Archive for FHA Mortgage Lending
30-Year Fixed Rate Home Loans and 5-year ARMs Fall to Record Low
Posted by: | CommentsInterest rates on fixed rate 30-year home loans for refinance or purchase officially hit record lows today! On Thursday, Freddie Mac released their report that also indicated the 5-year adjustable-rate mortgage dropped to record lows this week acccording to the survey of conforming mortgage rates. The 30-year fixed rate mortgage reported averages of 4.69% for the week ending June 24th. This was lower than the low rates of 4.75% from the previous week and 5.42% a year ago. Fifteen-year fixed rate mortgage loans averaged 4.13%, down from 4.20% last week and 4.87% a year ago. The 10-year fixed rate mortgage has fallen to 3.75% and 3.875% on the no cost mortgage option.
VA home loans are still available at record low rates as well. If you already have a VA mortgage and want a lower rate talk to one of our VA lenders about qualifying for the VA streamline.
Freddie Mac Says Lowest Fixed 30 Year Mortgage Loans Since They Began Recording Rates in 1971
Conventional and FHA mortgage lenders reported averages of the 5-year Treasury-indexed hybrid adjustable-rate mortgage averaged 3.84% this week, down from 3.89% last week and 4.99% a year ago.
One-year Treasury-indexed ARMs averaged 3.77%, down from 3.82% last week and 4.93% a year ago. While not a record, this is the lowest the ARM has been since the week ending May 6, 2004, when it averaged 3.76%.
To lock into these home mortgage rates, the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage and both ARMs required payment of an average 0.7 point and the 15-year fixed rate mortgage required an average 0.6 point. A point is 1% of the home loan amount, charged as prepaid interest. According to Frank Nothaft of Freddie Mac “Mortgage rates for all but traditional 1-year ARMs hit all-time record lows this week in our survey while activity in the housing market slowed in May following the expiration of the home-buyer tax credit”. “Freddie Mac began collecting rates for 30-year fixed loans in April 1971, 15-year fixed home loans in September 1991 and 5-year ARMs in January 2005.”
Will Mortgage Refinance Rates Improve?
Posted by: | CommentsLetter to the Lender: We were recently shopping for a home refinance loan online and we received a handful of mortgage quotes. Obviously we want the lowest mortgage refinance rates possible. We also want a fixed interest rate on a 30-year term and if we can qualify for a no cost refinance mortgage that would be another benefit. One of the lenders offered us a FHA refinance at 5% fixed on a 30-year term with no points and no fees. Another lender offered us a FHA loan at 4.875% on a 30-year term with no points, but there is $3,000 in closing cost that we would either have to pay out of pocket or we could roll into the loan. Which option do you think we should go with? Is no cost mortgage refinancing always the best choice when shopping for a mortgage loan? Do you think we should wait for refinance rates to drop more?
First of all, if you have the opportunity to save money with a fixed rate while interest rates are at all-time lows, you should jump for the opportunity and move forward. Although mortgage interest rates are extremely low today, it is very difficult to qualify for mortgage refinancing, because lenders have tightened guidelines significantly in an effort to minimize loan defaults and foreclosures. Just because you qualify today does not always mean that you will qualify to refinance tomorrow. For example, What if you are approved for a FHA mortgage at 96% loan-to-value now and FHA changes the guidelines to 95%? What if there were several foreclosures on your street that brings your value down so that your loan to value balloons to over 100%? These are both real reason why borrowers don’t qualify for a refinance loan that they once were approved for.
To answer your second question, I must understand your big picture first.
1. Do you plan on selling your home or moving any time soon? No, we would like to retire in this home.
2. What is the balance on your first mortgage? $385,000
3. What is your home’s appraised value? $495,000
4. Do you have a second mortgage and if so did you want to refinance the second mortgage with the new loan? No second mortgage
5. Have the lenders ran your credit and sent you loan disclosures with a Good Faith Estimate? Yes, we have 739 middle fico score and believe it or not we received loan disclosures from both loan companies.
Lender Recommendation: First of all I would recommend rather than going straight for a FHA loan that you get a quote for a conventional mortgage backed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. FHA loans are great but you are below 78% LTV and you qualify for a prime rate loan with no mortgage insurance. Unless you get a 15-year loan, FHA guidelines requires that you pay a mortgage insurance premium when you close the loan, in addition to a monthly insurance charge. In your case that would save you over $100 a month by choosing a loan backed by Fannie or Freddie. Regarding which refinance option to choose — While the no cost mortgage refinance is appealing but if you keep this loan for the life of the term you would save money by paying the $3,000 in closing cost and go with the lower rate option. These are great refinance options and you could not go wrong with either mortgage loan. Mortgage refinance rates are at record lows so the chances of interest rates improving are slim. It certainly is not worth the risk of refinance rates rising, because there will be a time when they go up and do not come down…
First Time Home Buyer Loans
Posted by: | Comments2010 has been a good year for Americans to get a first time home buyer loan for several reasons. First the silver lining of the housing crisis is that new home buyers were suddenly in a position to purchase a home at a discounted price. For the most part, 1st time home loans have been more affordable in 2010 than it had been in the previous five years. The other good news for first time home buyer loans has been that home mortgage rates were at all time lows.
