Realty Times of June 30, 2010
4.25% 30-Yr Fixed Mortgage Rate Available to Well-Qualified Consumers
by Ed Ferrara
Never before have mortgage rates been this low. 30-yr fixed mortgage rates are at 4.25% for well-qualified consumers paying a standard .07 to 1 point origination fee shows FreeRateUpdate.com research of wholesale lenders' rate sheets for brokers. 15-yr fixed mortgage rates, also at a record low, are at 3.75%.
A $250,000 30-year fixed mortgage at an interest rate of 4.25% has a monthly principal and interest payment of just $1,229.85 per month.
FHA mortgage rates today are nearly identical to those of conforming mortgages. Today's FHA 30-yr fixed rate is also 4.25%. That being said, MI and other FHA fees make the APR (closing costs) higher on an FHA loan, even with the same note rate.
Today's jumbo 30-yr fixed rate remains at 5.25%. Jumbo mortgage rates are also at a record low.
Wells Fargo is advertising a conventional 30-yr fixed-rate of 4.625% today, with an APR of 4.812%. (source: Wells Fargo Website)
Mortgage-backed securities prices, which drive mortgage rates in the opposite direction, were up significantly yesterday, helping to stabilize mortgage interest rates at their current record low. It's possible we could see even lower rates as the week goes on.
Copyright © 2010 Realty Times. All Rights Reserved.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Choosing the Best Home
From Realty Times of June 24, 2010
Choosing the Best Home by Carla Hill
After weeks of searching for your next home, you now have it narrowed down to two great options. One offers a shorter commute, but the other offers more square footage for your growing family. How can you make the best choice?
There are several strategies you can employ in your decision making process. Above all, be confident in your decision making abilities. "The fear of making serious decisions is a new kind of fear, called decidophobia," proclaimed by Walter Kaufmann at Princeton University in 1973. Worry and procrastination do nothing to aid the process, so buyers, be confident that you will make a sound choice.
Pro/Con list: In this case, you are deciding between two houses as your prospective home. For each house, divide a sheet of paper into two columns: pro and con. Be realistic about what the positive and negative factors would be for each purchase. Considerations could include: price, location, schools, repairs, square footage, floorplans, street noise, neighborhood value, comparables, and gut intuition.
Brainstorm scenarios: Chances are, whatever house you decided upon will be your residence for many years to come. Try and think ahead to situations that may arise in the future, and how each residence would affect those situations. Do you have aging parents that could move in? If so, then which house provides the best floorplan for this? Planning on having children? Check out ratings on local schools.
Do the math: Business executives might call this the "cost/benefit analysis." Buying a home is a huge financial decision, and while personal preferences (e.g. location, schools, square footage) all come into play in homebuying, many purchases are based on what makes the best financial sense. Discuss numbers and neighborhood comparables with your real estate agent. One home may be a smaller dollar amount, but the other may be a better deal in the long run. Some neighborhoods are up and coming, while others have come and gone. Are either homes overpriced or underpriced for their neighborhoods? Do either homes need repairs or updates?
Priorities list: Yes, you know you want the pool, landscaping, granite counters, close proximity to work, extra bath, and the list goes on. But when push comes to shove, and it might, what items are your priority, really? For some, driving a longer commute is worth having a larger house or a cheaper price. For other buyers, the exact opposite can be true.
Change perspectives: Sometimes you simply must step out of your own shoes to see a situation clearly. There are many different ways to approach this decision. You can look at it from an emotional point of view (which home do you love), an intuitive view (what does your gut tell you), and even a devil's advocate view (what if). Experts consider this the "Six Thinking Hats," introduced by Edward de Bono in a book of the same title, where you put on six different hats during a decision making process. Try and see the buying process from the perspective of your spouse, your children, friends, and even your worst enemy.
Finally, be realistic in your own abilities. While the final decision rests on your capable shoulders, you should rely on the professionals that are by your side. This includes your agent, lender, attorney, and even your family. And while you are the final say, remember that you have a team to help give you information to fuel that sound decision.
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Copyright © 2010 Realty Times. All Rights Reserved.
Choosing the Best Home by Carla Hill
After weeks of searching for your next home, you now have it narrowed down to two great options. One offers a shorter commute, but the other offers more square footage for your growing family. How can you make the best choice?
There are several strategies you can employ in your decision making process. Above all, be confident in your decision making abilities. "The fear of making serious decisions is a new kind of fear, called decidophobia," proclaimed by Walter Kaufmann at Princeton University in 1973. Worry and procrastination do nothing to aid the process, so buyers, be confident that you will make a sound choice.
