mortgage loans: Behind The Housing Starts Headlines, The Story That Matters! - 01/20/12 06:06 PM
When it comes to housing data, sometimes you have to look past the headlines. December’s Housing Starts data offers a terrific illustration of why.
Each month, the Census Bureau tallies Housing Starts for the month prior. A “housing start” is a home on which construction has started.
The Housing Starts report is separated by property type. There is a count for single-family homes; a count for 2-4 unit homes; and a count for buildings of 5 units or more, a category including apartments and condominiums.
In December, as reported by the government, Housing Starts fell 4 percent nationwide overall. This runs … (2 comments)

mortgage loans: What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week : January 9, 2012? - 01/09/12 07:36 PM
Mortgage markets improved last week, pushing mortgage rates in California lower for the second straight week. Conforming fixed and adjustable-rate mortgage cut new, all-time lows, and FHA mortgage rates did the same.
In a holiday-shortened trading week, stronger-than-expected U.S. economic data and ongoing weakness within Europe drove investors into the U.S. mortgage-backed bond market. When demand for bonds is high, mortgage rates improve.
The Refi Boom continues.
Since beginning their descent last February, mortgage rates have shed 114 basis points en route to reaching 3.91%, the current, “average”, 30-year fixed rate mortgage rate nationwide and a new all-time low, according to Freddie … (0 comments)

mortgage loans: Government Releases Additional HARP Guidance For Underwater Homeowners! - 11/23/11 04:56 PM
Tuesday, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac unveiled lender instructions for the government’s revamped HARP program, kick-starting a potential refinance frenzy across California and nationwide.
HARP stands for Home Affordable Refinance Program. The updated program is meant to give “underwater homeowners” an opportunity to refinance at today’s low mortgage rates.
In the two-plus years since its launch, HARP’s first iteration helped fewer than 900,000 homeowners. HARP II, by contrast, is expected to reach millions.
Lenders begin taking HARP II loan applications December 1, 2011.
To apply for HARP, applicants must first meet 4 basic criteria :
The existing mortgage must be guaranteed … (4 comments)

mortgage loans: Adjustable-Rate Mortgages Starting To Adjust Higher! - 09/13/11 07:36 PM
 

For the first time in a year, homeowners with adjusting mortgages are facing rising mortgage rates. The interest rate by which many adjustable-rate mortgages adjust has climbed to its highest level since September 2010, and looks poised to reach higher.
This is because of the formula by which adjustable-rate mortgage adjust.
Each year, when due for a reset, an adjustable-rate mortgage’s rate changes to the sum of fixed number known as a “margin”, and a variable figure known as an “index”. For conforming mortgages, the margin is typically set to 2.250 percent; the index is often equal to the … (2 comments)

mortgage loans: As Jobs Tally Fades, Mortgage Rates Fall! - 09/07/11 06:25 PM
 

The U.S. economy is no longer adding new jobs.
Last Friday, in its monthly Non-Farm Payrolls report, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the U.S. economy added exactly zero new jobs in August as the national Unemployment Rate held steady at 9.1 percent.
Despite the “zero” reading, the jobs figures were in the red. This is because the BLS issued revisions to its June and July figures that adjusted the two months of data down by 58,000 jobs.
Economists had expected a monthly reading of +75,000. Their estimates missed.
The weaker-than-expected jobs data fueled a stock market sell-off … (4 comments)

mortgage loans: Where are Mortgage Rates Headed? - 09/06/11 08:36 PM
 
Mortgage markets improved last week on a weak jobs report, expectation for new market stimulus, growing evidence of a global economic slowdown. Rates were especially volatile, too, with the long Labor Day Weekend looming.
Overall, conforming mortgage rates in California improved for the first time in 3 weeks. On a product-by-product basis, though, mortgage rates are faring differently.
According to the Freddie Mac weekly mortgage rate survey, last week, the 30-year fixed rate mortgage was unchanged but the 15-year fixed rate mortgage and the 5-year ARM fell.
The 5-year ARM is at a new all-time low for qualified borrowers.
A drop … (0 comments)

mortgage loans: With The Jobs Report Looming, Mortgage Rates May Rise! - 09/01/11 05:35 PM
 

