Archive for the ‘Buying A Home’ Category
Thursday, May 3rd, 2012
 Despite an improving U.S. economy, the nation’s banks remain cautious about what they will lend, and to whom. Last quarter, by a margin of 3-to-2, more banks tightened residential mortgage lending standards for “prime borrowers” than did loosen them.
A “prime borrower” is defined as one with a well-documented credit history, high credit scores, and a low debt-to-income ratio. The insight comes from the Federal Reserve’s quarterly survey of its member banks.
Last quarter, of the 54 responding banks :
- 0 banks tightened mortgage guidelines considerably
- 3 banks tightened mortgage guidelines somewhat
- 49 banks left guidelines basically unchanged
- 2 banks eased mortgage guidelines somewhat
- 0 banks eased mortgage guidelines considerably
By contrast, in the quarter prior, not a single surveyed bank reported tighter residential mortgage guidelines. The period from January-March was a step backwards, therefore, for the fledgling U.S. housing market. Overall, getting approved for a mortgage is tougher than it used to be. Banks enforce higher minimum credit score standards; ask for larger downpayment/equity positions; and require higher monthly income relative to monthly debt obligations. It’s one reason why the homeownership rate is at its lowest point since 1997.
This is a preview of Mortgage Guidelines Resume Tightening Nationwide . Read the full post »
Tags: Federal Reserve, Homeownership Rates, Mortgage Approvals
Posted in Buying A Home, Mortgage Guidelines, Mortgage Rates, Mortgages | No Comments »
Saturday, April 28th, 2012
 Did you remember to handle the most basic safety precaution for your new home?
When people buy homes , there’s a tendency to think “Big Picture” on home improvements. Flooring, painting and furniture are common “just-moved-in” purchases, as are cable television and utilities packages.
The most important move-in purchase, though, may also be the least expensive — deadbolts for your doors. Every home has at least one — and sometimes up to dozen — keyed points of entry. And, until you change those locks, there’s no telling just how many people may have access to your home.
For example, your home’s prior owners may have shared house keys with any/all of the following people :
- Real estate agents
- Neighbors and friends
- Parents, brothers and sisters
- Home cleaning service
- Dog walkers and pet sitters
This is a preview of What’s The First Thing You Should Do After A Home Purchase? . Read the full post »
Tags: Deadbolt, home improvement, Home Safety, Locksmith
Posted in Around The Home, Buying A Home, Construction/Maintenance, Moving, Residential Real Estate | No Comments »
Thursday, April 19th, 2012
 The housing market took a step back in February, but remains near post-recession highs.
According to data from the National Association of REALTORS®, February’s Pending Home Sale Index slipped .5% from the month prior, to 96.5. The Pending Home Sales Index is a monthly report which measures the number of homes under contract to sell, but not yet sold, nationwide.
The index is benchmarked to a value of 100, the average level of home contract activity in 2001, the first year that pending home sales data was analyzed. It also happened to be a year of historically-high levels of home contract activity. Therefore, a Pending Home Sales Index reading of 100 suggests a strong housing market nationwide. The index has read north of 90 since October 2011.
On a regional basis, February’s Pending Home Sales Index varied :
- Northeast Region: -0.5 percent from January 2012
- Midwest Region : +5.7 percent from January 2012
- South Region : -3.3 percent from January 2012
This is a preview of Pending Home Sales Index Remains Strong Into Spring . Read the full post »
Tags: Home Prices, NAR, Pending Home Sales Index
Posted in Buying A Home, Housing Analysis, Residential Real Estate, The Economy | No Comments »
Saturday, April 7th, 2012
 The new construction housing market appears primed for growth this season.
According to the Census Bureau, the number of single-family building permits issued in February rose to 472,000 on a seasonally-adjusted, annual basis, marking this the highest building permit tally since April 2010 — the last month of that year’s federal home buyer tax credit program.
