Real estate news for home buyers

Housing Affordability at Record Levels

The housing affordability index for the third quarter of 2011 is hovering near its highest levels in over 20 years due to record low interest rates along with stabilizing home prices.

72.9% of residential property sold in the 3rd quarter was affordable to families earning an average income of $64,200.  This is the 11th straight quarter that the affordability index was above 70%.  In previous years, the index rarely reached above 59%.

Homeownership is available to more people than it has been for nearly 20 years.  Historically low interest rates and low home pricing contribute to this statistic.  However, tight credit conditions still confront home buyers and builders and continue to be a stumbling block for some.

Lakeland-Winter Haven, Florida is currently the most affordable housing market nationwide.  92.5% of all homes purchased were affordable to purchasers earning the median family income of $53,800.  Alternate affordable markets include Youngstown, Ohio; Toledo, Ohio; Indianapolis, Indiana; and Ogden, Utah.

New York, NY is the least affordable major housing market.  Within this vicinity, only 23.3% of all homes purchased were affordable to those averaging an income of $67,400.

 

5 Great Things about Home Ownership

5 Great Things about Home Ownership

Homeownership is one of life’s supreme joys.  It’s time to not just get off of the fence yet LEAP off of the fence!  Here are some reasons why:

1)      Investment:  Paying rent is like throwing money down the drain.  Rather use Courtesy loans and buy a home securing your future. Landlord’s pockets get lined and the landlord reaps the benefits of you living w/in the home and paying rent.  Although purchasing a home may come with initial costs, you will make that money back over time as the market stabilizes.  Historically, real estate appreciates approximately 4%-6% per year and experts expect the housing market will recover.  Homeownership is about the “long term” investment.

2)      Ownership:  You own the home which comes with unbelievable benefits!  You can paint and decorate as you please and make the home “yours”.  Plant trees, install a covered patio—heck, after a short read on sites like https://willshapools.com/how-much-does-it-cost-to-build-pool/ you will see how it is feasible to add a swimming pool if you’d like—this home is yours and you can do as you please (make sure to check the HOA criteria if living within a community which contains an association).  Bottom line . . . you OWN the home and you have the ability to personalize it to your liking.  Most renters are stuck with bland paint and carpet and now it’s time to let your creative juices flow!

3)      Relationships:  When renting, one tends to see neighbors come and go quickly.  Some renters execute yearly leases while others “come and go”.  There is typically less common space for apartment renters to have the opportunity to develop friendships.  People that own their homes, however, typically have walking trails, club houses, pools and alternate areas which enable getting to know your neighbors.  Neighboring home owners typically stay longer (3-5 years) which allows time to develop relationships.  Healthy relationships equal less stress.

4)      Predictability:  Obtain a fixed rate mortgage and your monthly payments will remain the same.  This will allow you as the home owner to budget and make financial plans without any guessing on how much it will cost to live in the future.  Adjustable rate mortgages, on the other hand, provide a payment amount which is based upon the rise and fall of current interest rates.

5)      Great Deals:  It is such a great time to purchase a home!  Interest rates are hovering at historic lows (at or around 4%).  Home pricing is also at historically low rates.  These two factors equal enormous savings for those looking to purchase a home.  If you are currently renting yet have a steady income, call me today to discuss your options:  208-869-3469

Owning a home is still the “American Dream”.  Get off of the fence and into a home (your own home) today!

Attention Investors!! Rental Vacancy Rates Hovering Around 3%

Attention Investors!! Rental Vacancy Rates Hovering Around 3%

It is an opportune time to be purchasing investment property.  Rental vacancy rates are at historic lows with the current rental vacancy rate hovering just above 3%.   Also, monthly rental rates have increased 10% within the last 3 months due to the supply and demand curve shifting to the landlord side.  To add some more icing to the cake, home pricing and interest rates are at all time lows.

Do you have cash in a savings or retirement account Which is collecting returns of .75%-2%?  If so, convert your money into a tangible asset (an investment property) and obtain nearly a 10% return on your money (not to mention the future appreciation of your asset).

Questions?  Call me directly to discuss taking advantage of the current investment opportunities!

-Matt, 208-869-3469

**Graph provided by Park Place Property Management

HOME LOAN INTEREST RATES HIT RECORD LOWS!

Amid increasing concerns over the economic stability of the world, the average interest rate for conventional fixed rate mortgages (3o year) decreased below 4% for the first time in recorded history.

Averaging 3.94% for a 30 year loan, if you read more here, the current interest rates make purchasing a home very worthwhile.  A year ago today rates averaged 4.27%.

