Mixed News Keeps Low Mortgage Rates Stable

For the past week, mixed economic news that continues to lead the headlines has helped to keep low mortgage rates stable. Financial troubles in Europe has left investors busy each day waiting to see if Greece will default or a rescue plan will be implemented. Here in the U.S., even a negative report that is not considered terribly bad is spreading optimism to the markets making any predictions unreliable.

Although seesawing market movements can be stressful for watchers, Freerateupdate.com's daily survey of wholesale and direct lenders show that the back and forth actions of investors is actually keeping mortgage rates at the same level. Current 30 year fixed mortgage rates are at 3.875%, 15 year fixed mortgage rates are at 3.250% and 5/1 adjustable mortgage rates are at 2.625%. If you have been watching mortgage rates and their fluctuations, then you are aware that mortgage rates have reached historic lows.

Not knowing what direction they will head is probably the best incentive for borrowers to get their mortgage application in motion. With good credit, borrowers can obtain these low mortgage rates with 0.7 to 1% origination fee. Of course, income will need to be verified and other documentation will need to be checked to receive lender approval. Whether you are buying a home or refinancing an existing mortgage, there has never been a better opportunity to receive the lowest mortgage rates available.

FHA has been keeping busy especially with first time home buyers. First time home buyers turn to FHA because no other mortgage loans offer a down payment of 3.5%. Even with credit as low as 500, FHA will accept a down payment of 10%. Then there are the low FHA mortgage rates that are offered and are not based on credit scores. Current FHA 30 year fixed mortgage rates are at 3.750%, 15 year fixed mortgage rates are at 3.500% and FHA 5/1 adjustable mortgage rates are at 2.750%. FHA does have higher closing costs (APR) because of the upfront mortgage insurance premium and other FHA fees. To help with this issue, FHA mortgages allow seller concessions, gifts and housing grants to be part of the mortgage transaction. FHA mortgages have been leading in mortgage applications even when overall mortgage application activity has decreased.

After almost two weeks into the decreased conforming loan limit, low jumbo mortgage rates are doing just fine and have been somewhat stable, along with other mortgage rates. Jumbo 30 year fixed mortgage rates continue to fluctuate and are currently at 4.750%. Jumbo 15 year fixed mortgage rates are at 4.375% and jumbo 5/1 adjustable mortgage rates are at 3.250%. With more properties now falling back into the jumbo mortgage market, it is important that borrowers have these low jumbo mortgage rates still available. Borrowers will need to have excellent credit to obtain these lowest jumbo mortgage rates with 0.7 to 1% origination point. Jumbo mortgages are not government insured so lenders want to be sure that borrowers are well qualified.

Recent volatility has been keeping markets extremely busy for the past week. MBS prices (mortgage backed securities), which move mortgage rates in the opposite direction, have been on another roller coaster. With daily increases and decreases, no major changes have occurred with mortgage rates which have ended up just sitting still. This week, Fed Chief Ben Bernanke told lawmakers that the Feds are prepared to put in additional help to aid the economic recovery. Investors saw some light at the end of the tunnel after the Institute of Supply Management reported an increase in the service sector work force. Jobless claims rose to 401,000 for the week ending October 1st which was right around what was expected while the Labor Department reported that 103,000 jobs were added in September. This was all positive news for investors who have also been watching the Euro zone crisis closely. Friday's downgrade of Spain and Italy only added more concern about Europe's financial problems. Despite what has been going on, stocks have seen some needed increases while, at the same time, mortgage rates have remained low. Coming up this week, third quarter earning reports will begin to trickle in and, again, may cause a lot of volatility.

Published by Realty Times
Written by Ed Ferrara
October 12, 2011

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Mortgage Rates Fall, Housing Opportunities Getting Better

For four weeks in a row, mortgage rates are seeing historic lows. The 30-year fixed average interest rate fell from 4.09% to 4.01% in the end of September. This marks the lowest rate since 1951.

Also, economists call the 15-year fixed mortgage drop to 3.28% the lowest ever for that loan. It appears they could go even lower as the Federal Reserve announced that it will push long-term rates down further.

These historically low mortgage rates aren't necessarily rapidly selling homes. Across the country contract signings have been down. According to USAToday.com, “July's index fell 5.8% in the Northeast, 3.7% in the Midwest and 2.4% in the West. It rose 2.6% in the South.”

The index of sales agreements, tracked by the National Association of Realtors, showed a 1.2% drop down to 88.6 (100 is considered healthy).

Still the opportunities for homeownership keep getting better. Some markets are more affordable than ever; prices have been cut in half in some metro areas.

