Bonds lost ground today. 10yr yields were up roughly 4bps and MBS did better, losing only about an eighth of a point. That may sound like bad news at first, but there is a silver lining --rate sheets were better overall when compared to Friday's. Lenders hadn't fully caught up to last week's big rally. Bookmark this page for mortgage rates: 30-year (FRM) rates at 3.07% (-0.02%)15-year (FRM) rates at 2.48% (-0.02%)FHA 30-year Fixed rates at 2.63% (-0.05%)Jumbo 30-year Fixed rates at 3.04% (-0.01%)5/1 ARM rates at 2.75% (-0.13%) More
First-time unemployment claims fell to the lowest level since the shutdowns began last year. Weekly Initial Jobless Claims decreased to 385,000 for the week ended May 29, 2021, from 405,000 in the previous week. To put it into perspective, the week of April 4, 2020 claims were over 6 million as the shutdowns took hold. Continuing claims, or those receiving benefits for at least two weeks straight, were at 3.771 million from 3.642 million. With...
A typical commercial mortgage due diligence period for a property is between 30 and 60 days. Longer or shorter periods of time are often negotiated depending on the parties' particular needs. If you are considering the purchase of commercial real estate, either for your business or as an investment, you should include a due diligence period as a crucial element in your negotiations and in the contract. The acquisition of commercial real...
Winston Rowe and Associates make financing for apartment buildings easy. Offering financing for apartment buildings, with asset-based investment property loan programs are an excellent alternative because they focus on the value of the property and its revenue-generating potential, thus eliminating the personal income reporting requirements of traditional loans. Their apartment building loan programs are a great option for multi-family property...
Did you or someone you know just tie the knot? Congratulations! Gathering with your closest friends and family, spending time alone with the person you love most, and getting ready to move to the next phase of your life is a beautiful moment. However, that next phase can be difficult, especially if you haven't planned. Buying a house right out of the gate can be tempting, but a townhouse might be a better bet--and here's why. Weddings...
The apartment community is evolving day-by-day, and the new decade is ushering in a load of new trends for apartment seekers throughout the country. These trends focus on convenience, going-green, comfort, style, and technology. Let's take a look at the upcoming trends for 2020. High-Quality ManagementAlmost every tenant has experienced renting from a company or individual who ruins the resident experience. Nearly 31% of renters have cited...
Redfin reports that the luxury housing market stabilized in the third quarter after a weak first half in 2019. The average sale price for luxury homes nationwide rose 0.3% year over year to $1.6 million in the third quarter of 2019. Despite the meager gain, it was the first time luxury prices did not decline after three straight quarters of declines. "Because recession fears peaked over the summer, I expected luxury home prices and sales to dip....
Real estate investment can be a tricky business, but when it's done right, it can be rewarding for you and your retirement account. Whether you are thinking of investing in real estate or you already have a few properties under your belt, with the right steps, it is possible for you to build a successful early retirement fund. Of course, this sort of goal doesn't happen overnight. This takes a great deal of prep work, planning and careful...
The Federal Reserve cut the benchmark short-term Fed Funds Rate (FFR) yesterday by 0.25% for the first decrease in that rate since December 2008. The move did not come as a surprise though the Fed signaled that there may just be one more rate cut in 2019, down from three cuts that were expected before yesterday's Fed meeting. The decrease in the short-term rate will impact personal and car loans, credit cards and the like. The FFR is the...
Moving to your dream home can be both stressful and exciting. It's exciting because it's a dream come true for you. However, it's stressful when you have a current mortgage to deal with. Besides, you can't just relocate to a new place without thinking about how you're going to pay your mortgage. Luckily, there's a variety of options if you've got a mortgage, but you really want to move your property. Here are a...
Consumer inflation remained tame in May as rising food prices were offset by a decline in the price of gasoline at the pumps. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose just 0.1% in May after a 0.3% gain in April. The Core CPI, which strips out food and energy, matched estimates of 0.2%, as an increase in food prices were offset by declining prices at the gas pumps. Year-over-year CPI rose 1.8% from April's 1.9% while the Core rate increased 2%...
If you've made the decision to start shopping for a home in Orange County, California, a mortgage pre-approval can help you make it a less stressful process. This is even more the case if you're buying a home for the first-time as you can become inundated with requests. It is a very smart ch
Home price gains continue to cool as they drift down to more normal levels due in part to an uptick in housing inventories. The S&P Case-Shiller 20-City Home Price Index rose 3% from February 2018 to February 2019, up 0.2% monthly from January to February. The national index increased 4% annually. Home price gains topped out in late 2013 with double digit gains. A spokesperson for the index said that the pace of home prices continues to slow....