The fixed rate mortgage for the term of 15 years also decreased to the lowest level in recorded history for the 6th consecutive week–averaging 3.26%–down 3.28% from a week ago and 3.72% from 1 year ago.

The adjustable rate mortgage averaged an interest rate of 2.96%–down from 3.02% as of the 1st of October.  A year ago today the adjustable rate mortgage was holding steady at 3.47%.

On the flip side, interest rates increased for the 1-year ARM loan due to the Federal Reserve building their coffers from the 400 billion short term Treasury securities which serve as a “benchmark” for these particular types of loans.  The 1-year treasury ARM currently sat at 2.95% this week yet still lower than last years rate of 3.4%.

Growing concerns over global recession has caused a decrease in online loans canada interest rates, something that bids well for a loan-seeker.  Fortunately, consumer spending increased by .2% within the month of August yet personal income decreased 0.1%–the 1st decline since 2009.
(Source: www.zippaloans.com).

Also read about: Instant Bad Credit Loan.

FHA LOAN LIMITS DECREASED!

FHA LOAN LIMITS DECREASED!

Congress did not extend the FHA mortgage loan limits.  Loan limits will be decreased as of October 1st.

Are you a buyer that can be affected by the drop in loan limits?  If so, call me directly to discuss options at:  208-869-3469.

Ada County – down $32,700

Adams County – down $2,700

Blaine County – down $104,250

Boise County – down $32,700

Canyon County – down $32,700

Gem County – down $32,700

Kootenai County – down $15,200

Owyhee County – down $32,700

Teton County – down $68,250

Valley County – down $189,950

GSE loan limits in Blaine, Teton and Valley counties will also drop on October 1st.

Bank Owned Boise Home for Sale (HUD)

Bank Owned Boise Home for Sale (HUD)

12242 W Oldham Ct  Boise, ID  83709

Incredible bank owned Boise home for sale located within an established Edgeview Estates Community—nicely situated near I-84 along with being just a hop-skip and jump to St Lukes and St Al’s.  An approximate monthly payment for this home bank owned Boise home for sale at the asking price would be at or around $800 monthly—why rent?!?  The interior of this Boise home for sale contain features upgraded amenities throughout and also contains a separate mother guest quarters for guests or an alternate master suite.  The master suites has dual vanities along with a plethora of closet space.  The back yard is a delight and contains a water feature along with a covered patio—perfect for entertaining!  The secluded cul-de-sac location of this bank owned Boise home for sale is private and has limited traffic.

The seller of this bank owned Boise home for sale may provide a closing cost credit of 3.5% to be included with the purchase of this home.

Please visit https://trustidaho.com/search/#PropertyID=40279754 to view detailed information on this bank owned Boise home for sale.

Interested in obtaining information on all Boise bank owned homes for sale?  I will forward a list of available bank owned Boise homes within 24 hours upon obtaining your request.  Please call me at 208-869-3469 or send your request to:  [email protected]


Call me today for additional information or to view the interior of this bank owned Boise home for sale!  208-869-3469 . . .

Buying a Home is a “Safe Bet”

Buying a Home is a “Safe Bet”

Survey’s conducted my leading real estate data management companies found that 80 percent of homeowners plan to purchase another home.  Also, the survey’s revealed that most view homeownership, and placing funds into a 401K or other retirement account, as the best investment for the long term.

*Harris Interactive provided the survey results which obtained responses from 1,392 homeowners and nearly 760 renters from August 30, 2011 – September 1, 2011.

 

Obtain A Lower Mortgage Interest Rate with Good Credit

Get A Lower Mortgage Interest Rate

Good credit scores are important when obtaining financing for the purchase of a home.  Mortgage lenders determine interest rates and your particular risk by reviewing your credit scores, current credit available and credit history.   This said, it is worthwhile to know your credit rating in order to gauge the approximate interest rate that would be provided to you.  Also, it is wise to remove any derogatory filings from your credit prior to interviewing mortgage bankers and brokers.  Just a few tweaks can alter the interest rate provided and save you thousands of dollars over the course of the loan. If you feel there is something on your credit report that is not from you then you can dispute errors on your credit report here.

Six items that will help ensure your credit is healthy are as follows:

Late Payments:

Late payments and delinquencies are the biggest factors that determine your current credit score and, in turn, the mortgage rate that will be offered.  Late payments and delinquent balances make up approximately 35% of an individual’s overall credit score.