If you’re shopping for a mortgage rate, today may be a good day to lock one down. That’s because Friday morning, the Bureau of Labor Statistics will release its Non-Farm Payrolls report for August 2011.
The “jobs report” tends to have a big influence on mortgage bonds and mortgage rates in Irvine.
The jobs report is a monthly issuance, providing sector-by-sector analysis of the U.S. workforce. It also report the national Unemployment Rate.
Wall Street expects the August Non-Farm Payrolls data to show 75,000 jobs created in August, down from 117,000 in July; and it expects that the Unemployment Rate … (3 comments)

mortgage loans: Pending Home Sales Slip In July; Creates Buyer Opportunity! - 08/30/11 05:05 PM
 
After 3 straight months of gains, the Pending Home Sales Index slipped 1 percent in July. The monthly report is published by the National Association of REALTORS® and measures the number of home under contract to sell nationwide.
The Pending Home Sales Index is closely watched by Wall Street and analysts because it’s a forward-looking housing market indicator. Unlike most housing market data, though, Pending Home Sales forecasts a future housing market event. In this case, the Existing Home Sales report.
In its methodology, the Pending Home Sales Index states that 80% of homes under contract close within 2 months, … (2 comments)

mortgage loans: Mortgage Rates this week? - 08/29/11 05:34 PM
 
Last week was another volatile week for mortgage rates. Wall Street alternately sought risk and shunned it, causing mortgage-backed bonds to rise and fall rapidly.
There was a lot to move markets, too, including banking concerns across Europe, inflation figures within the U.S., and a public speech by Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke.
Conforming rates in California rose to their highest levels of the week Wednesday afternoon, then receded into the weekend. 3
0-year fixed rates remain above their all-time lows set 2 weeks ago. 5-year ARMs are at all-time lows.
This week, mortgage rates figure to be equally jumpy. As well … (5 comments)

mortgage loans: Ranking The Best Places To Live In The U.S. (2011 Edition) - 08/25/11 07:35 PM
 
 
CNNMoney recently released its Best Places To Live 2011 list.
The annual survey is based on data from Onboard Informatics. Using Quality of Life factors such as education, crime and “town spirit”, and focusing on towns with between 8,500 and 50,000 residents, the CNNMoney survey ranks the country’s best “small towns”.
To be eligible, towns must be have a median household income greater than 85 percent, and less than 200 percent of the state median income; must not be a categorized as a “retirement community”; and must be racially-diverse.
From a list of 3,570 eligible towns nationwide, Louisville, Colorado was … (3 comments)

mortgage loans: Can Mortgage Rate Go Any Lower? - 08/22/11 08:33 PM
 
Mortgage markets improved again last week, pushing mortgage rates in California to an all-time low; lower than the lows set last November, even.
Last week’s low mortgage rate drivers are primarily European. Joining the debt concerns that have dogged Europe since March, a fresh wave of doubt has surfaced about the health of some Eurozone banks. The fears sparked a new wave of safe haven buying.
Global equities were socked last week and the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell for the 4th straight week. For home buyers in Irvine , though, the timing may be perfect. As stock markets lose, bond … (2 comments)

mortgage loans: Mortgage Rates Don’t Move With The Fed Funds Rate? - 08/19/11 06:10 PM
 
Last week, at its 5th scheduled meeting of the year, the Federal Open Market Committee voted to leave the Fed Funds Rate in its target range near zero percent.
The Fed Funds Rate has been near zero percent since December 2008 and, in its official statement, the FOMC pledged to leave the Fed Funds Rate untouched for at least another 2 years.
This doesn’t mean mortgage rates will be untouched for 2 years, though. 
Mortgage rates and the Fed Funds Rate are two different interest rates; completely disconnected. If mortgage rates and the Fed Funds Rate moved in tandem, the … (4 comments)

mortgage loans: What Perks Does Your Favorite Credit Card Offer? - 08/18/11 07:10 PM

Last week, the Federal Reserve pledged to leave the Fed Funds Rate near 0.000 percent until at least mid-2013. For credit card holders in California who carry a monthly balance, this is good news. Because of the Fed’s call, credit card rates are unlikely to rise before mid-2013.
But cardholders can save on more than just interest costs, as you’ll learn from this two-and-a-half minute piece with NBC’s The Today Show. In the interview, you’ll hear about “built-in” perks offered by most credit cards and ways by which you can save on everyday goods and services.
For example, did you know … (3 comments)

mortgage loans: Homebuilders Expect A Soft Winter Housing Market!! - 08/16/11 06:18 PM
 

