Valuable Real Estate News -- John Maniec, Real Estate Blogger

Previewing The New Good Faith Estimate

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 07:45:00 -0700

The new Good Faith Estimate makes its debut January 1, 2010.

Expanded from 1page to 3, the legislators responsible for the new Good Faith Estimate want it to be simpler for homeowners and home buyers to understand than the former version.

By most accounts, Congress will meet this goal.

The new Good Faith Estimate includes plain-English explanations of every fee, charge, and interest payment involved in a purchase or refinance. It also includes a section called "The Shopping Cart" in which applicants can compare lenders.

The new Good Faith Estimate is concise, too. Using a series of "Yes/No" checkboxes on Page 1, mortgage lenders specifically note:

The interest rate on the mortgage
Whether the interest rate can change over time
Whether the loan carries a prepayment penalty
The length of the rate lock

Currently, this information is spread across 3 separate forms.

Furthermore, the new Good Faith Estimate simplifies rate-and-fee comparisons, showing applicants how a lower rate can be available for a higher set of fees, and vice versa.

For all of its clarity, though, the new Good Faith Estimate still fails to address the issue of "suitability". As in, is this the right loan for the right borrower? That's something only a loan officer can do.

For suitable advice, talk with a loan officer who both listens to your needs and helps you plan for them. Great terms on an unsuitable loan are often worse than "good" terms on the right one.

DIY : How Do I Fix A Towel Rack That's "Loose"

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 07:45:00 -0700

Over time, towel racks tend to come loose from sheetrock walls. And, sometimes, they separate completely. The good news is that making repairs is easy -- it's something you can do yourself with a little instruction.

In this 2-minute video from ExpertVillage.com, a professional contractor shows that with just a drill and some butterfly anchors, re-securing a towel rack can be a basic handyman job.

So, before you call a professional to rehang your towel rack, watch the video and consider making the repair yourself.

The Fed Thinks The Economy Is Improving And What It Means For Home Affordability

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 07:45:00 -0700

Mortgage rates are higher after the Federal Reserve released the internal notes of its September 22-23, 2009 meeting.

Known as the "Fed Minutes", the report details the conversation and cross-currents that led to the Federal Reserve's decision to vote "unchanged" on the Fed Funds Rate after its last meeting.

The Fed Minutes are the lengthy companion to the more famous, succinct post-meeting press release.

As a comparison:

Press Release: 383 words
Minutes: 6934 words

The extra level of details is a big deal because Wall Street is perpetually in search of clues about what the Federal Reserve is going to do next.

In the past week, multiple Federal Reserve members hinted that the Fed Funds Rate may rise as early as April 2010. Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke even alluded to it, too.

The minutes revealed that the economy may improve even faster than was previously expected, too.

These acknowledgements are part of the reason why mortgage rates are up. Because the Fed Funds Rate rises to accommodate a growing economy, the prospect of economic recovery is drawing money into the stock market and away from mortgage-backed bonds.

Less demand for bonds means lower prices which, in turn, leads to higher rates.

Foreclosures Concentrate In Just 4 States

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 07:45:00 -0700

For the seventh consecutive month, foreclosure activity in the U.S. was dominated by a tiny subset of states.

As reported by RealtyTrac.com, more than half of September's foreclosure-related activity occurred in just 4 states:

California
Florida
Nevada
Michigan

These states represent just 22.05 percent of the total U.S. population.

Overall, foreclosures are up 29 percent from September 2008 and, while, the data seems negative, defaults are creating some interesting buying opportunities.

Foreclosed homes often sell at a discount as compared to non-foreclosed homes. Cheap prices, low mortgage rates and willing buyers have helped to spur home sales in many U.S. markets. In August, "distressed homes" accounted for one-third of all existing home sales.

That said, buying foreclosures isn't for everyone.

First off, foreclosed homes are often sold "as-is" and may be in perfect condition, or may be inhabitable. If the property falls into the latter category, it's important to get estimates for the work needed to make the home livable. Suddenly, the home may not seem like such a "steal".

And, secondly, buying a home in foreclosure can be a 3-month process or more. For some people, this is just too long.

Buying a home in foreclosure is fundamentally the same as buying a "regular" home -- there's a contract and a closing. But most of the steps in between are different.

Read the complete foreclosure report, plus take a peek at foreclosure heat maps on the RealtyTrac website. If you like what you see, talk to your real estate agent about what to do next.

Should Joint Homeowners Keep Separate Bank Accounts?

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 07:34:56 -0700

When you own a home with a spouse or partner, the issue of what's mine, what's yours, and what's ours can be a divisive one.