Pro/Con list: In this case, you are deciding between two houses as your prospective home. For each house, divide a sheet of paper into two columns: pro and con. Be realistic about what the positive and negative factors would be for each purchase. Considerations could include: price, location, schools, repairs, square footage, floorplans, street noise, neighborhood value, comparables, and gut intuition.
Brainstorm scenarios: Chances are, whatever house you decided upon will be your residence for many years to come. Try and think ahead to situations that may arise in the future, and how each residence would affect those situations. Do you have aging parents that could move in? If so, then which house provides the best floorplan for this? Planning on having children? Check out ratings on local schools.
Do the math: Business executives might call this the "cost/benefit analysis." Buying a home is a huge financial decision, and while personal preferences (e.g. location, schools, square footage) all come into play in homebuying, many purchases are based on what makes the best financial sense. Discuss numbers and neighborhood comparables with your real estate agent. One home may be a smaller dollar amount, but the other may be a better deal in the long run. Some neighborhoods are up and coming, while others have come and gone. Are either homes overpriced or underpriced for their neighborhoods? Do either homes need repairs or updates?
Priorities list: Yes, you know you want the pool, landscaping, granite counters, close proximity to work, extra bath, and the list goes on. But when push comes to shove, and it might, what items are your priority, really? For some, driving a longer commute is worth having a larger house or a cheaper price. For other buyers, the exact opposite can be true.
Change perspectives: Sometimes you simply must step out of your own shoes to see a situation clearly. There are many different ways to approach this decision. You can look at it from an emotional point of view (which home do you love), an intuitive view (what does your gut tell you), and even a devil's advocate view (what if). Experts consider this the "Six Thinking Hats," introduced by Edward de Bono in a book of the same title, where you put on six different hats during a decision making process. Try and see the buying process from the perspective of your spouse, your children, friends, and even your worst enemy.
Finally, be realistic in your own abilities. While the final decision rests on your capable shoulders, you should rely on the professionals that are by your side. This includes your agent, lender, attorney, and even your family. And while you are the final say, remember that you have a team to help give you information to fuel that sound decision.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Copyright © 2010 Realty Times. All Rights Reserved.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Deficiency Judgments
June 15, 2010 by Realty Times
Mortgage Lenders Can't Always Obtain Deficiency Judgments by Bob Hunt
One of the major concerns facing the millions of homeowners who are currently delinquent on their mortgage and "upside down" in value is that they fear not only losing their homes but also being subsequently pursued for a deficiency judgment.
Different states have different laws regarding foreclosure and deficiencies. Anyone who has the kind of concern noted above should verify those laws in their own particular state.
In California, the threat of a deficiency judgment -- which, technically, may be real – is frequently, for practical purposes, not a serious one. In some situations there is no threat at all. The discussion that follows here pertains to California law.
In the context of this discussion, a deficiency judgment is a judgment that may be entered by a court. Generally, it is the difference between the foreclosure sale price (the successful bid amount) and the amount of debt owed. In order to obtain a deficiency judgment, a lender must apply to the court for the judgment within three months of a judicial foreclosure sale.
In California, a major exception to the deficiency judgment rules is that no deficiency judgment is allowed when the loan is a purchase money loan for owner-occupied residential property from one to four units. Simply put, if the loan was made for the purchase of your home, no deficiency judgment is allowed.
Another major exception to the deficiency judgment rules is that no deficiency judgment can be obtained if the foreclosure is non-judicial. To understand this, we must note that there are two kinds of foreclosure available in California. One – the overwhelmingly most common – is a non-judicial foreclosure, also known as a trustee sale. A non-judicial foreclosure occurs when, pursuant to a deed of trust, the lender notifies the trustee that the borrower is delinquent. The trustee files a public notice of default. Then, in approximately three months, if the delinquency has not been cured, the trustee publishes a notice of sale. Approximately three weeks after that, if there is still no cure of the default, a trustee sale occurs. (At the discretion of the lender, this sale can be postponed.) This foreclosure sale is the "auction at the courthouse steps." There is no court action.
In a non-judicial foreclosure, when a trustee sale occurs, there is no deficiency judgment available. If the property sold for less than the loan amount, that is the lender’s loss. There is no further recovery. (Two minor exceptions to this are: 1. if the loan had been obtained by fraud or 2. if the property had been intentionally damaged by the borrower.)