Two months after posting their worst confidence reading of 2011, home builders say they foresee no improvement in the immediate- or medium-term market for new homes nationwide.
In August, for the second straight month, the Housing Market Index read 15.
The HMI is a monthly housing survey, published by the National Association of Homebuilders. It’s scored on a scale of 1-100 with readings over 50 suggesting favorable home builder conditions. Readings under 50 suggest unfavorable conditions.
The Housing Market Index has been below the 50-point benchmark since 2006.
To calculate the HMI, home builders are asked 3 separate questions, each addressing … (1 comments)

mortgage loans: Foreclosures Sink To 4-Year Low! - 08/12/11 05:29 PM
 
Foreclosure activity continues to slow.
According to RealtyTrac, a national foreclosure-tracking firm, the number of foreclosure filings nationwide fell 35 percent as compared to July 2010, a statistic suggesting that the housing market continues to improve.
“Foreclosure filing” is a catch-all term encompassing default notices, scheduled auctions, and bank repossessions.
Filings fell to a 44-month low in July 2011.
For all the improvement, though, activity remains concentrated in just a few states. More than half of all bank repossessions last month occurred in just a handful of states.
In July, 6 states accounted for 52% of activity.
California : 19% of … (7 comments)

mortgage loans: A Simple Explanation Of The Federal Reserve Statement... - 08/09/11 08:19 PM
 
Tuesday, the Federal Open Market Committee voted to leave the Fed Funds Rate unchanged within its current target range of 0.000-0.250 percent.
The vote was 7-3 — the first time in 5 meetings that the nation’s Central Bank was non-unanimous and the first time since 1992 that the FOMC adjourned with as many as three dissenters.
In its press release, the FOMC had little good to say about the U.S. economy, noting that since its last meeting in July:
Growth has been “considerably slower” than expected Labor market conditions have deteriorated Household spendng has “flattened” The Fed also noted that … (1 comments)

mortgage loans: Mortgage Rates Drop After U.S. Credit Downgrade... - 08/09/11 08:17 PM
 
Mortgage rates continue drifting downward, despite — or because of — a ratings downgrade on long-term U.S. government debt. Standard & Poors issued a single-notch downgrade after Friday’s market close, from AAA to AA+.
Of the roughly $9.4 billion in publicly-held U.S. debt, 72 percent is long-term (i.e. with duration of 2 years or longer).
U.S. short-term debt was not downgraded.
When an entity — government, business, or other — is cited for a credit downgrade, it means that the risk of lending money to that entity has increased. In theory, higher risk should lead to higher borrowing costs and higher … (0 comments)

mortgage loans: Mortgage Rate Strategy For July’s Jobs Report! - 08/03/11 07:20 PM

At 8:30 AM ET Friday, the Bureau of Labor Statistics will release the July 2011 Non-Farm Payrolls report. Mark it in your calendar. If you’ve been watching mortgage rates fall to new all-time lows this week and fear a mortgage rate reversal, Friday could be the day.
The monthly Non-Farm Payrolls data can swing a big stick in mortgage markets.
More commonly called “the jobs report“, Non-Farm Payrolls details the U.S. workforce, providing sector-by-sector analysis of workforce, as well as the national Unemployment Rate. 
The jobs report affects mortgage rates because of how important jobs are to the U.S. economy.
(2 comments)

mortgage loans: 16 of 20 Case-Shiller Cities Show Improvement In May! - 07/28/11 05:02 PM

Standard & Poors released its May 2011 Case-Shiller Index this week. The index measures change in home prices from month-to-month, and year-to-year, in select U.S. cities.
May’s Case-Shiller Index showed a 1 percent increase from April 2011. Home values rose in 16 of the Case-Shiller Index’s 20 tracked markets. Only Detroit, Las Vegas and Tampa fell. Phoenix was flat.
Don’t look too far into the findings, though. Like the FHFA’s Home Price Index, the Case-Shiller Index is rife with flaws.
The first flaw of the Case-Shiller Index is its limited geography. Despite being positioned as a national housing index, Case-Schiller … (1 comments)

mortgage loans: New Home Supplies Keep Shrinking; Prices Pressured Higher! - 07/27/11 10:22 PM
Home builders are slowly reducing inventory.
According to Census Bureau data, the number of new homes slid 1 percent from May. On a seasonally-adjusted, annualized basis, home buyers bought 312,000 newly-built homes last month.
It’s the third straight month of falling sales and the headline data casts the Irvine housing market in a negative light.
Upon closer inspection, however, the numbers appear quite strong. 
First, sales are down marginally. Total units sold have dropped just 2 percent from the highs of the year. And, second, the number of newly-built homes for sale is down markedly from last year
There are 22% … (2 comments)