Of course, getting a loan can be part of the barrier to entry in the housing market. These days, to qualify for a loan a 20% downpayment coupled with a high credit score are required by some lenders.

Now, a new credit score service being introduced in November claims it will give lenders a more accurate picture of a borrower's outstanding debts. The company's website has a countdown to the release of CoreScore (credit report from CoreLogic). It touts the system as a way to “see borrowers as you've never seen them before.”

Some lenders are being extremely strict because they have difficulty determining previous credit behavior. But according to CoreLogic, everything will soon change. The CoreScore credit report is a supplement, not a replacement for the current credit reporting systems.

According to the company, “The supplemental information the CoreScore credit report provides will expand your view of borrower credit profiles and deliver important insight into unseen risk and opportunities.”

Among the information that the CoreScore report will deliver to lenders are the following:

1. Properties owned—with and without debt obligations Mortgage obligations with companies that may not report to traditional credit reporting agencies

2. Property legal filings, such as notices of default

3. Property tax amounts and payment status

4. Estimated market values on all U.S. properties owned

5. Rental applications and evictions

6. Inquiries and charge-offs from pay-day and online lenders

7. Consumer-specific bankruptcies, liens, judgments and child support obligations

With mortgage restrictions tighter than ever and more supplemental information being offered to lenders about borrowers' debts and credit behavior, it's vital for borrowers to understand the most important qualifying factors that influence lenders.

The chief concern is the ability to repay the loan followed closely by the willingness to repay.

Borrowers can place themselves in better standing with lenders by doing two key things: paying off as much debt as possible before applying for a mortgage. This is always good as it lowers the debt-to-income ratio. Secondly, lenders examine borrowers' track record of repayment to determine how they will behave if they are issued a loan. Making sure that credit behavior is monitored and any discrepancies are handled before applying for a loan will help borrowers have a cleaner record and increase the chances of qualifying for a mortgage.

Published by Realty Times
Written by Phoebe Chongchua
October 7, 2011

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30-Year Fixed Mortgage Rate Falls Below 4 Percent

MCLEAN, Va., -- Freddie Mac (OTC: FMCC) today released the results of its Primary Mortgage Market Survey® (PMMS®), showing the average rate for the conventional 30-year fixed mortgage dropping below 4 percent for the first time in history amid increasing global economic concerns. The 15-year fixed, a popular refinancing option, also fell to the lowest level on record for the sixth consecutive week.

30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) averaged 3.94 percent with an average 0.8 point for the week ending October 6, 2011, down from last week when it averaged 4.01 percent. Last year at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 4.27 percent.

15-year FRM this week averaged 3.26 percent with an average 0.8 point, down from last week when it averaged 3.28 percent. A year ago at this time, the 15-year FRM averaged 3.72 percent.

5-year Treasury-indexed hybrid adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) averaged 2.96 percent this week, with an average 0.6 point, down from last week when it also averaged 3.02 percent. A year ago, the 5-year ARM averaged 3.47 percent.

1-year Treasury-indexed ARM averaged 2.95 percent this week with an average 0.5 point, up from last week when it averaged 2.83 percent. At this time last year, the 1-year ARM averaged 3.40 percent.

Frank Nothaft, vice president and chief economist at Freddie Mac, reports, "Average 30-year conventional fixed mortgage rates fell below 4 percent for the first time in history this week following a sharp drop in 10-year Treasuries early in the week as concerns over a global recession grew. Average 15-year fixed rates fell to a record low in the PMMS as well. Interest rates for 1-year ARMs, however, rose, as the Fed began replacing $400 billion of its short-term Treasury securities, which serve as benchmarks for many ARMs. Also, in his testimony to Congress's Joint Economic Committee on Tuesday, Federal Reserve Chairman Bernanke said the recovery is close to 'faltering' and stressed the need for lawmakers to act."

"Meanwhile, the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) reported consumer spending inched up 0.2 percent in August, while personal income fell 0.1 percent, the first decline since October 2009. Also, pending home sales declined for the second consecutive month in August, with some of the decline attributed to Hurricane Irene."

October 7, 2011, Published by Realty Times

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Top 5 Home Finance Blogs

If you’re getting ready to decorate or buy your first home, get your financial house in order first. To approve you for a loan, banks want to see credit scores, bank statements, credit history and more, so it helps to have a clean path for a lender to navigate.

Whether you are drowning in debt or a millionaire looking for a summer home, the following blogs will help you get on the right track toward home ownership – or at least provide some humorous or insightful input while you navigate your own journey.

