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Archive for the ‘Interest Rates’ Category

Why Pending Home Sales Declined in September

Stephanie in Homebuyers, Homeownership, Interest Rates, Market Trends, National Association of Realtors, Real Estate • 2 comments Nov 9, 2011

Some recovery has been seen in the realm of pending home sales since September 2010 — a 6.4% increase year-over-year, in fact. However, the September 2011 rate represents a 4.6% drop from where the rate sat in August 2011. What’s more, declines are present in every region of the country: The West suffered a mild …

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Good News: Mortgage Refinancing May Get Easier Soon

Stephanie in Homeownership, Interest Rates, Mortgage, Opinions, Real Estate • 0 comments Oct 19, 2011

It may be hard to believe, but real estate news these days isn’t all bad. Take, for example, the news that mortgage refinancing may soon get a lot easier for those whose homes are underwater. In an article written yesterday, SFGate (the online home of the San Francisco Chronicle) reported that the President and other …

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Reduced Closing Costs and Other Discounts for Mortgage Borrowers

Stephanie in Homebuyers, Interest Rates, Opinions, Real Estate • 0 comments Oct 11, 2011

Free-falling mortgage rates are spurring many large banks and credit unions to try and lure new home buyers to their company, leading them to offer discounts ranging from the modest to the magnificent, and even causing them to cut closing costs. Some of these deals include: Waiving some closing fees, such the appraisal and title-related charges,…

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Borrowers: We Have 5 Home Refinance Tips for You

Stephanie in Homeownership, Interest Rates, Real Estate Tips • 0 comments Sep 20, 2011

Most people are aware that we presently have some of the lowest mortgage rates in history, meaning that those currently stuck with high interest rates are dying to refinance and significantly lower their rate. Unfortunately, since most people are aware of this fact, that means you may get lost in the shuffle as homeowners inundate …

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How Low Will They Go? Mortgage Rates Hit New Record Lows (Yet Again)

Stephanie in Interest Rates, Market Trends, Opinions, Real Estate • 1 comment Sep 9, 2011

Your dear friends here at Movoto have some good news and some bad news for you, the consumer. First, the good news (for home buyers, anyway) courtesy of Realty Times: According to home mortgage giant Freddie Mac in their newest Primary Mortgage Market Survey® (PMMS®), both fixed and adjustable mortgage rates have slumped once again,…

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The Medicare Tax and Real Estate

Movoto Team in Buyer Tips, Homes for Sale, Interest Rates, National Association of Realtors, Real Estate Tips, Tax, Vacation Property • 2 comments Apr 19, 2010

The real estate market and the new Medicare tax imposed by the Obama Administration seem mutually exclusive, but according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), investors in real estate might be unexpectedly affected. The recently issued 3.8% tax on “unearned income” concerns only high income taxpayers; the IRS considers a high income taxpayer to …

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Getting Preapproved for a Home Loan

Movoto Team in Buyer Tips, Homes for Sale, Interest Rates, Real Estate, Real Estate Agent, Real Estate Tips • 1 comment Nov 16, 2009

So, you’ve found the home of your dreams. With a great credit history and a well-paying job under your belt, that home is pretty much yours, right? Not quite. Unfortunately, your bid for the perfect home might not appear as strong as other bids that are accompanied with a letter of preapproval. Preapproval is an …

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Mortgage Myths – You Can Still Get 100% Loan Financing

Guest Author in Interest Rates, Mortgage, Real Estate, Real Estate Tips • 3 comments Oct 11, 2007

Myth #1: Jumbo loan programs are no longer available, or they’re too expensive. With the recent turmoil in the mortgage market, it is true that rates on single Jumbo 30 year fixed loans (loan amounts over $417,000) have increased over the past couple months. However, it is still possible to structure your purchase or refinance …

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Need to re-finance your loan? Tips on mortgage strategies.

Guest Author in Interest Rates, Market Trends, Mortgage • 1 comment Aug 15, 2007

Recently the media has been covering a lot of mortgage industry troubles, such as Countrywide Financial getting downgraded. On the other hand, the number of mortgage applications rose to a 3-month pead last week, driven by a rush to buy or refinance homes before lenders clamp down harder and approve fewer loans, reported by Reuters.…

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Is there a Real Estate Bubble – A Bay Area View

Guest Author in Interest Rates, Market Trends • 3 comments Jun 18, 2007

Guest writer: Nick Testa of Coldwell Banker Los Altos Almost everyone reads the newspaper. It seems that on a daily basis the newspapers are warning the public about a “real estate bubble”, and that it is expected to burst. As a Realtor for Coldwell Banker in Los Altos, California, and Movoto, the real estate website,…

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