Each household has its own money management methodology and, according to financial talk-show host Suze Orman, most leave significant room for improvement.

In this 4-minute piece aired on NBC's The Today Show, Orman talks about co-managing finances with topics including:

How to determine how much money goes into a "personal" spending account versus a "family" spending account
The importance of both parties taking an active role in bill-paying
How to manage the money when one partner doesn't earn an income

Being aware of money is the first step towards protecting it.

Use A Retractable Hose Reel To Simplify Yard Work

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 07:10:33 -0700

Sometimes, it's not the yard work that's so tough. It's fighting the garden hose.

Tangles, kinks and hassle can turn watering the yard into a chore unto itself.

Especially if you have store your hose in the garage. Coiling water-logged, dirty tubing can be a real pain.

Enter the 100-foot retractable hose from Frontgate. Wall-mounted and commercial-grade, it's a durable garden hose that simplifies yard work.

The half-inch diameter tubing extends from the casing which is on a 180-degree swivel. Reaching all the corners of your lawn is a breeze. And the hose retracts with little effort and no snags.

Plus, the plastic casing can protect your hose from the summer sun.

The Retractable 100-ft Hose Reel is available from Frontgate for $99. It comes with the 100-foot hose included.

It's A Good Time To Look At Adjustable-Rate Mortgages

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 07:45:00 -0700

According to the Freddie Mac weekly mortgage rate survey, the relative cost of a 5-year ARM is dropping versus its 30-year fixed-rate cousin.

During the first 5 months of 2009, the products ran neck-and-neck. Today, they're a half-percent apart.

On a $200,000 home loan, that's a difference of $60 per month.

Adjustable-rate mortgages aren't for everyone, but for the right household, they can be a terrific fit. A few scenarios that warrant consideration of a 5-year ARM include persons:

Buying a home with an intent to sell within 5 years
With a 30-year fixed mortgage and plans to sell within 5 years
Interested in low payments and comfortable with longer-term interest rate and payment uncertainty

Additionally, with homeowners with existing ARMs may want to consider taking on a new ARM, if only to extend their initial, fixed rate period.

Before choosing an ARM, make sure to speak with your loan officer about how adjustable-rate mortgages work, and what causes them to adjust. Although conventional ARMs are limited in how far they can adjust, it's important to know the risks.

Simple Real Estate Definitions : Escrow Account

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 07:45:00 -0700

An escrow account is a designated savings account into which funds get deposited for a specific purpose.

With respect to real estate and home loans, escrow accounts are used to pay real estate tax bills and homeowners insurance payments.

Escrow accounts are managed and disbursed by lenders.

When a homeowner "escrows" his mortgage, along with his scheduled monthly mortgage payment, he must also send an additional payment to the lender equal to 1/12 of the home's annual real estate tax bill plus 1/12 of the annual homeowners insurance bill.

By sending a pro rata portion of the tax and insurance bill each month, the homeowner's escrow account will always, in theory, have enough funds to make payments in full as tax bills and insurance premiums come due.

The FHA Is Changing Its Streamline Refinance Guidelines November 2009

Wed, 07 Oct 2009 07:45:00 -0700

Beginning November 17, 2009, the FHA will make it harder to qualify for its popular Streamline Refinance program.

Available exclusively to homeowners with existing FHA home loans, the streamline program is meant to help homeowners reduce mortgage payments as simply as possible.

As such, the program carries minimum eligibility requirements.

In fact, the FHA Streamline Refinance is more notable for what it doesn't require from applicants.

There's no income verification
There's no asset verification
There's no employment verification
There's no appraisal required

The two biggest qualifiers, really, are that the homeowner meets a minimum credit score and that the new loan doesn't exceed the original balance of the old loan.

The new program guidelines, however, are much stricter.

Effective next month, among other requirements, applicants must show evidence of employment and income, plus proof of cash required at closing.

Furthermore, homeowners can't finance closing costs into the mortgage without a complete home appraisal. In areas of declining value, this may render refinancing with the FHA impossible.

Therefore, if you're a homeowner with an FHA mortgage, consider contacting your loan officer before the November 17 deadline to explore your Streamline Refinance options. Mortgage rates are low and you never know for what you'll qualify.

The worst thing you can do is to wait too long to find out. Once the deadline passes, the old guidelines will be history.

Pending Homes Sales Gain For The 7th Straight Month

Tue, 06 Oct 2009 07:45:00 -0700

Buoyed by a generous tax credit, affordable homes, and low mortgage rates, the Pending Home Sales Index posted its seventh consecutive monthly gain in August.

It's the longest winning streak in the index's history and the highest reading in 2-1/2 years.