The other kind of foreclosure in California is a judicial foreclosure. This involves filing a lawsuit, to which the borrower may respond. Rather than taking the typical four to five months that a non-judicial foreclosure requires, this may take a year or more. Moreover, being a lawsuit, it can be costly. For reasons of time and money, then, lenders hardly ever file judicial foreclosures. It might make sense to do so in the context of a large commercial loan where a borrower might have significant assets worth pursuing. But it is hard to imagine many circumstances where it would be worthwhile to pursue a judicial foreclosure against a homeowner.
If a homeowner’s loan is not a "purchase money" loan – perhaps it is a subsequent "cash-out" refinance loan – then the borrower does have personal liability for the loan. It would be possible for the lender to seek a deficiency judgment. But to do so, the lender would first have to conduct a judicial foreclosure and, as noted, that is very unlikely.
Finally, we note a slightly different but increasingly common situation where a lender may pursue a borrower personally for liability on a loan secured by real estate. This is the case of a "wiped out" junior lien. Many homeowners have second mortgage loans, some even thirds. If these were loans incurred in order to purchase owner-occupied property, then they are subject to the same rules discussed above. No deficiency judgment is available. But if the junior lien is not purchase money, and if foreclosure by the senior lien (the first mortgage) leaves the junior unpaid, then they may pursue the borrower directly just like any other debt.
Deficiency judgments are certainly something for financially distressed homeowners to be concerned about. But they are not as widely available as is sometimes thought.
Copyright © 2010 Realty Times. All Rights Reserved.
Mortgage Lenders Can't Always Obtain Deficiency Judgments by Bob Hunt
One of the major concerns facing the millions of homeowners who are currently delinquent on their mortgage and "upside down" in value is that they fear not only losing their homes but also being subsequently pursued for a deficiency judgment.
Different states have different laws regarding foreclosure and deficiencies. Anyone who has the kind of concern noted above should verify those laws in their own particular state.
In California, the threat of a deficiency judgment -- which, technically, may be real – is frequently, for practical purposes, not a serious one. In some situations there is no threat at all. The discussion that follows here pertains to California law.
In the context of this discussion, a deficiency judgment is a judgment that may be entered by a court. Generally, it is the difference between the foreclosure sale price (the successful bid amount) and the amount of debt owed. In order to obtain a deficiency judgment, a lender must apply to the court for the judgment within three months of a judicial foreclosure sale.
In California, a major exception to the deficiency judgment rules is that no deficiency judgment is allowed when the loan is a purchase money loan for owner-occupied residential property from one to four units. Simply put, if the loan was made for the purchase of your home, no deficiency judgment is allowed.
Another major exception to the deficiency judgment rules is that no deficiency judgment can be obtained if the foreclosure is non-judicial. To understand this, we must note that there are two kinds of foreclosure available in California. One – the overwhelmingly most common – is a non-judicial foreclosure, also known as a trustee sale. A non-judicial foreclosure occurs when, pursuant to a deed of trust, the lender notifies the trustee that the borrower is delinquent. The trustee files a public notice of default. Then, in approximately three months, if the delinquency has not been cured, the trustee publishes a notice of sale. Approximately three weeks after that, if there is still no cure of the default, a trustee sale occurs. (At the discretion of the lender, this sale can be postponed.) This foreclosure sale is the "auction at the courthouse steps." There is no court action.
In a non-judicial foreclosure, when a trustee sale occurs, there is no deficiency judgment available. If the property sold for less than the loan amount, that is the lender’s loss. There is no further recovery. (Two minor exceptions to this are: 1. if the loan had been obtained by fraud or 2. if the property had been intentionally damaged by the borrower.)
The other kind of foreclosure in California is a judicial foreclosure. This involves filing a lawsuit, to which the borrower may respond. Rather than taking the typical four to five months that a non-judicial foreclosure requires, this may take a year or more. Moreover, being a lawsuit, it can be costly. For reasons of time and money, then, lenders hardly ever file judicial foreclosures. It might make sense to do so in the context of a large commercial loan where a borrower might have significant assets worth pursuing. But it is hard to imagine many circumstances where it would be worthwhile to pursue a judicial foreclosure against a homeowner.
If a homeowner’s loan is not a "purchase money" loan – perhaps it is a subsequent "cash-out" refinance loan – then the borrower does have personal liability for the loan. It would be possible for the lender to seek a deficiency judgment. But to do so, the lender would first have to conduct a judicial foreclosure and, as noted, that is very unlikely.
