There is no doubt that getting a mortgage is easier today than it was right after the housing crash a decade ago. However, the easing of credit availability has led to some questioning of whether or not we are headed for another housing crisis.Let’s put everything into the proper perspective.Mortgage Credit Availability Over the Last Three YearsGetting a home mortgage has definitely gotten easier over the last three years as evidenced by the Mortgage Credit Availability Index, issued by the Mortgage Bankers … [Read more...]
Why Getting Pre-Approved Should Be Your First Step
In many markets across the country, the amount of buyers searching for their dream homes greatly outnumbers the amount of homes for sale. This has led to a competitive marketplace where buyers often need to stand out. One way to show you are serious about buying your dream home is to get pre-qualified or pre-approved for a mortgage before starting your search.Even if you are in a market that is not as competitive, knowing your budget will give you the confidence of knowing if your dream home is within your … [Read more...]
Interest Rates Remain at Historic Lows… But for How Long?
The interest rate you pay on your home mortgage has a direct impact on your monthly payment; The higher the rate, the greater your payment will be. That is why it is important to look at where the experts believe rates are headed when deciding to buy now or wait until next year.The 30-year fixed mortgage rate has fallen half a percentage point since the beginning of the year and has remained at or below 3.5% for the last 11 weeks according to Freddie Mac’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey.The chart below shows … [Read more...]
Home Prices Up 5.61% Across The Country! [INFOGRAPHIC]
Some Highlights:The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) recently released their latest Quarterly Home Price Index report.In the report, home prices are compared both regionally and by state.Based on the latest numbers, if you plan on relocating to another state, waiting to move may end up costing you more!Vermont was the only one state where home prices are actually lower than they were last year. … [Read more...]
New Construction Numbers: Now Versus 2005
There is some thinking that the pace of the housing recovery is unsustainable and that we may be heading for another housing bubble. However, Jonathan Smoke, the Chief Economist of realtor.com explains the basic difference between 2005 and today:“The havoc during the last cycle was the result of building too many homes and of speculation fueled by loose credit. That’s the exact opposite of what we have today.”If we look at the number of new single family housing starts over the last 30 years, we … [Read more...]
Is the Current Pace of Home Sales Sustainable?
There are some experts questioning whether the current pace of residential home sales is sustainable. Are too many people buying homes like in 2004-2006? Are we headed for another housing crisis? Actually, if we look closely at the numbers, we can see that we are looking at a very healthy real estate market.Why the concern?Some are looking at the last three years of home sales and comparing them to the three years just prior to the housing bubble. Looking at the graph below, we can understand that thinking.However, … [Read more...]
Want to Get an A? Hire A Real Estate Pro [INFOGRAPHIC]
Some Highlights:Hiring a Real Estate Professional to buy your dream home, or sell your current house, is one of the most 'educated' decisions you can make!A Real Estate Professional has the experience needed to help you through the entire process.Make sure that you hire someone who knows current market conditions & can simply & effectively explain them to you & your family! … [Read more...]
The Housing Market is Doing Just Fine
There are some that think that housing affordability is a challenge. Historically, that’s not true. Others think that home prices are approaching bubble values. If we look back over the last sixteen years, that is also not the case. As a matter of fact, the numbers show that the U.S. residential real estate market is doing just fine.Here are two articles and excerpts that make this point:The Housing Market Is Finally Starting to Look Healthy – The NY Times“It has been an excruciatingly long time … [Read more...]
Home Values: DEFINITELY NOT in Bubble Range!!
There are some industry pundits claiming that residential home values have risen too quickly and that current levels are on the verge of another housing bubble. It is easy to see how this thinking has taken form if we look at a graph of home prices from 2000 to today.The graph definitely looks like a rollercoaster ride. And, as prices begin to reach 2006 levels again, it “seems logical” that the next part of the ride would be downhill. However, this graph includes the anomaly of the price bubble and the … [Read more...]
Why Is There So Much Paperwork to Sign to Get a Mortgage?
We are often asked why there is so much paperwork mandated by the bank for a mortgage loan application when buying a home today. It seems that the bank needs to know everything about us and requires three separate sources to validate each and every entry on the application form.Many buyers are being told by friends and family that the process was a hundred times easier when they bought their home ten to twenty years ago.There are two very good reasons that the loan process is much more … [Read more...]
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