It's also another signal that the housing market is in recovery.

"Pending home sales" are a forward-looking indicator, measuring the number homes under contract to sell, but not yet closed.

Historically, 80% of homes under contract close within 60 days. Most others close within 120 days.

It's no wonder home values are rising in so many markets.

Home buyers -- take note. If you're plan to purchase a home between now and the New Year, expect that the recent run in pending sales will turn into run of closed sales which, in turn, should pump prices up and drop home inventory.

With mortgage rates hovering near 4-month lows, the best way to find a value in housing may be to act sooner rather than later.

How Often Should You Change Your HVAC Air Filter? It Depends.

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 07:45:00 -0700

If you haven't changed your home's air filters lately, this 1-minute video will demonstrate just how much energy your HVAC unit is wasting. A clogged air filter operates with a lot less efficiency.

Air filters should be changed at least once per quarter. In certain circumstances, however, more frequent replacements are warranted.

Homes with shedding pets
Homes under construction
Brand-new homes with dust in the air
Homeowners with asthma or allergies

Also, when you replace your filters, don't reach for the $0.99 cheap ones. Plainly, they don't work. Instead, spend $15 to get a filter that works. Or, buy in bulk to save 15% from Amazon.com or a local hardware store.

The Sellers' Deadly Sins : How To Keep Your Home From Selling At Maximum Dollar

Fri, 02 Oct 2009 07:45:00 -0700

It's a sensational headline -- "The Sellers' Deadly Sins" -- but the message is clear. Home sellers make mistakes that not only cost themselves thousands, but sometimes cost the sale, too.

NBC's The Today Show lays it out cleanly in this 5-minute video:

How to respond to an "insulting offer"
How to handle the first purchase offer you receive
What do when you can't leave your home for its Open House
What room in the home should be kept the neatest

But, be aware. At the video's end, there's a piece of advice that may sound extremely self-serving coming from a real estate professional. Don't let it turn you off. The video's overall message is spot-on and the advice is real-world tested.

Selling a home is a process. Make sure to do it properly.

You've Got 15 More Days To Use The First-Time Home Buyer Tax Credit

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 06:45:00 -0700

The government's First-Time Home Buyer Tax Credit program expires November 30, 2009 -- a scant 60 days from today.

Considering it can take up to 60 days to close on a home, first-time buyers have 2 weeks at most to find a home.

Buyers not under contract by October 15 have little chance of meeting the November 30 deadline and, therefore, little chance of claiming the tax credit.

This is especially true for purchases involving short sales and foreclosures.

Congress passed the First-Time Homebuyer Tax Credit program as part of the 2009 economic stimulus plan. IRS Form 5405 outlines the program criteria which include the following stipulations:

Buyer may not have owned a "main home" in the past 36 months
The home may not be purchased from a parent, spouse, or child
Adjusted gross income for the household must be below $95,000 for single tax filers and $170,000 for joint tax filers

The credit is capped at $8,000 or 10% of the purchase price, whichever is less. And don't forget -- the First-Time Home Buyer Tax Credit is a true tax credit. It's not a deduction.

This means that a tax filer who claims the full $8,000 and whose "normal" tax liability is $5,000 would receive $3,000 cash from the US Treasury when their tax return is processed by the IRS.

If you can't close by November 30, 2009, though, you can't claim the credit.

The clock is ticking. If you're planning to use the First-Time Home Buyer Tax Credit, the time to act is now.

The Case-Shiller Shows Home Prices Are Still On Their Way Up

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 07:45:00 -0700

For the second month in a row, 18 of the 20 Case-Shiller real estate markets posted higher home values. It's the 6th consecutive strong showing for the benchmark private-sector housing index.

Combined with falling home supplies and rising sales figures, this month's Case-Shiller Index suggests that housing may have bottomed sometime earlier this year.

It's cause for optimism.

Even Case-Shiller respresentatives seem excited. In its press release, the publishers singled out the index's winning streak, commenting on the recent "stabilization in national real estate values".

But, in that statement, we see the Case-Shiller Index's biggest flaw. The index ipurports itself to be a national real estate metric but, in reality, there is no such thing as a national real estate market.

All real estate is local.

The Case-Shiller Index reports home values for 20 U.S. cities. Each of those cities, however, is comprised of smaller neighborhoods, each with its own character, desirability, and price points. Case-Shiller attempts to lump it all together -- an impossibility.

As an example, New York City posted a nearly 1 percent increase in July but that figure is just a city summary. The actual market in three distinct neighborhoods -- Upper East Side, Chelsea, and Flatbush -- vary tremendously. Not to mention Long Island, too.