Finally, we note a slightly different but increasingly common situation where a lender may pursue a borrower personally for liability on a loan secured by real estate. This is the case of a "wiped out" junior lien. Many homeowners have second mortgage loans, some even thirds. If these were loans incurred in order to purchase owner-occupied property, then they are subject to the same rules discussed above. No deficiency judgment is available. But if the junior lien is not purchase money, and if foreclosure by the senior lien (the first mortgage) leaves the junior unpaid, then they may pursue the borrower directly just like any other debt.
Deficiency judgments are certainly something for financially distressed homeowners to be concerned about. But they are not as widely available as is sometimes thought.
Copyright © 2010 Realty Times. All Rights Reserved.
Monday, June 14, 2010
Rent or Buy A Home?
In 2010: Rent or Buy A Home?
RISMEDIA, June 14, 2010--First time home buyers have a lot to consider this summer when making the decision to rent or buy a home: interest rates are at all-time lows, there's still plenty of housing stock and prices are at or near their lowest in years.
Still, deciding whether to buy a home or rent an apartment can be a complicated decision. How do you know what's right for you? Potential buyers should ask themselves several key questions before making this important decision.
1. What will monthly costs be, and can I afford the payments?
Keeping mortgage payments under 30 percent of your monthly income is a good rule of thumb. If you can't keep mortgage payments below that, you may be better off renting for awhile.
2. What other debt do I have?
Total rent or mortgage payments plus credit obligations should not exceed 35 to 40 percent of monthly income.
3. What is my credit score? Can I qualify for a good interest rate?
A high credit score indicates strong creditworthiness, and that qualifies you for better interest rates on a mortgage. Maxing out on your credit lines and paying bills late will lower your credit score. The impact of a credit score on interest rates can be significant. For instance, a borrower with a score of 760 could pay nearly two percentage points less in interest on a mortgage than someone with a score of 620. Lower interest rates also mean lower monthly payments. If your credit score is low, you may want to delay buying a home until you can improve your score.
4. How much will taxes, monthly maintenance, or other fees cost?
Owning a home means you'll have to pay real estate taxes and other costs like insurance and maintenance. On the other hand, owning a home brings big tax savings at the end of the year. As a renter, the owner pays those costs for you.
5. How many years will I stay here? Generally, the longer you plan to live someplace, the more it makes sense to buy. You'll build equity in your house and its value is likely to increase over the years.
© 2010 by Lowe's®. All rights reserved. Lowe's and the gable design are registered trades marks of LF, LLC.
RISMEDIA, June 14, 2010--First time home buyers have a lot to consider this summer when making the decision to rent or buy a home: interest rates are at all-time lows, there's still plenty of housing stock and prices are at or near their lowest in years.
Still, deciding whether to buy a home or rent an apartment can be a complicated decision. How do you know what's right for you? Potential buyers should ask themselves several key questions before making this important decision.
1. What will monthly costs be, and can I afford the payments?
Keeping mortgage payments under 30 percent of your monthly income is a good rule of thumb. If you can't keep mortgage payments below that, you may be better off renting for awhile.
2. What other debt do I have?
Total rent or mortgage payments plus credit obligations should not exceed 35 to 40 percent of monthly income.
3. What is my credit score? Can I qualify for a good interest rate?
A high credit score indicates strong creditworthiness, and that qualifies you for better interest rates on a mortgage. Maxing out on your credit lines and paying bills late will lower your credit score. The impact of a credit score on interest rates can be significant. For instance, a borrower with a score of 760 could pay nearly two percentage points less in interest on a mortgage than someone with a score of 620. Lower interest rates also mean lower monthly payments. If your credit score is low, you may want to delay buying a home until you can improve your score.
4. How much will taxes, monthly maintenance, or other fees cost?
Owning a home means you'll have to pay real estate taxes and other costs like insurance and maintenance. On the other hand, owning a home brings big tax savings at the end of the year. As a renter, the owner pays those costs for you.
5. How many years will I stay here? Generally, the longer you plan to live someplace, the more it makes sense to buy. You'll build equity in your house and its value is likely to increase over the years.
© 2010 by Lowe's®. All rights reserved. Lowe's and the gable design are registered trades marks of LF, LLC.
Monday, June 7, 2010
Real Estate Outlook: Positive Trends
Realty Times of June 7, 2010
Real Estate Outlook: Positive Trends by Kenneth R. Harney
Positive news on housing and real estate keep rolling in -- thanks in large part to federal home purchase tax credits and continuing near-record low mortgage rates.