What stands between you and being able to purchase the home of your dreams could be as little as ?10,000 or more than ?500,000. Of course, you have an excellent plan all laid out and you only need a short-term loan to cover the difference, but the bank that approved you for a home loan simply won't listen. This is when a bridging loan now only makes sense, but it may just be your only option. So, why use a broker to find the very best...
The consumer bounced back in January after weak sales numbers at retail outlets were reported in December. Retail sales grew 0.2% in January after the negative 1.6% reported in December. The drop in December could have been due to the partial government shutdown towards the end of December and the decline in stock prices during the month of 2018. Year-over-year sales grew 2.3% from January 2018. When stripping out autos, sales jumped 0.9% from...
The Fannie Mae DUS Multifamily Loan program is one of the single largest sources of capital to the multifamily housing market.The Fannie Mae Multifamily lending platform provides financing for the acquisition or refinancing of multifamily properties, including, 5+ unit apartment buildings and condominiums, Seniors Housing, Student Housing, Cooperatives, Affordable Housing and Manufactured Housing.The DUS (Delegated Underwriting and Servicing)...
People who are buying a home for the very first time commonly go into the mortgage process not so knowledgeable about the type of home loan that is best for them. The terms for a mortgage can vary widely from one lender to the next. Many think they have a full plate when it comes to picking out a house yet they need to research their financing options as well to make it a successful experience. The following are some factors each
A wraparound mortgage, more commonly known as a "wrap", is a form of secondary financing for the purchase of real property. The seller extends to the buyer a junior mortgage which wraps around and exists in addition to any superior mortgages already secured by the property. Under a wrap, a seller accepts a secured promissory note from the buyer for the amount due
After the recent spate of sub-par housing news, October Housing Starts rose 1.5% from September to an annual rate of 1.228 million units while Building Permits beat expectations. However, single-family starts declined 1.8% from October while multi-family starts rose 6.2%. Annually, total Housing Starts were down 2.9%, single-family starts were lower by 2.6% while multi-family dwellings were off by 4.5%. The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA)...
The job market continued to strengthen in October and rebounded after an ease in job growth in September due in part to severe weather on the East Coast. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that U.S. employers added 250,000 new workers in October while year-over-year wage growth hit nine-year highs. The 250,000 was well above the 190,000 expected, while there were zero net revisions for August and September. Year-over-year wage growth rose...
Real Estate Investing More millionaires today have invested in real estate than any other asset class. While real estate investing may seem intimidating or out of reach, new technology is changing the game by increasing access and decreasing investment minimums. The following three tips for getting ahead in real estate: 1. Start conservatively. The first and most important aspect to remember when investing is preserving money. Make sure your...
And the best real estate Malta website is REMAX/Malta! When it comes to real estate companies, prospective home buyers want to find an informative website whose agents are easy to reach (through the website). Prospective home buyers also want to look for a website with a wealth of useful information and tips regarding buying and selling real estate, and real estate in
Most home buyers and sellers prefer doing the house hunting job themselves. The reason? Since with internet, information on home selling and buying a house is readily available to anyone looking for it. In such a scenario it is often most likely that a person considers not hiring a professional real estate agent and do the task of home selling or house hunting themselves. But doing so doesn't end all with their desired goal. If you too are...
Fannie Mae released its July Home Purchase Sentiment Index (HPSI) showing that home purchase sentiment hit its plateau as high home prices stymie trade-up confidence. The HPSI fell in July for the second consecutive month, declining 4.2 points to 86.5, after hitting survey highs in April and May. The report went on to reveal that the net share of Americans who say it is a good time to buy a home fell 4 percentage points from last month to 24%....
Technicals take a backseat to the Jobs Report which is set to be released tomorrow morning. Locking your loan is recommended in the short-term, 30-days or less until closing. For all other loans with more time, you can float your rate with prices right near technical markers - but do understand that tomorrow could be a volatile day.Not much action in the Mortgage bond markets today ahead of tomorrow's Jobs Report. The Fannie Mae 30-yr 4%...