My Open Wallet

What: An anonymous 40-year old single woman living in New York is quite honest in her personal finance life on My Open Wallet, from what she makes to what she spends to how her net worth changes. She’s been blogging since 2005, so she’s seen the economy through all highs and lows.

Look for: Her 20 rules to getting on track financially are easily found on the right-hand side of the page, and labels such as “Best Don’t-Buys,” “Get Rich Quick” and “Weird” separate her from the rest.

Get Rich Slowly

What: Blog author J.D. Roth tells his story of conquering $35,000 in debt from consumer and home-equity loans on Get Rich Slowly and now has regular guest bloggers.

Look for: Get Rich Slowly offers up-to-date CD rates and mortgage quotes, as well as tips on lowering your utility costs, living on less in other countries, renting out your home and making drastic changes to afford what you want, including financing a house.

2million’s Personal Finance Blog

What: With a goal of having a net worth of $2 million, Brian, a 34-year-old IBM engineering manager, chronicles his net worth’s ups and downs.

Look for: Find Brian’s spreadsheet breakdown of exactly how much a baby costs pre-birth (including 529 plan contributions), what’s financially involved when you marry someone and how to buy, sell and refinance your home on 2million.

LearnVest

What: Live. Earn. Invest. LearnVest’s mantra came to be in 2008, when Harvard Business School attendee Alexa von Tobel created an online platform to help women gain control of their finances. She was frustrated that she was in line to become a Wall Street fund manager and had never taken a single finance class in school.

Look for: If you want to get financially fit in a disciplined hurry, LearnVest’s boot camp programs get you on the road to learning personal finance basics, getting out of debt, cutting costs or building wealth within 15 to 17 days.

Bargaineering

What: Noted in The New York Times and Business Week for its financial savvy,Bargaineering is the brain child of Jim Wang, who began the publication as a 20-something university graduate who knew nothing about managing money. In the five years since its inception, the blog has covered credit cards, CDs, high yield savings accounts, tax brackets, banking and frugal living.

Look for: The Bank Deals section of the sites lets you know how to make a quick $100 to $150 through current bank promotions, and the Frugality section offers tips on how to overcome frugal fatigue and encourages new savings-habits inspiration.

Published by Newhomebuyingblog.com

Written by admin on May 13th, 2011

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Homeownership's Amazing Benefits

Homeownership brings with it a host of amazing benefits. It's the American Dream for good reason. From health to wealth, it stands out as a great long-term investment, and that's why 67 percent of American households are owner-occupied.

The National Association of Realtors (NAR) knows a little something about how homeownership affects American lives. And that's why they are getting the word out about why you should be a homeowner. According to NAR:

• Homeowners are happier and healthier and enjoy a greater feeling of control over their lives.

• Homeowners pay 80% to 90% of federal income taxes, contributing to federal programs that benefit all Americans.

• Most homeowners enjoy stable housing costs—a fixed rate mortgage payment might not change for 15 or 30 years while rent typically increases 3% a year.

• Children of homeowners … are more likely to participate in organized activities and spend less time in front of the television.

• People who own their own homes … volunteer more and contribute more to their neighborhoods.

• Home owners do not move as frequently as renters, providing more neighborhood stability. In turn, this stability helps reduce crime and supports neighborhood upkeep.

• Children of home owners do better in school, stay in school longer.

Many economists have been touting a jobs recovery as the key to the housing recovery, but perhaps it is the other way around.

Recent data indicates that housing makes up more than 15 percent of our Gross Domestic, and for every home purchased, up to $60,000 is pushed into the economy over time in improvements and furniture.

Additionally, each home sale touches 80 different occupations!

According to the NAR, "America needs jobs. Housing creates jobs. That's one of the many reasons home ownership matters to people, to communities, to America. Strong federal government support of home ownership equals strong support for American jobs. We urge the Obama Administration and the U.S. Congress—as they debate the new federal budget and reform proposals for the nation's mortgage finance system—to continue federal support for home ownership."


Written by Carla Hill
Published by Realty Times

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Fixed-Rate Mortgages Lowest on Record

MCLEAN, Va., -- Freddie Mac (OTC: FMCC) today released the results of its Primary Mortgage Market Survey® (PMMS®), coming on the heels of the Federal Reserve's recent announcements. The conventional 30-year fixed averaged an all-time record low at 4.01 percent; likewise the 15-year fixed averaged an all-time record low at 3.28 percent for the week. Of the five regions surveyed in Freddie Mac's survey, the West region recorded the lowest average rate for the 30-year fixed dipping below 4.00 percent to 3.95 percent.

30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) averaged 4.01 percent with an average 0.7 point for the week ending September 29, 2011, down from last week when it averaged 4.09 percent. Last year at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 4.32 percent.

