Is the Real Estate Market Improving?

Lenders are more confident about the direction of home prices than at any time in the last three years, according to a quarterly survey conducted for decision-management firm FICO by the Professional Risk Managers’ International Association. Read more

Will 20% Soon Be the Minimum Down Payment on a Home?

Several government agencies are reviewing data to determine what will be the minimum down payment required under the new Qualified Residential Mortgage (QRM) guidelines scheduled to be revealed in the next few months. Read more

Where Are Mortgage Rates Headed?

We are often asked where we think mortgage rates are headed over the next year. The best people we can go to on this issue are the people who deal with it on a daily basis – Read more

Fannie and Freddie Set Timeline Requirements for Short Sales

Beginning June 15, real estate agents working with distressed homeowners whose loans are backed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac should expect to receive a decision on a short sale offer within 30-60 days.

The GSEs issued new guidelines Tuesday that fall under the Servicing Alignment Initiative rolled out last fall and aim to bring greater transparency to the short sale process and expedite decisions related to these pre-foreclosure sales. Read more

Mortgage Rates Reach New Record Lows

Mortgage rates were back to hitting record lows again, pushing housing affordability even higher to home buyers, Freddie Mac reports in its weekly mortgage market survey. For the sixth consecutive week, the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage, the most popular choice among buyers, has averaged below 4 percent — unheard of until a few weeks ago. Read more

What is a Good Real Estate Investment?

A “good real estate investment” can mean different things to different people. For this article, the definition of a good real estate investment is:

A real estate ownership interest, whether a personal residence or rental property, that increases one’s net wealth by a fair rate of return on their invested cash equity; for the corresponding amount of risk they are taking by owning a relatively high risk asset.

What that means is that if you are going to put your invested cash equity into real estate, your net worth should improve by a greater amount than if you invested in a similarly risky asset. Read more

30-Year Fixed Mortgage Rate Hits All-Time Low

Mortgage rates for 30-year fixed mortgages fell this week, with the current rate borrowers were quoted on Zillow Mortgage Marketplace at 3.73 percent, down from 3.81 percent at this same time last week. Read more

Boomers More Willing to Help Kids With Down Payments

Two-thirds of baby boomers say they want to help their children or grandchildren with a home down payment, according to a study of more than 1,000 baby boomers age 45 and up conducted by Meredith Research Solutions for Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate.

In fact, one in five boomers surveyed say they’ve already loaned their children money, cosigned a mortgage, or given a cash gift for a down payment on a home.

Even baby boomers not considered wealthy are willing to offer help on down payments. While baby boomers who make more than $75,000 a year were found to be the most willing to offer help, 46 percent of baby boomers who make less than $75,000 per year say they also plan to help their child with a future home purchase, according to the survey. Read more

Should I buy or rent?

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) — For the last three years, my husband and I have been renting a house. But I would rather buy than throw my money away on rent. Still, even though we have about $120,000 in savings, great credit and no debt, my husband is reluctant. The job he’s had the past two years took 15 months to find, and it pays a lot less than his previous job. He’s afraid buying now isn’t a good idea because of the shaky economy. What do you think: Should we buy or continue renting? — Jean J.

First things first, I want to dispel the belief that you are throwing money away on rent.

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This is a self-serving notion real estate agents often spout that not only isn’t true, but isn’t a basis for making a rational decision when it comes to buying versus renting. Read more

Lenders are Looking More at the Condition of the Property

It is pretty well known these days that mortgage applicants are liable to undergo scrutiny more thorough than just about anyone in the business can remember. I don’t know about the rest of the country, but in our neck of the woods (Orange County, California) we are also seeing the emergence of a parallel trend. Not only are borrowers getting a more thorough examination, but also the properties themselves are being scrutinized as never before.

I am not talking about the value of the property — those kinds of appraisal issues have been with us for some time now. Today, I am referring to the physical condition of the property. Read more

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