Articles Tagged With: Fixed Rate Mortgage

March 24, 2020

Mortgage Rate Trends: The Three Percent Range

Mortgage loan rates have been on a wild ride since the advent of the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak; for a time FHA mortgage loan rates dipped below the three percent threshold. How wild has the ride been? FHA mortgage rates hit a 52-week range of rates between the lowest at 2.75% at the low point during the outbreak and just over 4% at its highest moment in the 52-week range. What does that mean going forward? For the average consumer, not much. It is pure speculation to say we may or may not see rates dip below the three percent range but borrowers should likely assume that those rock-bottom rates are gone and proceed without the temptation to float rather than lock in a mortgage rate commitment with the lender in | more...

March 13, 2020

Repair Your Credit Before Your Home Loan

By Joe Wallace

Interested in applying for an FHA mortgage or a refinance loan? It’s not as easy as finding a lender and applying; you will need plenty of time to save for the expenses of the loan including the down payment and closing costs. But you also need more time in another way; taking a preliminary step as early as possible in your loan process can make the difference between loan approval and rejection. What is that preliminary step? Reviewing your credit report for errors and identity theft evidence. It’s also about working on raising your FICO scores based on the results of your credit report review. All Americans are entitled to a free copy of their credit report once per year, so there is no cost to obtain one. You can | more...

December 18, 2019

FHA Home Loan Appraisals: What You Should Know

By Joe Wallace

Borrowers have plenty of questions about the FHA appraisal process. After all, if the appraisal doesn’t go well, it could mean the borrower has to decide whether to walk away and find something else or deal with the issues uncovered by the appraisal. What is the real issue with FHA appraisals that confuses many borrowers? The fact that there are multiple standards that must be met and not just the ones that are set by the FHA and HUD. House hunters write us frequently to ask if a certain appraisal issue will affect their home loan. And the simple answer is that there is no easy answer to appraisal questions because of one huge variable. And that variable is what state and local building code requirements say in addition to | more...

August 22, 2019

FHA Home Loans And Interest Rates: What You Should Know About Low Rates

By Bruce Reichstein

At the time of this writing, what you should know about FHA Home loan interest rates includes the idea that interest rates at the moment are low for FHA mortgages, that the rates are subject to change, and that your credit report will play an important part in the rate you are offered. What do you need to know about FHA home loan interest rates in today’s housing market? FHA Loan Interest Rates Are Currently Very Low Some market watchers are quoting rates as low as 3.25%, and while that mortgage rate assumes a very well-qualified borrower, it is an indication of how low rates have gone in 2019. What’s good for the economy is often bad for mortgage loan interest rates, and the reverse can also be true. With | more...

July 31, 2019

FHA Home Loan Down Payment Rules: Cash To Close Sources

By Bruce Reichstein

FHA home loan down payment rules include requirements for the sourcing of funds used to make that down payment and/or provide cash to close the deal. Down payment funds and sources of cash to close must be properly documented by the lender to insure the cash does not come from unacceptable sources such as non-collateralized loans (payday loans, credit card cash advances, etc.) or in the form of “gift funds” that are not really gifts but have an expectation of repayment. When discussing the permitted sourcing of FHA home loan down payments or cash to close, many borrowers want to know if certain kinds of sources are acceptable to the lender. That can include proceeds from the trade-in of a manufactured home, the proceeds from the sale of real estate, | more...

June 30, 2019

Five FHA Loan Tips About Condo Loans

By Joe Wallace

Some borrowers, especially first-time home buyers, are surprised to learn that FHA loan options include loans to purchase condo units in FHA-approved condo projects. 5. FHA Condo Loans Are For Condos On The FHA Approved List Whether the condo you want to buy a unit in is already on the approved list, or needs to be added to it, the FHA condo loan is available to financially-qualified borrowers who have never owned a home before or are coming back to apply for a new home loan after purchasing in the past. Borrowers who need to have a condo project added to the FHA list will be required to work with a participating FHA lenders who can apply to have the condo project added to it. But there is one important | more...

June 21, 2019

FHA Home Loan Mortgage Rates

By Joe Wallace

Just as we headed into 2019, the FHA and HUD announced higher FHA loan guaranty limits for the new year, giving most counties a boost in the dollar amount the FHA would back for an FHA mortgage loan. Now, as we read headlines from reputable sources including Marketwatch, about home loan interest rates, it seems like now is a very good time to be a first-time home buyer or a repeat borrower looking to purchase or refinance residential property with an FHA mortgage. One recent Marketwatch article about home loan interest rates includes the blurb. “Rates for home loans were mixed, but stayed near recent lows, even as bond market moves suggest another big step down lies ahead. “ That is according to Andrea Riquier’s June 20th article titled, “Mortgage | more...

Mortgage Loan Approval During Coronavirus

June 4, 2019

FHA Home Loan Approval Myths

By Joe Wallace

There are plenty of myths about home loan approval, but for first-time home buyers looking for an FHA mortgage, some of those myths are more prevalent than others. What you don’t know about FHA home loans can hurt you-it’s best to know as much as possible going into the home loan process, which is another reason why it’s best to take your time preparing for a home loan. Rushing into the process can cost more money than taking your time. FHA Home Loan Myths: The FHA Has Separate Requirements For First-Time Home Buyers FHA home loans are open to all qualified borrowers with FICO scores in a certain range for the lowest down payment. FHA loan rules do not make any distinction between a first-time buyer and an experienced home | more...

March 29, 2019

Five Things You Should Do Before Applying For Your First Home Loan

By Joe Wallace

First-time home buyers should be working on five areas before they apply for a mortgage loan. Are you working with a real estate agent or searching the real estate listings in your local area? Maybe you want to buy a new home in a different area than where you are living now and need to know the ins and outs of the neighborhoods there? Decide What Kind Of Home Loan You Need Having a home built from the ground up is possible with an FHA One-Time Close Construction Loan, but these loans are quite different than an FHA Condo Loan or FHA loans for a mobile home or manufactured home. Knowing the kind of loan you want in advance will help you search for the right kind of lender-some financial | more...

Does The Fed Interest Rate Cut Also Cut Mortgage Loan Rates?

March 22, 2019

FHA Home Loans For Homes Built Before 1978

By Bruce Reichstein

FHA home loans are offered for a variety of home needs including building a house from the ground up with an FHA One-Time Close construction loan, but there is also an option to use your FHA mortgage to buy an older home that is not considered new construction. In cases where the property is older than 1978, there are some additional rules regarding the potential for lead paint in the residence that all borrowers thinking about buying older property should be aware of. FHA home loan rules in HUD 4000.1 point out that any home built prior to 1978 must include disclosures to the buyer: “…the seller must disclose any information known about lead-based paint and lead-based paint hazards before selling the house, in accordance with the HUD-EPA Lead Disclosure | more...