Jeff Cost

Cincinnati Home Loan

What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week : March 19, 2012

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Fed Funds Rate 2006-2012Mortgage markets worsened last week as the Federal Reserve’s Federal Open Market Committee suggested economic recovery may be closer than it originally expected, and that inflation may be a near-term economic concern.

Although the FOMC voted to leave the Fed Funds Rate unchanged in its current range near 0.000 percent, its published comments sparked a broad-based mortgage bond selloff.

Conforming mortgage rates throughout OH rose sharply post-FOMC, climbing by as much as 0.375%.

If you’ve been shopping for a mortgage rate, the run-up was both untimely and unwelcome.

According to Freddie Mac’s weekly mortgage rate survey, for most of the year, conforming 30-year fixed rate mortgage rates had remained within a tight range near 3.90 percent for mortgage applicants willing to pay an accompanying 0.8 discount points.

This week, though, Freddie Mac is expected to report average 30-year fixed rate mortgage rates well north of four percent. It would mark the highest level for the benchmark mortgage rate since mid-December of last year.

There will be a lot more for rate shoppers to watch this week, too. There is a slew of housing data set for release and the heavily-anticipated HARP 2.0 Refinance program “goes live” nationwide.

HARP is a government-led refinance program meant to help underwater homeowners refinance their Fannie Mae- or Freddie Mac-backed mortgages into new loans at today’s low rates.

The program was first launched in 2009 and helped roughly one million U.S. homeowners. HARP’s newest iteration, though, provides for a more lenient underwriting process that is expected to open the program to an additional 6 million homeowners or more.

Mortgage rates may rise this week as a result of HARP-based loan volume. It may also rise on strength in housing — there are four data points due for release :

  • Monday : Housing Market Index
  • Tuesday : Housing Starts
  • Wednesday : Existing Home Sales
  • Friday : New Home Sales

As in most weeks, it’s less risky to lock a mortgage rate than to float one. Mortgage rates have much room to climb but very little room to fall. If you’re not yet locked, talk to your loan officer and make a plan.

Foreclosure Volume Slated To Rise This Spring

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Foreclosure increases by state Feb 2012

After a series of months during which foreclosure volume was low, total filings have started to rise again, says RealtyTrac. 

In February, 21 states posted a year-over-year increase in monthly foreclosure filings, according to the national foreclosure-tracking firm. This is nearly twice as many states as compared to December 2011, marking the highest monthly reading since November 2010.

A “foreclosure filing” is defined to include any one of the following foreclosure-related events : (1) The serving of a default notice, (2) A scheduled home auction, or (3) A bank repossession.

Nationally, the number of foreclosure filings fell 2 percent from January. However, it’s a trend that may reverse. Foreclosure volume is expected to rise over the next few months.

This is because the $25 billion mortgage servicer settlement provides a framework for servicers to execute necessary foreclosures, from notice-to-auction. Some analysts believe that foreclosure filings were artificially depressed in 2011 because of the absence of such guidance. 

Like all things in real estate, though, foreclosures remain local.

For example, nationally, there was one foreclosure for every 637 housing units. On a state-by-state basis, however, the results looked different.  

  • Nevada : 1 foreclosure for every 278 housing units
  • California : 1 foreclosure for every 283 housing units
  • Arizona : 1 foreclosure for every 312 housing units
  • Georgia : 1 foreclosure for every 331 housing units
  • Florida : 1 foreclosure for every 341 housing units

Even on a city-by-city level, foreclosure concentration varied. Figures from several select cities include : 

  • Atlanta : 1 foreclosure for every 244 housing units
  • Chicago : 1 foreclosure for every 302 housing units
  • New York : 1 foreclosure for every 3,439 housing units
  • Seattle : 1 foreclosure for every 1,229 housing units
  • Washington : 1 foreclosure for every 1,198 housing units

One reason why foreclosure concentration is worth tracking is because homes in various stage of foreclosure are often sold at deep discounts as compared to similar, non-distressed homes. It’s no wonder foreclosed homes are in high demand among today’s Cincinnati home buyers. 

However, if you plan to buy a foreclosure in Kentucky , be sure to work with an experienced real estate agent. Foreclosed homes are often sold “as-is”, and may be defective at best and uninhabitable at worst. It makes good sense to have an advocate on your side to help with contracts and inspections.

Mortgage Rates Climb Sharply After Retail Sales Report

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Retail Sales 2010-2012The U.S. economy is expanding, fueled by a renewed consumer optimism and increased consumer spending.

As reported by the Census Bureau, Retail Sales in February, excluding cars and auto parts, rose 1 percent to $335 billion as 11 of 13 retail sectors showed improvement last month.

February markets the 19th time in twenty months that U.S. Retail Sales increased on a month-over-month basis.

Unfortunately, what’s good for the economy may be bad for Louisville home buyers and mortgage rate shoppers. Home affordability is expected to worsen as the U.S. economy improves.

The connection between Retail Sales and home affordability is indirect, but noteworthy — especially given today’s broader market conditions.

First, let’s talk about affordability.

Last week, the National Association of REALTORS® released its monthly Housing Affordability Index, showing that homes are more affordable to everyday home buyers than at any time in recorded history. For buyers with median earnings buying median-priced homes, monthly payments now comprise just 12.1% of the monthly household income.

The real estate trade group considers 25% to be the benchmark for home affordability. Today’s payment levels are less than half of that.

The reasons why today’s homes are so affordable are three-fold :

  1. Home prices remain relatively low as compared to peak pricing
  2. Fixed- and adjustable-rate mortgage rates remain near all-time lows
  3. Average earnings are increasing nationwide

Rising Retail Sales, however, can derail the trend. This is because Retail Sales measures consumer spending and consumer spending accounts for roughly 70 percent of the U.S. economy. As the economy expands, the forces that combined to raise home affordability so high begin to wane. 

First, in a recovering economy, mortgage rates tend to rise and, throughout 2012 and 2013, home prices are expected do the same. Second, as average earnings increase, it can spur inflation which is bad for mortgage rates, too. 

Home affordability is at all-time highs today. But, in part because of February’s Retail Sales data, we should not expect these levels to last. Mortgage rates are higher by 1/4 percent since the Retail Sales data was released — roughly $16 per $100,000 borrowed — and are expected to rise more throughout the spring home purchase season.

Retail Sales are up 6 percent from a year ago.

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