Last week's pending home sales report from the National Association of Realtors illustrates the trend: Pending contracts jumped for the third straight month -- up by six percent in April -- and now stand 22 percent higher than the year before.
Every region but one -- the South -- racked up sizable gains in transactions heading for settlement. Contracts in the Northeast were up by nearly 30 percent for the month. In the West, they rose nearly eight percent, and in the Midwest the gain was about four percent.
The South's pending sales were less than one percent off from the previous month, but are still an impressive 31 percent above where they were 12 months before.
Home prices also appear to be moving on an upward curve, according to the latest Clear Capital Home Data Index -- which tracks price movements in thousands of local markets and Zip codes.
Clear Capital's national report for the month of May found prices up by 6.8 percent year over year.
Consumer confidence is definitely powering some of these sales and price numbers, economists say. The Conference Board's index for consumer confidence in May rose by five points -- a good sign for consumers' willingness to spend money.
Lynn Franco, who directs the Conference Board's survey research center, noted that the "expectations" component of the index was particularly strong -- and is now at its highest point in nearly three years.
According to Franco, consumers' previous fears about the job market, incomes and the overall economy have been on the decline for a couple of months now.
Meanwhile, mortgage giant Fannie Mae released its latest economic projections for the rest of the year. Chief economist Doug Duncan says he sees a "self-sustaining economic recovery" gradually taking shape -- again good news for housing.
Of course, not all the latest numbers on real estate are upbeat. They never are. Now a closely watched index tied to likely new home purchase offers two to three months down the road has gone negative. The Mortgage Bankers Association's index of new loan applications declined again for the third straight week, and now is at its lowest point in 14 years.
What's going on here? Most likely its the tax credits. The April 30 deadline for signed contracts for the two tax credit programs -- and the phaseout of the entire credit program June 30 -- are definitely pushing loan applications down.
As we said last week, the credits -- which are part of the federal stimulus efforts -- pushed many purchasers to move up their transactions to the first half of the year. Lawrence Yun, chief economist for the National Association of Realtors, says the underlying strength of the economic recovery should allow sales and loan applications to recover in the second half, without any need for additional federal help.
Copyright © 2010 Realty Times. All Rights Reserved.
Real Estate Outlook: Positive Trends by Kenneth R. Harney
Positive news on housing and real estate keep rolling in -- thanks in large part to federal home purchase tax credits and continuing near-record low mortgage rates.
Last week's pending home sales report from the National Association of Realtors illustrates the trend: Pending contracts jumped for the third straight month -- up by six percent in April -- and now stand 22 percent higher than the year before.
Every region but one -- the South -- racked up sizable gains in transactions heading for settlement. Contracts in the Northeast were up by nearly 30 percent for the month. In the West, they rose nearly eight percent, and in the Midwest the gain was about four percent.
The South's pending sales were less than one percent off from the previous month, but are still an impressive 31 percent above where they were 12 months before.
Home prices also appear to be moving on an upward curve, according to the latest Clear Capital Home Data Index -- which tracks price movements in thousands of local markets and Zip codes.
Clear Capital's national report for the month of May found prices up by 6.8 percent year over year.
Consumer confidence is definitely powering some of these sales and price numbers, economists say. The Conference Board's index for consumer confidence in May rose by five points -- a good sign for consumers' willingness to spend money.
Lynn Franco, who directs the Conference Board's survey research center, noted that the "expectations" component of the index was particularly strong -- and is now at its highest point in nearly three years.
According to Franco, consumers' previous fears about the job market, incomes and the overall economy have been on the decline for a couple of months now.
Meanwhile, mortgage giant Fannie Mae released its latest economic projections for the rest of the year. Chief economist Doug Duncan says he sees a "self-sustaining economic recovery" gradually taking shape -- again good news for housing.
Of course, not all the latest numbers on real estate are upbeat. They never are. Now a closely watched index tied to likely new home purchase offers two to three months down the road has gone negative. The Mortgage Bankers Association's index of new loan applications declined again for the third straight week, and now is at its lowest point in 14 years.
What's going on here? Most likely its the tax credits. The April 30 deadline for signed contracts for the two tax credit programs -- and the phaseout of the entire credit program June 30 -- are definitely pushing loan applications down.
As we said last week, the credits -- which are part of the federal stimulus efforts -- pushed many purchasers to move up their transactions to the first half of the year. Lawrence Yun, chief economist for the National Association of Realtors, says the underlying strength of the economic recovery should allow sales and loan applications to recover in the second half, without any need for additional federal help.
Copyright © 2010 Realty Times. All Rights Reserved.
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