Many people are eager to buy a home right now while affordability continues to be a highlight of the current housing market. However, a recent survey by Sparks Research shows that 20% of first-time homebuyers cite a lack of financial education as a...

The federal reserve announced a rate cut and here’s what that means: Fed cutting rates is a short term overnight bank to bank lending rate which DOES NOT have a direct impact on mortgages. This cut will lower rates on credit cards, home equity...

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) and The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) have announced the loan limits for Conventional Conforming and FHA loans have been increased for 2020. FHFA announced the baseline conventional conforming loan...

Mortgage rates have fallen by over a full percentage point since Q4 of 2018, settling at near-historic lows. This is big news for buyers looking to get more for their money in the current housing market. According to Freddie...

2019 FHA loan limits: good news for many The FHA announced its new mortgage limits for 2019, and they are higher. The lowest of 2019 FHA loan limits, which apply in much of the country, increased from 2018’s $294,515 to $314,827. In...

Mortgage interest rates, as reported by Freddie Mac, have increased by close to a quarter of a percent over the last several weeks. Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae, the Mortgage Bankers Association, and the National...

The interest rate you pay on your home mortgage has a direct impact on your monthly payment; the higher the rate, the greater the payment will be. That is why it is important to know where rates are headed when deciding to start your home search....

The Federal Reserve lifted the federal funds rate last Wednesday by a quarter percentage point to a range of 1.5 percent to 1.75 percent. Two more rate hikes are expected this year. Three are expected in 2019, rather than two as initially...

Buy a home or bust Rising home prices or not, it appears the American dream of homeownership is still very much alive. According to a new NerdWallet survey, 75 percent of U.S. residents say buying a home is a top priority, while 32 percent say...

Some industry experts are saying that the housing market may be heading for a slowdown in 2017 based on rising home prices and a jump in mortgage interest rates. One of the data points they use is the Housing Affordability Index, as reported by...

The maximum conforming loan limits for Conventional, and VA loans are increasing for the 1st time in a decade. The increased loan limits will take effect on January 1, 2017. General loan limits for most US counties will be $424,000 for single unit...

When choosing a home loan, you may feel overwhelmed… Should you choose a 7/1 ARM or get a fixed rate FHA loan, or what about a conforming Conventional loan, is that better? These are just some of the questions that may be starting to pile up...

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) announced that the maximum conforming loan limits for mortgages acquired by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in 2017 will increase.  In most of the country, the 2017 maximum loan limit for one-unit properties...

A considerable number of potential buyers shy away from jumping into the real estate market due to their uncertainty about the buying process. A specific cause for concern tends to be mortgage qualification. For many, the mortgage process can be...

Some Highlights: 36% of Americans think they need a 20% down payment to buy a home. 44% of Millennials who purchased a home this year have put down less than 10%. 8% of loan applications were approved last month. The average credit score of...

Many homebuyers ask where interest rates are headed over the next several months. While no one has a crystal ball, we did want to share what some experts are saying on the subject. HSH.com “For now, and likely through the summer, we may see...

As you are aware Federal agencies have shut down large portions of the government effective today October 1, 2013.  The information outlined below addresses the impact on the mortgage industry: HUD / FHA: The FHA should not be significantly...

The Fed recently announced they would continue their current pace of purchasing bonds until the economy was stronger. This bond purchasing program is the reason that mortgage interest rates are at historic lows. Rates began to increase over the last...

Last week, Bernard Bernanke startled many by announcing that the Fed will not wind down their bond buying program right now. The program is part of an overall stimulus package geared at bringing back the national economy. The...

Here are a few interesting comments on how rising interest rates might impact the real estate market as we move forward. Zillow Dr. Svenja Gudell, Senior Economist “As long as mortgage interest rates don’t rise too far and...

“The good news is right now there’s a bipartisan group of senators working to end Fannie and Freddie as we know them. And I support these kinds of reform efforts.” - President Obama, August 6th Ending Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae...

Today’s $20,000 question is…Where are mortgage rates headed in the near future? Most believe the rapid rise in rates experienced over the last month will not be sustained and that they will level off into a range between 4% and 5%. When...

The state of the housing market has been improving over the last year, due in part to historically low interest rates. There is a lot of concern that the housing recovery could begin to weaken once interest rates move higher, but recent data shows...