Clik here to view.
Changes to the VA Funding Fee
There are a few certainties in life… death, taxes, leaves changing colors in the fall, and loan guidelines changing. Well, we have some new changes with VA loans pertaining to the funding fee....
View ArticleClik here to view.
Home Affordability at its Highest Point in Years
According to a recent report by Black Knight, Inc., home affordability reached its best level in years in August 2019. This follows a consistent decline in home affordability from late 2016 through...
View ArticleClik here to view.
A good time to buy a home!
The holiday season is upon us! We are on the other side of Halloween, headed toward Thanksgiving and then the month full of holidays – December. Guess it is time to stop looking at homes… Not true!...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Is a Housing Boom Coming?
Stephen McBride, a contributor for Forbes magazine, posted an October article titled, “The Biggest Housing Boom In History Has Just Begun.” McBride approaches the subject from an investor perspective,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Owning Makes More Financial Sense than Renting
A recent Census Bureau report showed that construction began for 11,000 single-family built-for-rent houses in the second quarter of 2019. Mind you, these are not apartments, but single-family homes...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Big VA Loan Changes for 2020!
Exciting new changes are coming for VA loans that close after January 1, 2020. These two major changes will make it easier for military veterans to purchase a home. The first change is that the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Gen Z’ers Want to Own a Home!
Here’s some good news for people working in the real estate and mortgage industries – a recent study by Freddie Mac shows that members of Generation Z tend to have stronger home ownership motivations...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Mortgage Interest Rates Continue Falling
Mortgage rates – already at near historic lows – continue to improve. Current interest rates are basically a full percentage point lower than this time last year. I’ve recently locked clients into...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Mortgage World and COVID-19…
The Mortgage Blog has documented the recent rapid swings in mortgage interest rates based on COVID-19 economic impacts. Now let’s look at some positive (non-interest rate) news from the mortgage...
View ArticleClik here to view.
An isolated event or a trend?
More Covid related news… this week a large nation wide bank stated they were changing conventional loan requirements for buyers. Instead of using Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac guidelines, now buyers will...
View ArticleClik here to view.
How Relatives Can Assist Home Buyers…
A recent survey of 1,045 adults found that 77% of the Gen Z and Millennial cohorts expect their parents’ financial assistance when purchasing their first home. Of the young people surveyed, 38%...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Mortgage Forbearance in the Covid-19 World
Many aspects of our daily lives continue to be impacted by Covid-19. From social distancing, no going out to eat, job furloughs, job layoffs, to the Paycheck Protection Program, I could go on and on....
View ArticleClik here to view.
Pandemic Impacts to Self-Employed Borrowers
In the world of mortgage origination and underwriting, the greatest focus is limiting risk. COVID-19 has caused underwriting guidelines to get a little tighter as millions are unemployed, furloughed,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Updated News Regarding Mortgage Forbearance….
In late April, the Mortgage Blog reported on mortgage forbearance impacts to home owners. But policies change quickly in our 2020 pandemic world, so it is now time for a forbearance policy update....
View ArticleClik here to view.
Moving to the suburbs?
Another change in sentiment from Covid is the possibility of people moving from the city and into the suburbs. A recent Harris poll stated about a third of those surveyed are considering moving to the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
COVID Could Negatively Impact the Rental Market
It’s fascinating to see studies about how the pandemic could impact the future residential real estate market. The latest Mortgage Blog post noted that many city dwellers are now considering a move...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Good News for (Some) Home Buyers!
As a loan officer, I really like the Home Possible and Home Ready conventional loan programs. For eligible borrowers, these programs offer discounted interest rate pricing and discounted mortgage...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Millennials and Home Ownership
Millennials are the largest generational group in US history. This year, the largest section of Millennials will turn age 30, entering what many consider to be “prime homeownership years.” So how is...
View ArticleClik here to view.
School Districts, Property Values, and Covid
Historically, the quality of the local school district has had a significant impact on home values. The National Association of Realtors (NAR) reported over a quarter of 2019 home buyers considered...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Tax Advantages for Down Payment Savings?
I am very excited about this news. A bipartisan group of Washington legislators has introduced the American Dream Down Payment Act of 2020. If enacted, this bill would create special tax-advantaged...
View Article