Blog

23
Nov
By Jim Hasek
Market Outlook, ,

What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week – November 23, 2015

Last week's economic events included reports the National Association of Home Builders Housing Market Index, Housing Starts and the release of minutes for the most recent meeting of the Fed's Federal Open Market Committee. The details: NAHB: Builder Confidence in Housing Markets Dips The National Association of Home Builders reported that builder confidence dropped to a reading of 62 as compared to October's revised reading of 65. Any NAHB reading above 50 indicates that more builders are positive about market conditions than not. NAHB's assessment of housing market conditions is based on readings for three aspects of current and future…
Read More
20
Nov
By Jim Hasek
Mortgage Tips,

What Factors Affect Mortgage Payments?

As you can see in the video below, the amount of the down payment the size of the mortgage loan, the interest rate the length of the repayment term and payment schedule will all affect the size of your mortgage payment. In bullets: Down payment Loan size Interest rate - fixed or adjustable Repayment term - how long Payment schedule - how often all affect the size of your payment.
Read More
19
Nov
By Jim Hasek
Home Mortgage Tips, ,

A Step-by-Step Guide to Refinancing a Traditional Mortgage to a FHA Mortgage

Refinancing a mortgage can provide a homeowner with many benefits, and many are interested in refinancing their traditional mortgage into an FHA mortgage to take advantage of low interest rates. Depending on the specific circumstances, this step may lower the monthly payment, reduce interest charges, adjust the loan term so that it is more beneficial for achieving financial goals and more. Those who are interested in refinancing in an FHA mortgage may consider these steps. Understand the Rules and Requirements There are specific rules in place regarding refinancing under the FHA program. For example, the loan amount may be up…
Read More
18
Nov
By Jim Hasek
Around The Home, ,

Remodeling 101: How to Create a Proper Budget for Any Renovation, Large or Small

Whether you're readying to put your home on the market or you haven't updated your space in a while and want to modernize, approaching renovations can be a struggle. With so many things to fix up, both large and small, it can seem overwhelming to prioritize, set the money aside and get to work. If you're having trouble figuring out where to begin with budget, here are some tips for how to properly prioritize so you can maximize your renovation expenditures. Determine What Is Most Important Whether it's the tile floor in your bathroom or the outdated kitchen sink, if…
Read More
17
Nov
By Jim Hasek
Home Mortgage Tips, ,

Refinancing Tips: 5 Questions to Ask Your Lender to Ensure You’ve Done Your Homework

If you're looking to refinance your home, you're likely going to benefit from lower mortgage payments. But lower mortgage payments aren't the whole story with a refinance. A refinance plan may change several key terms of your mortgage agreement – which may work for or against you. Before you refinance, you'll want to ask your lender these five key questions – it'll help you ensure you're getting a deal you can afford. How Long Does It Take To Close? Closing a refinance isn't always straightforward, and in some cases it can take some time before your refinance is approved. For…
Read More
16
Nov
By Jim Hasek
Market Outlook, , , ,

What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week – November 16, 2015

Last week's scheduled economic news was sparse due to no scheduled releases on Monday and the Veterans Day Holiday on Wednesday. A report on job openings was released on Thursday along with regularly scheduled weekly reports on jobless claims and Freddie Mac's report on mortgage rates. Mortgage Rates, Weekly Jobless Claims Rise Mortgage rates rose last week according to Freddie Mac. The average rate for a 30-year fixed rate mortgage rose to 3.98 percent from last week's reading of 3.87 percent. The average rate for a 15-year fixed rate mortgage rose to 3.20 percent from the prior week's reading of…
Read More