Building permits are a pre-cursor to new home construction. In 2011, from the date of permit-issuance to the date of “ground-breaking”, an average of 27 calendar days passed. February’s data, therefore, is a signal that the market for newly-built homes should be strong this year, an idea supported by the most recent homebuilder confidence survey.
As buyer foot traffic soars, homebuilders expect to make more sales in the next 6 months than at any time since the housing market’s collapse. Builder confidence is at a 5-year high.
This is a preview of Building Permits On The Rise . Read the full post »
Tags: Building Permits, Census Bureau, Colorado Real Estate, energy efficient, Existing Home Sales, Housing Starts, real estate pricing
Posted in Buying A Home, Housing Analysis, Residential Real Estate, Statistics | No Comments »
Thursday, April 5th, 2012
 Planning to use an FHA-backed mortgage for your next home loan? You might want to get your application in gear today.
Beginning next week, the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) is changing the way it charges mortgage insurance to U.S. homeowners. For the fourth time since 2010, FHA mortgage insurance premiums are rising for all FHA-backed homeowners.
For FHA Case Numbers assigned on, or after, Monday, April 9, 2012, there are two planned changes.
First, FHA Upfront Mortgage Insurance Premiums (UFMIP) will increase by 75 basis points to 1.75%, or $1,750 per $100,000 borrowed. Upfront Mortgage Insurance Premium is paid at closing, and typically added to an FHA borrower’s loan size.
The current UFMIP rate is 1.000 percent.
Second, annual FHA mortgage insurance premiums are rising. All new FHA-backed loans will be subject to a 10 basis point increase in annual mortgage insurance premiums, costing homeowners an extra $100 per $100,000 borrowed per year.
This is a preview of FHA Mortgage Insurance Premiums Increasing April 9, 2012 . Read the full post »
Tags: FHA, MIP, UFMIP
Posted in Buying A Home, Mortgage Guidelines, Residential Real Estate | No Comments »
Monday, April 2nd, 2012
After a series of months during which foreclosure volume was low, total filings have started to rise again, says RealtyTrac. In February of 2012, 21 states posted a year-over-year increase in monthly foreclosure filings, according to the national foreclosure-tracking firm. This is nearly twice as many states as compared to December 2011, marking the highest monthly reading since November 2010.
A “foreclosure filing” is defined to include any one of the following foreclosure-related events : (1) The serving of a default notice, (2) A scheduled home auction, or (3) A bank repossession. Nationally, the number of foreclosure filings fell 2 percent from January. However, it’s a trend that may reverse. Foreclosure volume is expected to rise over the next few months.
This is because the $25 billion mortgage servicer settlement provides a framework for servicers to execute necessary foreclosures, from notice-to-auction. Some analysts believe that foreclosure filings were artificially depressed in 2011 because of the absence of such guidance.
This is a preview of Foreclosure Volume Slated To Rise This Spring . Read the full post »
Tags: Buy home, Colorado Real Estate, Distressed Homes, foreclosure, Foreclosures, home buyer, RealtyTrac
Posted in Buying A Home, Foreclosure, Housing Analysis, Residential Real Estate, Short Sale | No Comments »
Friday, March 30th, 2012
After a brief run-up two weeks ago, mortgage rates are back below 4 percent. It’s good news for home buyers and mortgage rate shoppers because, with lower mortgage rates, we can lower the amount of mortgage payments. According to Freddie Mac’s weekly Primary Mortgage Market Survey, the national average 30-year fixed rate mortgage rate fell to 3.99 percent this week from last week’s 4.08 percent.
Last week had marked the first time since December 2011 that the benchmark rate crossed north of 4 percent — a span of 16 weeks. And, it wasn’t just rates that got cheaper this week — closing costs dropped too. Freddie Mac’s survey showed that the average number of discount points to accompany a 30-year fixed rate mortgage fell one-tenth of a percent this week to 0.7, where one discount point is equal to one percent of your loan size.
