Articles by: Bruce Reichstein

March 6, 2020

FHA Refinance Loans: Are You Ready?

Mortgage rates have fallen incredibly low in the earliest weeks of 2020, and many are calling their lenders asking about options to refinance. There are many choices when it’s time to refinance; getting the right FHA refinance loan for you depends on needs and goals for the home. How Long Do You Plan To Own The Home? The basic decision to refinance can often be informed by your goals for the house securing the mortgage. Are you planning to stay in the home long-term? That will affect the type of refinance loan you might investigate as well as the basic nature of the loan as a fixed-rate mortgage or an adjustable-rate loan. Adjustable rate loans are good for borrowers who have a strategy for how to deal with the loan | more...

March 4, 2020

Low Mortgage Rates and Refinance Options

By Bruce Reichstein

On Tuesday, March 3, the Fed announced an emergency rate cut, and the reaction to that included mortgage loan interest rates hitting new and historic lows. The Fed does not set mortgage loan interest rates, but investor reaction to the announcement of the rate cut did affect mortgage rates, and the net effect was that FHA home loan interest rates remain (at the time of this writing) below the three percent range. And conventional mortgages are holding at the bottom of the three percent zone. These rates, plastered all over the internet, are provided assuming ideal scenarios, but even the average borrower will find the current lower mortgage rate trend to be to their advantage. New Purchase Loans And Refinance Loans Are Affected For those who are interested in refinancing? | more...

March 2, 2020

HUD Announces Settlement In California Fair Housing Discrimination Case

By Bruce Reichstein

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has announced a conciliation agreement in a California Fair Housing complaint alleging housing discrimination against those with children. Oberhauser Trust and its leasing agent, First Core Group, Inc. (doing business as Keller Williams Realty, in Glendale, California) were named in a complaint alleging denial of housing for a father of two; according to the HUD official site, this case was brought to the agency’s attention after the father was denied housing. According to a HUD press release, “…a father of two and his father-in-law filed a complaint alleging that the father was denied the opportunity to rent a condominium because he has two young daughters who would be living with him part-time.” The complaint alleges that an application to rent a condo | more...

February 26, 2020

FHA Loan Interest Rates: How Low Can They Go?

By Bruce Reichstein

In the first eight weeks of 2020 we have seen home loan interest rates plunge to eight-year lows. Mortgage rates for FHA home loans have sunk to 3.25%, due in part to the latest developments in the coronavirus which saw investors putting more money into safe-haven investments. That’s behavior that affects mortgage loan interest rates. The headlines themselves have no effect but investor reaction to those headlines makes quite a bit of difference. And many are inspired to look at their purchase loan or refinance loan options when the rates are advertised as low as 3.25%. When you read financial websites, you’ll find plenty of disclaimers associated with how the latest interest rates are displayed. Some consumers want to know what the phrases “top tier scenarios” and/or “best execution” have | more...

February 24, 2020

FHA Mortgages For First-Time Borrowers In 2020

By Bruce Reichstein

What makes FHA home loans a great option for first-time home buyers? Anyone purchasing their first real estate, working with a realtor, and getting their credit ready for a home loan for the first time should know about the FHA mortgage program and it’s lower interest rates and flexible income requirements. FHA Loan Guidelines Are More Flexible It’s true that FHA mortgages require a borrower to have two years of employment history. But that history requirement does not have to be with a single company or employer. Borrowers should know that some frequent job changes are acceptable to FHA lenders, but overall your employment record is reviewed on a case-by-case basis when necessary. You may want to explain any unusual job circumstances to a loan officer up front to see | more...

February 20, 2020

FHA Home Loans For Borrowers With Thin Credit

By Bruce Reichstein

Some borrowers worry their FICO scores aren’t high enough to be approved for a home loan. Other borrowers worry that they don’t have a long enough credit history. There are ways you can raise your FICO score, increase your credit file, and make yourself a better credit risk for an FHA home loan, FHA rehab loan, or even a construction loan to build your own house on your own lot. If you apply for a home loan with thin credit non-traditional credit or no credit, your lender will ask for any evidence you have made recurring payments of some kind. That’s a good place to start when it’s time to review your credit. Your lender will want to see that for any financial obligation you do carry, that on-time payments | more...

February 12, 2020

Why Buy A Home In 2020?

By Bruce Reichstein

There are many reasons why it’s smart to think about looking for a forever home in 2020; owning instead of renting, the ability to freely customize your living space, being able to apply for cash-out refinancing to convert part of your home’s value into cash, and never having to wait for a landlord to fix a problem in the home. But in 2020 there’s another reason to consider owning a home soon; a Zillow.com report indicates that 2020 is going to be a good year for home values depending on the housing market. The Zillow Home Price Expectations Survey from the 4th quarter of 2019 includes data that indicates U.S. home values may grow by 2.8% in 2020. Rising or hot-again housing markets in the new year include Austin, Texas | more...

February 10, 2020

FHA Purchase and Refinance Loan Interest Rate Trends And Your New Home

By Bruce Reichstein

FHA home loans have a low minimum required down payment of 3.5%, which makes them perfect for both experienced homeowners and first-time homebuyers alike. With an FHA mortgage it’s possible to purchase or refinance a fixer-upper (with an FHA 203(k) rehab loan), buy or refinance a condo, mobile home, existing construction houses, and you can even apply to have a home built for you on your own lot with an FHA One-Time Close construction loan. As we head into the second month of 2020, we are reminded that 2019 was the best year for mortgage loan interest rates in almost a decade and the trends that kept rates low last year continue to exert some influence as new issues also conspire to push mortgage rates lower. At least in the | more...

February 6, 2020

Buy Or Rent? The Cost Gap Gets Narrower

By Bruce Reichstein

Do you want to own a home or rent one from someone else? According to a Realtor.com report from the fourth quarter of 2019, the cost gap between being a renter and a homeowner is lower, and it may be even more affordable to own your own home in smaller rural areas. Why? According to Realtor.com, “After years of escalating home prices making the cost to purchase a home more expensive than renting in many of the nation’s largest counties, rising rents, lower mortgage rates, and moderating home prices made purchasing a home in Q4 2019 more attractive compared to last year.” That report adds that in more than 80% of American’s largest counties it may still be more expensive to own instead of rent. Findings from the Realtor.com report | more...

One Time Close Mortgage Loans: The Base Home Sales Price

February 4, 2020

Myths About One-Time Close Construction Loans

By Bruce Reichstein

You can build a house from the ground up using a One-Time Close construction loan; many borrowers want to take advantage of these types of loans as the government-backed versions of the One-Time Close construction loan feature very low down payment requirements and the same financial qualification rules as other VA or FHA mortgages. One Time Close Myth: I Can’t Afford To Build A Home Instead Of Buying One It’s easy to assume that building a home will cost you more money than buying an existing construction property. But what kind of home do you need? Are you building a house to start a family in? Or are you building a home that you want to retire in? The overall cost of your project will depend on details like these, | more...