Flaws aside, though, Case-Shiller is still important. It helps to identify broader trends in housing and housing may hold the key to our economic future.

With July's Case-Shiller Index, we see that the housing market's recovery is being sustained.

Fannie Mae Passes New, Tougher Mortgage Guidelines

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 07:45:00 -0700

Getting approved for a mortgage is about to get harder.

For the second time in less than 3 months, Fannie Mae announced changes to its mortgage guidelines.

In its official announcement, Fannie Mae details the updates, meant to reduce the mortgage firm's overall risk.

The first major change is with respect to credit scoring. All Fannie Mae loans -- whether underwritten electronically or manually -- require a 620 credit score minimum. There are very few exceptions.

A second change relates to loans with private mortgage insurance. Homeowners whose loan-to-value exceeds 80 percent now have a choice:

Accept higher mortgage insurance premiums month-after-month
Accept a one-time fee paid at closing to compensate for higher risk

Both options pass higher costs to consumers.

Then, a third change relates to maximum debt-to-income ratio. As announced in a separate document, Fannie Mae will no longer approve expense ratios exceeding 45 percent except with very strong assets and credit to back it up. In no case can expense ratios exceed 50 percent.

There are other changes, too, including the elimination of seldom-used mortgage products and new risk-based pricing on "expanded level" approvals.

Fannie Mae implements its updates during the weekend of December 12.

Therefore, if you're going to need (or want) a new mortgage later this year, consider moving up your timeframe to October or November. Once the guidelines change, getting approved for a mortgage is going to be tougher.

The Extension Cord Idea You've Been Waiting For

Mon, 28 Sep 2009 07:45:00 -0700

The traditional, 6-socket surge protector is a ubiquitous product in American homes.

It also happens to be rife with design flaws, the most glaring of which is the socket layout.

Traditional surge protectors are built for skinny-plugged devices only. Few of today's electronics are "skinny plug".

The Socket Sense Expandable Surge Protector corrects the flaw.

The Socket Sense matches form and function. It features 6 angled, expandable sockets that make room for even the biggest and boxiest plugs. Its casing stretches from 13 to 18 inches, as needed, and has a slim, fit-anywhere design.

By providing for 6 input devices, the Socket Surge does the job of two traditional surge protectors. You can buy Socket Surge at most hardware stores and on Amazon.com, too.

The device retails for about $25.

Existing Home Supply Falls By Nearly A Month

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 07:45:00 -0700

As reported by the National Association of REALTORS�, the number of Existing Home Sales dipped last month, ending the metric's 5-month winning streak.

Newspaper headlines today are overwhelmingly negative on housing. You'd almost believe this year's housing recovery had ended.

That's hardly the case.

See, the other side of the Existing Home Sales story is that -- while the number of units sold did fall by 3 percent -- the existing supply fell by nearly an entire month.

To home buyers and home sellers, this is huge. Home prices are based on supply and demand and with supplies plummeting, it means that home prices are poised to rise.

Indeed, dwindling inventory isn't "news" to today's buyers. Multiple offer situations have been common since the start of the summer and, should supplies fall further, they may soon be the home-buying rule rather than the exception.

Since peaking in November 2008, existing home supplies are down 23%.

A Simple Explanation Of The Federal Reserve Statement (September 23, 2009 Edition)

Wed, 23 Sep 2009 13:37:59 -0700

The Federal Open Market Committee voted to leave the Fed Funds Rate within its target range of 0.000-0.250 percent.

It also reiterated plans to support the mortgage market to the tune of $1.5 trillion.

In its press release, the FOMC noted that the U.S. economy is "picking up following its severe downturn" and that financial markets have "improved further".

It's the second consecutive post-FOMC statement in which the Fed appears somewhat optimistic -- a signal that the recession will end soon, or has already ended.

That said, the economy still has some soft spots and the Fed made a point to single them out. Each poses a distinct threat to economic recovery.

Ongoing job losses
Sluggish income growth
Tight credit conditions

Also in its statement, the Fed confirmed its plan to hold the Fed Funds Rate near zero percent "for an extended period" and to honor its $1.25 trillion commitment to the mortgage bond market.

However, the FOMC changed its timeframe on the mortgage-backed bond buys, extending its deadline to March 2010. This move should help the Fed keep mortgage rates from rising too high as the economic expansion takes hold.

Market reaction to the Fed's press release is positive. After an early day sell-off that drove rates higher by about a quarter-percent, most of the pressure is easing. Pricing is worse on the day overall, but well off its lows.

The FOMC's next scheduled meeting is November 3-4, 2009.