Mortgage Archives - Page 3 of 3 - Lori Blank & Associates

12

Oct

Real Estate

Buying Property As-Is: How To Protect Yourself Accordingly

If you are looking for a home, your agent may tell you that a home is being sold as-is. This means that there may be major defects with the home that the seller is not willing to repair before offloading the property. As a result, their problems may become your problems if you purchase that property. How can you protect yourself during the sale? Look At All Disclosures Even though disclosure laws can vary significantly from state to state, the homeowner may be required to disclose certain problems to you. Real estate agents should always point out disclosures from sellers,…

07

Jul

By Lori Blank

Market Outlook

What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week – July 7, 2014

Last week's economic news was mixed, but economic reports for Non-Farm Payrolls and the National Unemployment rate suggest a strengthening labor sector. Pending Home Sales surpassed expectations in May and conversely, construction spending was lower than expected. Here are the details. Pending Home Sales Reach Highest Level in Eight Months The National Association of REALTORS® reported that pending home sales in May rose by 6.10 percent over April's reading. May's reading was 5.20 percent lower than for May 2013. The index reading for May reached 103.9 as compared to April's index reading of 97.9. Results for all regions were positive…

30

Jun

By Lori Blank

Market Outlook

What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week – June 30, 2014

Last week brought several economic and housing sector reports including Existing Home Sales, Case-Shiller and FHFA home prices for April, as well as New Home Sales. Freddie Mac's weekly mortgage rates survey and the weekly report on new jobless claims were released on Thursday, and Consumer Sentiment for June rounded out the week on Friday. Existing Home Sales Stronger than Expected! Good news came from the National Association of REALTORS® Existing Home Sales report for May, which reported 4.89 million previously owned homes sold on a seasonally-adjusted annual basis. Analysts had projected a seasonally-adjusted annual figure of 4.75 million existing…

25

Jun

By Lori Blank

Home Buying Tips

Getting Past No: What To Do If You’re Turned Down For A Mortgage Or Other Home Financing

Getting pre-approved for a mortgage loan is an integral part of having the ability to purchase a home in today's society. With most home prices well above what the majority of us have in the bank, getting approved for a mortgage can be the deal maker or breaker when it comes to purchasing a piece of property. Therefore, getting rejected for a mortgage can feel like a huge loss. The first thing to realize, however, is that there are action steps you can take to get to "yes." Here's what to do if you're turned down for a mortgage or…

23

Jun

By Lori Blank

Market Outlook

What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week – June 23, 2014

Last week's scheduled economic news included the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index, Housing Starts and Building Permits. The Fed's Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) issued its usual statement at the conclusion of its meeting, and Fed Chair Janet Yellen also gave a press conference. Home Builder Confidence Improves, but Housing Starts Slow NAHB released its Housing Market Index report, which reached its highest reading in five months. The index moved up from 45 to 49; a reading of 50 indicates that more builders are confident about housing market conditions than those who are not. David Crowe, NAHB…

16

Jun

By Lori Blank

Market Outlook

What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week – June 16, 2014

Last week's economic news was quiet in the housing sector, but retail sales and employment-related reports provided indications of less consumer spending and reduced consumer confidence. On Monday, James Bullard, St. Louis Fed President, commented that inflation appears to be rising. Although not a voting member of the Fed's Open Market Committee (FOMC), inflation has been a topic of concern to the FOMC in recent years. Mr. Bullard had previously noted that inflation was stable. His remarks set the stage for this week's FOMC meeting and press conference by Fed Chair Janet Yellen. Analysts expect the Fed to continue tapering…

09

Jun

By Lori Blank

Market Outlook

What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week – June 9, 2014

Last week's economic news was mixed. Construction spending grew, but fell below the expected level. CoreLogic reported that April home prices continued to rise, but did so at their slowest growth rate in more than a year. Employment reports for private sector and government jobs indicated fewer jobs, but the national unemployment rate was steady. Here are the details: Construction Spending, Home Price Growth Slows Construction spending reported by the Department of Commerce reached $953.5 billion annually, and increased by 0.20 percent month-to-month against expectations of an 0.80 percent increase and the March reading of 0.60 percent growth. According to…