When you start looking to buy a property, you always worry if you will make a good investment. There are so many factors to consider and sometimes it can give you a headache just to look at them. However, when buying an investment property those worries increase since you expect to make a profit off your real estate. In order to do it right, here are several tips for buying an investment property that will help you secure your business idea....
Strong job growth continued in May as the U.S. economic expansion continues its winning ways. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that Non-Farm Payrolls rose 223,000 in May, above the 190,000 expected and up from 159,000 in April. For the past three months, job gains averaged 179,000. April and March were revised for an increased total of 15,000. The Unemployment Rate for May fell to 3.8%, the lowest since April 2000. May Average Hourly...
Home prices continued to edge higher in March due in a large part to low inventories of homes for sale on the market. The S&P Case-Shiller 20-City Home Price Index rose 6.8% from March 2017 to March 2018, matching the February gain. David Blitzer, managing director and chairman of the index committee at S&P Dow Jones Indices, said, "Months-supply, which combines inventory levels and sales, is currently at 3.8 months, lower than the levels...
According to research, burglaries and petty thefts occur every 10 seconds all across the globe. Homeowners tend to remain at high risk in this case probably because they affect residential properties the most. Well, for avoiding the said robberies and securing your house, modern-day individuals are advised to implement the things mentioned below. Almost all intruders tend to enter through the front door, thus, performing a thorough inspection to...
Mortgage rates continued their trek higher this week due in part to the continued growth in the U.S. economy and a tight labor market. Positive economic data usually pushes Bond prices lower, which leads to higher rates. Freddie Mac reports that the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage rose five basis points to 4.66%, the highest level since May 19, 2011. That rate does carry an average 0.4 in points and fees. Freddie Mac says while this year's...
Wholesale inflation was rather tame in April with the smallest amount of gains seen since the end of 2017. The decline was led by lower prices for food and gas. The April Producer Price Index rose by 0.1%, below the 0.2% expected and down from the 0.3% recorded in March. On a year-over-year basis, the Producer Price Index slipped to 2.6% from the 3% seen in March on an annual basis. The more closely watched Consumer Price Index will be released...
By James Brooks The bond market is down 8/32 (3.00%), which should push Raleigh Area mortgage rates higher by approximately .125 of a discount point. April's Producer Price Index (PPI) kicked off this week's calendar at 8:30 AM ET. It showed a 0.1% rise in the overall reading and a 0.2% increase in the core data. The overall reading fell just short of the 0.2% forecast but the more important core reading that excludes more volatile food...
Among the best ways to pay off your existing debt is through a debt consolidation loan. It enables you to consolidate various consumer debt balances into one loan, commonly referred to as a "debt consolidation loan". This type of loan pays off specific creditors whose terms are not very favorable. If you have a very good credit score, you'll likely end up paying less interest on the new
By James Brooks The bond market is down 10/32 (2.90%), which should push Raleigh Area mortgage rates higher by approximately .125 of a discount point. There is no relevant economic data being posted today that is expected to affect mortgage rates. The rest of the week brings us only two pieces of moderately important economic data for the bond market to digest along with the minutes from the most recent FOMC meeting. There are also a couple of...
The U.S.A. economic outlook for this year for all major commercial real estate sectors, are expected to have extensive growth because of the impact of President Donald Trump's economic and business reactivation policies; tax reform, infrastructure spending, immigration policy, health care policy, business spending, deregulation and investment among others. The country's continued economic resurrection and rising employment in 2018,...
Winston Rowe & Associates Real Estate Investing FinancingThe Small Business Administration does not actually loan money. Instead, it serves as a type of partial-repayment cosigner, which is why collateral is typically needed to acquire a SBA loan. SBA loans are used for different purposes. While most people associate a business loan with start-up capital,
By James Brooks The bond market is down 10/32 (2.65%), which should push Raleigh Area mortgage rates higher by approximately .125 of a discount point. December's Existing Home Sales was this morning's only relevant economic data. The National Association of Realtors announced a 3.6% decline in home resales last month. This was a larger decline than was expected, hinting at a softening housing sector. A weakening housing sector is good...
Mortgage rates inched higher in the latest week as Bond prices declined forcing borrowing costs higher. The Mortgage Bankers Association reports that the 30-year conforming fixed-rate mortgage rose to 4.39% from 4.36% in the previous week. Within the report it revealed that the home purchase index rose 6% to its highest level since April 2010 while the refinance index increased 1%. The National Association of REALTORS(R) reports that low...