This is a preview of Mortgage Rates Fall Back Below 4% . Read the full post »
Tags: 30 year fixed loan, Buy home, Discount Points, Freddie Mac, Home Affordability, home buyer
Posted in Buying A Home, Housing Analysis, Mortgage Rates, Mortgages, Residential Real Estate, Statistics | No Comments »
Wednesday, February 8th, 2012
New Home Sales slowed into the New Year but the market for newly-built homes remains strong. For home buyers in Colorado and nationwide, December’s New Home Sales report is yet one more signal that the housing market recovery may be underway.
According to the Census Bureau, the number of new homes sold in December 2011 slipped 2 percent to 307,000 units on a seasonally-adjusted, annualized basis nationwide. A “new home” is a home that is considered new construction; a home for which the buyer will be the first owner and tenant.
As compared to December 2010, last months’ sales volume fell seven percent. It’s a statistic that suggests housing market weakness. However, in looking at a different component of the New Home Sales report — the supply of homes for sale — we’re forced to reconsider. At the current pace of sales, every new home for sale nationwide would be “sold” in a matter of 6.1 months.
This is a preview of Supply Of New Homes At 6.1 Months Nationwide . Read the full post »
Tags: Buy home, Census Bureau, home buyer, New Home Sales, New Home Supply
Posted in Buying A Home, Housing Analysis | No Comments »
Wednesday, December 7th, 2011
If you plan to buy new construction in the Denver area sometime in 2012, don’t expect today’s low prices. Like everything in housing of late, the market for newly-built homes appears to be stabilizing and, in some markets, improving.
As foreshadowed by this month’s strong Homebuilder Confidence survey, the Census Bureau reports that the number of new homes sold rose to a 6-month high in October, climbing to 307,000 units on a seasonally-adjusted, annualized basis. A “new home” is a home that is new construction in which no one has lived. It’s the opposite of an “existing home” in which someone has lived.
Home buyers are comparing new construction to home resales and liking what they see. At the current sales pace, the nation’s complete new home inventory would now be depleted in just 6.3 months. This marks the lowest home supply since April 2010 — the last month of the last year’s federal homebuyer tax credit. By building only to meet new demand, builders are keeping home supplies in check, and home prices stable. They’ve also found a niche market – 80% of homes sold last month sold for less than $300,000.
This is a preview of New Home Supplies Fall To An 18-Month Low . Read the full post »
Tags: Margin of Error, New Home Sales, New Home Supply
Posted in Buying A Home, Buying in a Recession, Housing Analysis, Residential Real Estate, Statistics | No Comments »
Wednesday, November 30th, 2011
Standard & Poor’s released its September 2011 Case-Shiller Index this week. The index tracks home price changes in select cities between months, quarters, and years.
The Case-Shiller Index for September showed drastic devaluations nationwide.
As compared to August, home values fell throughout 17 of the index’s 20 tracked markets, led by Atlanta’s 5.9% drop. On an annual basis, home values have now returned to early-2003 levels. As you can see, Denver remained relatively constant, dropping less than 1%, even according to Case-Shiller.
That said, home buyers and sellers in the Genesee area should be cautious when referencing the Case-Shiller Index. The index is a flawed metric and as such, can lead to improper conclusions about the housing market overall. The Case-Shiller Index’s first flaw is its most obvious — its limited sample set. According to Wikipedia, there are more than 3,100 municipalities nationwide. Yet, the Case-Shiller Index includes data from just 20 of them in its findings. These 20 cities account for fewer than 1% of all U.S. cities, and just a small percentage of the overall U.S. population. The “national figures” aren’t really national, in other words. Even on a city-by-city basis, the Case-Shiller Index gets it wrong.
This is a preview of Case-Shiller Index: 17 Of 20 U.S. Housing Markets Slipped In September . Read the full post »
Tags: Case-Shiller Index, Home Values, Standard & Poors
Posted in Buying A Home, Buying in a Recession, Housing Analysis, Residential Real Estate, The Economy | No Comments »
|
