Interest rates are on the rise, and home buyers are looking for savings wherever they can. Shopping around for a mortgage can offer big differences among lenders, and those differences could amount to some potentially hefty savings over the life of a loan.A new study by LendingTree measures the basis point spread between high and low annual percentage rates offered to users through the LendingTree marketplace among the 50 largest metros in the U.
Homeowners in the majority of housing markets across the country should expect to see home prices continue to appreciate by about 4.5 percent over the next 12 months, and, in a handful of western markets, owners likely will see their prices soar well past that, according to a new report from Veros, a valuation and analytics firm.Western states hold the top 10 spots in forecasts of appreciation, with home price predictions ranging from 9 to 12 per
Many homeowners may assume that if they retrofit their home with energy-efficient upgrades that they’ll be able to charge a premium at resale. But that’s not always the case nowadays, and the sales price boost may depend on how well the client chose their selling agent, according to recent studies analyzed in a new article by Kenneth Harney, a syndicated real estate columnist.In the past, studies have confirmed there is a price boost for
Consumers between the ages of 62 and 70 can earn up to 8 percent more in Social Security for every year they delay taking disbursements. Therefore, some homeowners in this age bracket are borrowing against their properties' equity to fund their daily living expenses, hoping to push off taking Social Security benefits—a tactic some lenders even tout for retirees. But the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau warns that the costs and risks of such
A new effort is underway to raise the low rate of homeownership among underserved groups of home buyers. The Neighborhood Assistance Corp. of America is hosting several events across the country, helping borrowers with low credit scores to apply for 15- or 30-year mortgages with cheaper interest rates. One such recent event in Miami drew thousands looking for a chance to get a no down payment, low-interest-rate mortgage. NACA officials say more t
A high debt-to-income ratio has superseded poor credit history as the number one obstacle for mortgage applicants, according to real estate data firm CoreLogic. Though the number of borrowers who have been denied a mortgage has steadily declined over the last few years, nearly one in 10 were turned away in 2017, CoreLogic says. About 30 percent of those denials were attributed to debt-to-income ratio.There has been a gradual increase in the avera
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has earmarked $47 million to go toward providing housing counseling grants to aid about 1 million households in finding housing or avoiding foreclosure.“HUD-approved housing counselors are on the front lines, guiding people through their first home purchase and the ups and downs of homeownership,” says HUD Secretary Ben Carson. “Their efforts give families a real opportunity to realize th
The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage hasn’t averaged this high since 2011, as it inches closer to the 5 percent threshold.“Rising rates paired with high and escalating home prices is putting downward pressure on purchase demand,” says Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s chief economist. “While the monthly payment remains affordable due to the still low mortgage rate environment, the primary hurdle for many borrowers today is the down payment and that
Google announced this week that it will be shutting down its Google + Network on Aug. 31, 2019. Google made the announcement after reports surfaced that the data of half million users had been exposed on the social network.The Wall Street Journal alleges that Google knew about the security issue dating back to March 2018 too but failed to disclose it to users. Google has said it remedied the vulnerability in March. The data breach was due to a so
The hope of a nationwide association health plan for the real estate industry got a boost in June when the U.S. Department of Labor released a rule expanding the definition of “employer” to include “working owners.” The change meant independent contractors and sole practitioners could participate in AHPs that often offer more health care options at lower costs. As a result, NAR embarked on a multitiered effort of research and outreach wit
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