Several government home financing programs enabled borrowers to finance a home with hardly any money down. The FHA first time home buyer loans were available to borrowers who could come up with a 3.5% down-payment. The VA home loan requires no money down, but borrowers need a militray backgroud for VA loan eligibility. The other bright spot for new homebuyers was the $7,500 tax credit for first time home buyers. Most industy insiders anticipate that low rat home financing will continue in 2010, but many are forecasting higher interest rates and tighter home loan guidelines in 2011, so if you are considering buying a home there could not be a better time!
No Cost Mortgage Refinancing
Posted by: | CommentsIf you have good credit, home equity and your interest rate is above 5%, chances are that you will benefit from no cost refinancing. Qualifying for a no cost mortgage is not as easy as it was a few years ago. For conforming, FHA and VA home loans you will need to document your income if you plan on qualifying for no cost mortgage refinancing. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac no longer allow no income mortgage refinancing so you will need to document your income if you want to qualify for a no cost mortgage. For most of the conventional mortgage products you will need over a 700 fico score if you want to be eligible for the no cost mortgage refinancing incentives.
FHA and VA have never allowed stated or no income mortgage options, so nothing has changed for income documentation requirements with government home mortgages. FHA guidelines changed recently, so you will need good credit scores (0ver 640) if you work with a lender like Nationwide who offer no cost refinance options with the FHA loan program.
We continue to offer no point mortgage loans with most of our refinance programs. With no point refinancing, a borrower will have no origination fees, but the 3rd-party lending fees like title, escrow and appraisal will be the borrower’s responsibility. In most cases we can offer home refinancing with no closing costs out of pocket. With mortgage refinance rates so low and no cost refinancing incentives, we strongly recommend taking advantage of our discounted loan refinance.
FHA Mortgage Loan Programs Expand
Posted by: | CommentsConsumers and mortgage lenders continue to reap the benefits of FHA home loans that boast low FHA rates. The Association of Mortgage Investors announced their support for the second mortgage program announced by the Obama administration to provide a path for reduced principal through a mortgage refinancing program for homeowners who owe more on their mortgage than their house is valued at. Micah Green, an attorney who represents the Association of Mortgage Investors said, “Investors have long felt that the only way to provide homeowners further mortgage relief is to address the affordability and loss of equity issues.” Many home finance executives believe that this step is crucial for the housing market to mend itself long-term.
A few days ago, FHA announced a variety of new home purchase and refinance programs intended to help reduce the number of new home foreclosures. The FHA loan initiatives range from a forbearance plan for unemployed borrowers, to new incentives that encourage principal reductions, to a new FHA refinance option, for which lender participation is voluntary. “Importantly, there are many details of the FHA guidelines that need to be clarified from the latest FHA announcement like, how second mortgages are treated, to ensure that the homeowner’s total debt burden is not excessive,” Green said. 1st and 2nd mortgage investors must be committed to sharing the burden of providing principal reduction in order for troubled homeowners to achieve sustainable relief that will be provided by a properly sized refinanced FHA mortgage, Green says. “This program should also respect the priority of liens. Therefore, principal reductions of senior and junior liens should be carried out accordingly,” he says. FHA mortgage refinancing remains popular with lenders and brokers across the coountry, so chances are HUD will keep FHA lending around.
Second Mortgage Refinancing
Posted by: | CommentsJust a few years ago second mortgage loans were relatively easy to qualify for and many homeowners utilized them for debt consolidation and to receive cash out. Borrowers with good credit could qualify for a low rate second mortgage or an interest only home equity line of credit with no equity required. Some borrowers actually qualified for a 125% second mortgage that enabled consumers to borrow more than their homes were worth. Homeowners liked these 125 home equity loans for consolidating debt and financing home improvements. Borrowers also used second mortgages as purchase money in an effort to avoid private mortgage insurance when buying a home.
Today second mortgages are hard to find. First mortgage refinancing is back in style again. Very few traditional lenders are offering home equity loans or credit lines because of the credit crunch and the high default rate of second mortgage liens over the last four years. It is unfortunate because thousands of borrowers are looking for second mortgage refinancing, because they got stuck with an adjustable rate HELOC. Refinancing these 2nd mortgages into a fixed interest rate makes sense financially. If you have a little bit of equity we recommend refinancing your 1st and 2nd mortgage together with a FHA mortgage. The government loans enable borrowers to get cash out with refinance loans at 85 to 95% loan to value.
MGIC Adjusting to Compete with FHA Loans
Posted by: | CommentsFixed rate refinancing remains in high demand for homeowners who have an adjustable rate mortgage, but have not been able to qualify to refinance because their home is worth less than the their mortgage balance. Reuters reported last week that MGIC Investment Corp who is the largest home mortgage insurer in the United States, reduced its premium rates in an effort to recapture market share lost to FHA loans insured by the Federal Housing Administration. FHA mortgage rates have remained competitive with conventional interest rates since 2007.
The low mortgages rates have been available to consumers with high credit scores. Higher interest rates will be offered to borrowers with lower credit scores under the new pricing system. According to mortgage advisor, Sandy Sarconi, “MGIC may be too late reacting to FHA because they have taken 30% of the market-share.”
Presently, FHA loan guidelines do not consider credit scores when pricing its insurance for FHA mortgage loans. The new prices will be effective May 1, the company said. In January, MGIC reported its tenth straight quarterly loss because of increasing delinquencies. More and more homeowners are failing to make their mortgage loan payment on time. The company did make a statement that they anticipate home loan delinquencies to reduce towards the end of 2010.