Late payments and delinquent balances will affect the type of loan and interest rate offered. You may want to get Everyday Loans to make sure you pay your mortgage. If your credit shows delinquent balances owed  then it will be wise to pay off the balances prior to applying for a home loan. Get OnQFinancial va home loans assistance if you are eligible to apply for it.

Debt to Income Ratios:

Along with reviewing your overall credit rating, a mortgage lender will also review how much credit you have and how much credit you are currently using.  For example, if you have accredit card with a credit limit of $1,000 and you consistently have a $950 balance then a mortgage lender may feel that you are “stretched” on your personal finances.

Rule of thumb:  keep the amount you owe  40% or under your current credit limits.  Doing so will show that you are not stretching your finances too thin and will provide your mortgage lender confidence that you can afford a new monthly payment.

Sent to Collections:

It is important to review your credit report in order to ensure that you have no collections reported.  If so, make certain to remediate the collection prior to applying for a home loan.  In order to purchase, a mortgage lender will require that all collections are paid in full.

Bankruptcy, Judgments or Liens:

Most should be aware of any bankruptcies, judgment of liens that may have been placed against you.  However, it will be important to review your credit report to confirm prior to seeing a mortgage lender.  The public records section located w/in your credit report will supply this particular information. (Source: www.checkpeople.com/public-records)

Closed or “never opened” credit accounts:

Ensure that you scan your credit report to ensure that any old or unused credit account are closed and that the closed dates are correct.  It is also important to make certain that you do not have any credit accounts that you do not remember opening.

Credit Inquiries:

Upon viewing yoru credit report you will notice a section which discloses who has been viewing your credit rating and report.  “Hard” inquiries (car loans, credit card application, etc) will typically affect your credit rating (albeit minimally).

A “soft” inquiry is when an entity views your credit report to verify that you have credit.  Examples of “soft” inquiries consist of:  home rental applications, mortgage applications and other types of credit inquires in which you do not need to obtain credit.  Soft inquiries typically do not affect credit scores.

Reference: https://unifycrm.com/solutions-page/marketing/.

Paid sponsor: Seattle Hard Money Lending – Cash Out Refinancing | Investors Choice

Investment Property Appeal Strengthens

Investment Property Appeal Strengthens

According to recent statistics (check out this site to know more on those statistics), investment property and total multi-family sales (rentals,  duplexes, tri and four-plexes) increased nearly eighty percent within the 2nd quarter of ’11 and within  the same period of 2010—a statistic that demonstrates the United States’ shift from owning a home rather than renting.   It can be assumed that the increase in apartment and rental living has increased due to the amount of home owners that have lost and are currently losing a home through foreclosure or short sale.  The upsurge of demand has caused a decrease in vacancy rates and an up-tick in rental prices.

Although inferior to the mid-2007 peak, quarter two in 2011 saw a robust $15 billion in sales from investment property bringing the yearly total to 24.5 billion.  Mulit-units and apartment buildings rank as the most appealing real estate purchase investments (investors are pulling capital out of the stock market and putting their money in a tangible asset which doesn’t fluctuate as drastically).   Investment property developers have already promised new projects due to the high demand. As new developers are actively building apartment buildings, a crane hire is much needed to complete these projects.

Coastal real estate markets have accounted for the large majority of sales volume in multi-family units.  Top market included:

Los Angeles:  2.3. Billion

Bay Area:  2.1 Billion

Washington D.C. 2.6 Billion

Investors with high capital “in hand” have been the most vigorous investment property purchasers.

Mortgage rates plumb new depths

Mortgage rates plumb new depths

Mortgage interest rates dropped into unknown territory as concerns mounted that the U.S. and Europe may be facing another recession.  The “feeling” had investors moving their funds out of stock markets and into the so called safety of government backed securities and bonds that fund most mortgages provided.

The latest mortgage market survey by Freddie Mac showed both fixed and adjustment rate loans continurd a 3-week slip to hit new interest rate lows.  Interest rates are now nearly a full percentage point below highs seen at the first of 2011.

The Mortgage Bankers Association conducted a separate survey which suggested that low rates aren’t generating an increase in home loans and many who are eligible to refinance already have.  Doubts about the economy made prospective home purchasers weary of applying for new home loans.

The 30-year fixed mortgage rate held steady at 4.14 percent—down from 4.32 percent the previous week (here’s the free of charge reverse mortgage calculator to check the numbers).  This is a new all-time low for 30-year fixed mortgages according to Freddie Mac since the mortgage insurance giant began recording statistical data in 1971.