money?
- 02/02/16 07:58 AM
People tend to fear what they don’t understand. Homeowners understand fixed rate mortgages and remember the horror stories of people who lost their homes because they could no longer afford them when their adjustable rate mortgages went up.
Interest rates on fixed-rate mortgages have been so low for enough years, that borrowers haven’t even given much consideration to an adjustable rate mortgage. Changes in the way adjustable rate mortgages are now made make them much safer for borrowers who understand how they work but also know they’ll only be in the home for a limited period of time.
Adjustable rate mortgages can go up … (0 comments)
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mortgage: With Equity There are More Options
- 12/15/15 06:54 AM
More Equity...More Options
The more equity in your home, the more options you have.
Since equity is determined by the difference between value and what is owed on a property, when homes lost value during the Great Recession, homeowners’ equity decreased.
Negative equity occurs when the value is less than the mortgage owed. According to CoreLogic, 91% of all mortgaged properties have equity and only 4.4 million properties remain in negative equity at the end of the second quarter in 2015.
A homeowner, who qualifies, can release part of their equity by refinancing the existing loan and taking out additional cash or by getting a … (1 comments)
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mortgage: Rent VS. Own
- 05/19/15 09:40 AM
Live the Dream
Consumers are more easily living the American Dream of owning a home because of the incredibly low mortgage rates. Today, most buyers can get a much lower rate than their parents or grandparents got on their first home.
In a recent housing survey, FNMA released information about consumers' thoughts on the current market. Almost two-thirds would rather buy than rent and believe that now is a good time to buy. Half of the respondents expect rent and home prices will go up.
Top Ten reasons to move the dream to reality:
It’s cheaper than renting in most cases Avoid rental increases … (3 comments)
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mortgage: FHA or Conventional?
- 04/08/15 09:03 AM
FHA or Conventional? - 3/23/2015 Buyers with a minimum down payment are generally faced with the decision of whether to get a FHA or a conventional loan. With the new 3% down payment program on conventional loans, it may become more confusing which loan to pursue.
The two loan programs have mortgage fees that can differ greatly. FHA has a 1.75% up-front mortgage insurance charge in addition to the monthly mortgage insurance charge which was recently lowered by .5%.
FHA’s mortgage insurance is a fixed amount where conventional mortgage insurance providers’ fees are determined by individual companies and according to the credit score … (1 comments)
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mortgage: Selecting a Local Lender
- 03/21/15 07:32 AM
Selecting a Lender
Finding a mortgage lender is not a problem. Selecting someone who will help you find the best loan product for your situation even if it means sending you to another lender is paramount.
There is a huge advantage to be able to sit across the table from someone you’re doing business with and look them straight in the eye. It’s difficult to make an informed decision based on a website and a phone call.
Doing business with a full-time professional who specializes in residential loans like you’re trying to get is important. You want the loan officer … (1 comments)
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mortgage: Don't Consider Appreciation or Tax Savings
- 12/24/14 07:13 AM
Don't Consider Appreciation or Tax Savings
Appreciation and tax savings are legitimate contributors to an overall rate of return on rental real estate but what if you didn’t consider them at all. If you only looked at one or two, very conservative measurements, you might decide to invest especially knowing that there are more benefits that will accrue to your investment.
If we bought a property for cash, collected the rent and paid the expenses, the amount left would be called Net Operating Income. In the example below, if would generate $7,200 a year which would be a 7.02% … (1 comments)
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mortgage: Verify with Your Lender
- 11/25/14 10:58 PM
Verify with Your Lender - 11/24/2014 If you have a mortgage with an escrow account to pay your property taxes and insurance, you expect the company servicing your loan to pay this year’s taxes this year so that you can deduct them on your 2014 income tax return. After all, your monthly payment includes 1/12 the annual amount so there will be money available for them to be paid on time.
IRS requires that expenses must actually be paid in the year that a deduction is to be taken.
The predicament occurs when you’ve made your payments but the mortgage company didn’t … (1 comments)
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mortgage: Save Interest, Build Equity & Shorten the Term
- 10/26/14 06:39 AM
Save Interest, Build Equity & Shorten the Term If you invest in a savings account, you’ll make less than 1% and would have to pay income tax on the earnings. On the other hand, contribute something extra to your house payment and you’ll earn at the mortgage interest rate which is certain to be more than you are earning in the bank.
Making additional principal contributions on your mortgage will save interest, build equity and shorten the term. An extra $100 a month in the example shown will save thousands in interest and shorten the term of the mortgage as … (0 comments)
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mortgage: Every Renter Should Know
- 08/01/14 07:20 PM
Every Renter Should Know The first home purchase can be the culmination of years of planning and consideration. Buyers typically look for 12 weeks and use a variety of information sources for research before purchasing. However, many renters are not near as thorough in their study.
Like any other commitment a person makes, careful consideration and understanding is required. There are things that every renter should know before they rent a home or apartment.
A lease is a binding, legal document. Understand the lease before signing and ask questions. Get the complete agreement in writing instead of verbal statements. Tenants … (0 comments)
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mortgage: The Reason They're Called Benefits
- 08/01/14 10:58 AM
The Reason They're Called Benefits The Veterans Administration guarantees home loans for eligible veterans. It is considered an attractive loan because the veteran can purchase the home with no down payment up to specific loan limits and no mortgage insurance. This makes the monthly payment considerably lower.
Let’s assume a buyer wants to purchase a $200,000 home and can get a 4.5% interest mortgage for 30 years.
A FHA loan would require a $7,000 down payment plus $3,377.50 in up-front MIP which can be rolled into the mortgage. The monthly mortgage insurance premium would be $221 per month for a … (0 comments)
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Assumptions are an Alternative
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