Homeownership can sound like a lot to handle for some. However, by following some simple steps, purchasing your first home can be hassle-free. The process can be speedy and swift. Read below to see how you can help to make the home buying process an enjoyable experience. 1.Take a good look at your credit and have documents ready The first thought that might come to your mind is to find your dream home online, right away. Before getting ahead of...
By James Brooks The bond market is again unchanged, which should keep Raleigh area mortgage rates unchanged. Today's holiday-shortened session has four relevant economic reports for the markets to digest. First on the schedule was November's Durable Goods Orders at 8:30 AM ET. The Commerce Department announced that new orders for big-ticket products rose 1.3% last month when analysts were expecting to see 2.1%. A secondary reading that...
Economic growth remained solid in the third quarter of 2017, spurred on by robust business spending that was well above the weak levels experienced at the beginning of the year. The final read on third quarter Gross Domestic Product rose 3.2%, just above the 3.1% from second quarter. However, within the report it showed that consumer spending, which accounts for two-thirds of economic activity, rose 2.2%, down from 3.3% in the second quarter....
By James Brooks The bond market is currently up 6/32 (2.34%), we should a slight improvement in Raleigh area mortgage rates. Last week’s unemployment update was posted early this morning, revealing that 236,000 new claims for unemployment benefits were field last week. This was a small decline from the previous week’s 238,000 initial filings. Since analysts were expecting to see an increase in claims, we can consider this data...
The Federal Reserve reports that home equity hit an all-time high in mid-2017 at $13.9T, up $0.5T from the 2006 peak and up $6T from the lowest point in the Great Recession. Quickly rising home prices are the main reason for the equity gains. Increasing home prices have also helped many homeowners to come out of negative equity. There were 12.2 million homeowners in negative equity at the end of 2009. That number has now decreased to just under 3...
By James Brooks The bond market is unchanged from Friday's early close (2.34%), which should keep Raleigh area mortgage rates at Friday's levels. The week started with a relatively minor economic release late this morning. The Commerce Department gave us October's New Home Sales data at 10:00 AM ET, announcing a 6.2% rise in sales of newly constructed homes. This was much stronger than expected and pushed sales to their highest...
By James Brooks The bond market is down 2/32 (2.34%), which should keep Raleigh area mortgage rates unchanged. Wednesday’s afternoon release of the minutes from the most recent FOMC meeting gave us some bond-favorable information. They showed that Fed members are growing more concerned about inflation running well below their preferred level. There was also some talk of the fact the Fed may have raised key rates prematurely because...
By James Brooks The bond market is up 6/32 (2.33%), which should improve Raleigh area mortgage pricing by approximately .125 of a discount point. October's Durable Goods Orders report was released at 8:30 AM ET this morning. The Commerce Department announced a 1.2% decline in new orders for big-ticket products. This was weaker than the 0.4% increase that was forecasted. Even a secondary reading that excludes more volatile and costly...
The National Association of REALTORS(R) reports that Existing Home Sales in October rose 2% from September to an annual rate of 5.48 million annualized units, above the 5.42 million expected. The 5.48 million is the highest since June's 5.51 million. However, a severe shortage of homes for sales on the market continues to push prices higher. Gains were seen in all four regions of the country. From October 2016, sales are down 0.9%. Home...
By James Brooks The bond market is down 1/32 (2.37%), but we still should see a slight improvement in Raleigh area mortgage pricing due to strength late yesterday. This first of today's economic releases was the 3rd Quarter Employment Cost Index (ECI) at 8:30 AM ET. It showed a 0.7% increase, exceeding forecasts of 0.6% rise. This means employer costs for wages and benefits rose slightly more than expected during the July - September months....
Home price gains remained solid in August due in part to low mortgage rates and an improving economy. The S&P/Case-Shiller 20-City Home Price Index rose 5.9% year over year, in line with estimates. David M. Blitzer, managing director and chairman of the Index Committee at S&P Dow Jones Indices, said, "Home price increases appear to be unstoppable." On a national basis, home prices rose 6.1% from August 2016 to August 2017, up from 5.9% in...
The checklist to buy a home could go on for a long, long while. From finally locating the right home to employing the services of a home inspector, the to-do list may at times seem never-ending. There is one part of the home buying process that's frequently confusing as well as being overlooked: closing costs. These are a part of every real estate transaction and prospective home buyers need to know precisely what these costs are made up of...