246 articles and videos on mortgage rates, the housing market and smart home financing, in plain English.
▶ VideoToday, I want to talk about a program that has been around for a while, but it doesn’t get nearly as much attention as it should. It’s a true “no ratio” program for primary residences. How Do No Ratio Loans Work? “No ratio” kind of sounds like stated income and acts like it too. The…
▶ VideoOne of the biggest complaints I hear right now is about how expensive housing is. I agree! It’s insane how much prices have gone up, and it doesn’t help that rates are high as well. Looking at the Numbers: Buying vs. Renting I put together some numbers to help us understand what it really looks…
▶ VideoLast week, Fannie Mae released a report. The main takeaway is that they are expecting the number of housing unit sales to increase. Thank goodness! I don’t know exactly where the inventory is going to come from yet, but that is the prediction. Interest Rates Will Be Dropping The other notable piece of information is…
▶ VideoTake a look at this graphic that we were given from NBS Highway. It outlines data starting in the 40’s, showing appreciation based on every 10-year period through 2014. It’s interesting to see on the chart how in every 10-year period there has been an increase in value… with 1 exception. We are looking at…
▶ VideoToday’s topic is inflation – specifically the Consumer Price Index (CPI). This report is one of the big pieces of information that comes out monthly, and it’s all about inflation. The way it’s measured is based on the month-over-month number (the percentage change from the previous month), then it adds everything up to give us…
▶ VideoI need to talk about the latest headlines: there is so much conversation around the Keller Williams lawsuit settlement. They agreed to settle for $70 million. The general idea stems back to the $1+ billion judgement that was placed on anti-trust violations or commission price-fixing. The long story short is that some brokerages were apparently…
▶ VideoToday is Fed Day! Every 6 weeks, The Fed gets together to work on policy stuff. They have a direct impact on the Fed funds rate. All other rates are affected by this, including 10-year treasury and mortgage-backed securities (which actually set mortgage rates). Updates from Today’s Fed Meeting Today’s announcement was that they are…
▶ VideoI’m sure many of you have already heard: the California Dream for All (a shared appreciation program) is back. It’s a downpayment assistance program for properties in California only. Last year, the state of California offered $200 million, and now there is another $20 million that is coming out soon. Here’s What We Know Right…
▶ VideoWhat if we are in the best scenario for homeownership that we will see for some time? I’m hearing so many things from homebuyers: I don’t know if any of these things are going to happen. The Fed is already saying they are probably going to lower rates, which should help. But who knows! Factors…
▶ VideoThis week, my message is a public service announcement. You can see on the screen behind me in the video that I have my friend’s website pulled up – Shoup Legal. Today’s topic of conversation is about having a family trust. Do You Have a Trust to Avoid Probate? If you own property and you…
▶ VideoHappy New Year! From a business perspective, I don’t think we are going to miss 2023. But as we look forward to 2024, I think there are many reasons that we can be optimistic. Today, I want to look at the topic of getting rid of your mortgage insurance. Did You Buy Between 2020 and…
▶ VideoHappy Holidays! As we are quickly approaching the New Year, I wanted to talk about the interest rate decrease that we are seeing. It’s significant! Even though rates are down, many people are wondering what it means? So, I thought it would help to put real numbers to it. Many people will see a savings…
