If you’ve been following the news, you know that the Federal Reserve has been raising interest rates. The Fed’s efforts to bring inflation under control by raising interest rates affect many aspects of our lives in a very real way. In particular, Fed policy impacts home affordability and sales activity. But before we dive into… Continue Reading
The Federal Reserve announced last week that it will again raise rates by three-quarters of a point in an effort to combat the highest level of inflation seen in the United States in decades. While the Fed does not control mortgage rates directly, this decision will undoubtedly influence the current mortgage rates available today. First-time… Continue Reading
Federal Reserve raised the federal funds rate in the United States again today in an attempt to quell rising inflation. While the Fed does not have direct control over mortgage rates, they often rise when the federal funds rate also heads north. As of the time of this writing, the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate… Continue Reading
With the uncertainty surrounding today’s mortgage market and skyrocketing prices to buy real estate, buyers are having to come up with more and more cash to cover the costs of closing and buy-down their interest rates. As of the time of this writing, the average interest rate on a 30-year mortgage is 5.95%. By comparison,… Continue Reading
Current reports on housing from multiple sources indicate that the housing market’s future is unlikely to be the same as its recent past. Over the last decade, the US housing market has seen a run-up in home prices unlike any other time in history. Many experts predict that the coming correction will not be as… Continue Reading
Interest rates are constantly in the news: they’re rising, they’re falling, they’re flat — whatever they’re doing, they keep the thought of refinancing in the forefront of the minds of many homeowners. These folks wonder if they should refinance now, or if they’d be better off to wait a little while longer. Choosing to refinance… Continue Reading
2013 saw a lot of changes to the U.S. mortgage industry, from Fannie Mae’s elimination of 97 percent loans and the appointment of a new head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency to nation-wide changes to provide more leniency through FHA programs for troubled borrowers. The Ability-to-Repay Rule and Qualified Mortgage Rule made headlines and… Continue Reading