Monday, August 19, 2024 / by Dick Keenan
If you’re considering buying or selling a home, mortgage rates are likely at the forefront of your thoughts. These rates play a crucial role in determining how much you’ll pay each month on your mortgage, so it’s important to factor them into your plans. Here’s what you need to know about the current mortgage rate landscape and how it affects your buying power.
What’s the Current Trend with Mortgage Rates?
Recently, mortgage rates have been on a downward trend, which is promising news for those looking to buy a home. However, it’s essential to remember that mortgage rates can be unpredictable. They are influenced by a variety of factors, including the state of the economy, the job market, inflation, and the Federal Reserve’s policies.
As Odeta Kushi, Deputy Chief Economist at First American, points out, “The ongoing deceleration in inflation, coupled with the Federal Reserve’s recent indication of potential rate cuts [in 20. ...
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Wednesday, August 7, 2024 / by Dick Keenan
The current news about home prices can be confusing, making it hard to understand what's really happening. Some headlines suggest home prices are due for a correction, but what does that actually mean? Let's break it down.
What Does a Correction Mean?
Danielle Hale, Chief Economist at Realtor.com, explains:
"In stock market terms, a correction generally refers to a 10 to 20% drop in prices. . . We don't have the same established definitions in the housing market."
In real estate, a correction doesn't mean a dramatic drop in prices. Instead, it indicates that prices, which have been rising rapidly in recent years, are now stabilizing and growing at a more moderate pace. While prices can vary significantly by local market, a steep national decline isn't what's happening.
The Real Estate Market Is Normalizing
From 2020 to 2022, home prices surged due to high demand, low interest rates, and a shortage of homes for sale. However, such rapid growth couldn't continue indefin. ...
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Monday, December 14, 2020 / by Traci Pimentel
If you’re currently feeling the stress of affording your mortgage payment, or if you know someone who is, there’s still time to get help. For homeowners experiencing financial hardship this year, the CARES Act provides mortgage payment deferral options, creating much-needed relief in these challenging times.
It’s important, however, to understand how forbearance works. It’s not automatic. You need to take action now and apply for the program before these options expire.
A study by the Urban Institute determined:
“Approximately 400,000 homeowners who became delinquent after the pandemic began have forgone forbearance and become delinquent. These borrowers may not know they are eligible for forbearance.”
Thankfully, there’s still time to apply for forbearance, even if you’re just learning about it now. Doing so may be the game-changer you need to stay in your home, just when you need it mos; ...
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Friday, December 11, 2020 / by Traci Pimentel
Once you've found the right home and applied for a mortgage loan, there are some KEY things to avoid so you continue to qualify for your loan when it's time to close on your home.
#1. DON'T Deposit Any Cash Into Your Bank Accounts Before Speaking
To Your Banker Or Loan Officer.
While normally we celebrate depositing money into an account, you don't want to put any 'sizable' amount of funds in an account while you're waiting for a mortgage loan. Unless you can prove the deposit is legit, that additional money can lead to the Underwriter denying your loan.
#2. DO NOT Make Any Large Purchases, Like A New Car
Or Furniture For Your Home!
We know it's tempting to want a new ride to park in your new garage or want to furnish your new pad ... WAIT!!! This can affect both your credit score and debt to income ratio, which can cause the amount you initially qualified for to be reduced. Not to mention, racking up additional debt before factoring in a mortgage payment m ...
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Tuesday, October 13, 2020 / by Traci Pimentel
One of the biggest misconceptions for first-time homebuyers is how much you’ll need to save for a down payment. Contrary to popular belief, you don’t always have to put 20% down to buy a house. Here’s how it breaks down.
A recent survey by Point2Homes mentions that 74% of millennials (ages 25-40) say they’re interested in purchasing a home over the next 12 months. The study notes, “88% say they have significantly less savings than the average national down payment amount, which is $62,600.”
Thankfully, $62,600 is not the amount every buyer needs for a down payment in the United States. There are many different options available, especially for first-time homebuyers (millennial or not). That amount can also be significantly less, depending on the purchase price of the house.
According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), “The median existing-home price for all housing types in August was&nbs. ...
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