15-year FRM this week averaged 3.28 percent with an average 0.7 point, down from last week when it averaged 3.29 percent. A year ago at this time, the 15-year FRM averaged 3.75 percent.

5-year Treasury-indexed hybrid adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) averaged 3.02 percent this week, with an average 0.6 point, matching last week when it also averaged 3.02 percent. A year ago, the 5-year ARM averaged 3.52 percent.

1-year Treasury-indexed ARM averaged 2.83 percent this week with an average 0.6 point, up from last week when it averaged 2.82 percent. At this time last year, the 1-year ARM averaged 3.48 percent.

Frank Nothaft, vice president and chief economist at Freddie Mac, reports, "Fixed mortgage rates fell to all-time record lows this week following the Federal Reserve's announcement of its Maturity Extension Program and additional purchases of mortgage-backed securities. Interest rates for ARMs, however, were nearly unchanged as the Federal Reserve plans to sell $400 billion in short-term Treasury securities, which serve as benchmarks for many ARMs."

"Meanwhile, the spring and summer home-buying season gave a boost to a number of house price indexes. The Federal Housing Finance Agency reported that its National index (not seasonally adjusted) rose for the fourth consecutive month in July. Similarly, the S&P/Case-Shiller® 20-City composite index, which has a broader scope of properties, rose 0.9 percent between June and July with 17 of the cities experiencing positive monthly growth. Finally, CoreLogic® reported that its index, excluding distressed sales, increased at a 1.7 percent monthly rate for the same month."

Published by Realty Times
September 30, 2011

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Mortgage Rates Continue to be Stable at Record Lows

Mortgage rates this week continued to be stable at record lows which is the result of the slow economic recovery that has become somewhat worrisome to investors. On the bright side, this give consumers more time to get in and take advantage of low mortgage rates and low home prices, a double opportunity that does not happen often. Freerateupdate.com's survey of wholesale and direct lenders show that this past week low mortgage rates remained flat as news from around the globe continues to influence markets.

Current 30 year fixed mortgage rates are at 3.875% and 15 year fixed mortgage rates are at 3.250%. 5/1 adjustable mortgage rates are at 2.625%. For borrowers who want a steady mortgage payment for the life of the loan, conforming fixed mortgage rates have never been so low. Those who fully understand adjustable mortgages can get in below 3% for a period of time and really save some money. These low mortgage rates are available with 0.7 to 1% origination fee to borrowers who have maintained good credit and can meet lender guidelines for approval.

FHA mortgages have continued to be on the rise as consumers look at the benefits that they offer. When credit is not the best, FHA is the way to go for borrowers since they have easier credit qualifying which does not affect low FHA mortgage rates. Also stable this week, FHA 30 year fixed mortgage rates are at 3.750% and FHA 15 year fixed mortgage rates are at 3.500%. FHA 5/1 adjustable mortgage rates are at 2.750%. Even though slightly higher than conforming mortgage rates, FHA allows borrowers to use approved gifts towards the mortgage. In addition, housing grants and bonds can also be used in the transaction. For these reasons, many borrowers are not concerned with FHA closing costs (APR) which tend to be higher because of the upfront mortgage insurance premium and other FHA fees.

For those in need of jumbo mortgage loans, jumbo mortgage rates remain stable and have never been better. Jumbo 30 year fixed mortgage rates are at 4.500%, jumbo 15 year fixed mortgage rates are at 4.375% and jumbo 5/1 adjustable mortgage rates are at 3.250%. Borrowers need to have excellent credit to obtain these lowest jumbo mortgage rates with 0.7 to 1% origination point since these loans are not government insured. Banks often keep jumbo mortgage loans in their portfolio and, therefore, have stricter guidelines when approving them.

European banks continued to make headlines in the news this week as everyone waits to see what will happen with Greece. MBS prices (mortgage backed securities), which can be affected by headlines, also influence the direction of mortgage rates which move in the opposite direction. Economic data showed that retail sales and wholesale prices were flat in August and jobless claims increased for the week ending September 9th. For the good news, consumer sentiment and mortgage applications increased. Home builder outlook is poor this month which is just more evidence that the housing market continues to be sluggish. More consumers who are staying put turned to remodeling in July instead of purchasing. Depending on investor reactions to news this week, if MBS markets rally, there is the possibility that mortgage rates may hit new lows.

FreeRateUpdate.com surveys more than two dozen wholesale and direct lenders' rate sheets to determine the most accurate mortgage rates available to well qualified consumers at a standard .07 to 1% point origination fee.

Published by Realty Times
Written by Ed Ferrara
September 21, 2011

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