In a HUD Mortgagee Letter dated September 1, 2010, the new FHA Mortgage Insurance changes were rolled out and it seems it is going to change the way FHA mortgage loans are written.  Please find the link to a copy of the Mortgagee Letter below: Mortgagee Letter Essentially, they are lower the Up Front MIP [...]

“Buy and bail” is a phrase often used by real estate professionals to refer to the process in which a buyer attempts to buy a new property before they walk away from an old one and default on their previous loan. Often, the property they walk away from is an “underwater” property that is worth [...]

Today’s release of July employment data has vastly greater political consequences than economic or financial. Those consequences extend beyond elected officials to policy makers at the Fed, and inside the administration and out.      Net of all the moving parts (census workers) and revisions (June minus 152,000), job creation is flat. A minor up-trend in [...]

The Federal Housing Administration’s Mortgagee Review Board (MRB) has revealed a list of over one thousand lenders against whom it has taken action over the last several months for violations of the agency’s program requirements. Infractions ranged from failing to notify the Department of Housing and Urban Development of changes in license status or office [...]

For a lot of investors, YES!  As a measure of tightening up in the mortgage lending industry, most banks are now requiring a 640 minimum credit score.  This has increased from the most recent mandatory requirement of a 620 median credit score needed to qualify for a home loan.  These are referred to as “layered [...]

Before we wallow in all the negative news about the real estate market—wondering if it’s headed for another leg of the recession or a lasting deflationary grind—let’s pause and notice that, according to the Commerce Department, sales increased by a solid 24% from May to June in California. That still leaves us with a very [...]

Miami, Fl — Builders are reporting a sharp drop in the number of buyers looking for new homes now that the federal tax credits have expired.  The National Association of Home Builders said its confidence index sank to 14, its lowest level since March 2009. Readings below (50) indicate that homebuilders have a negative view [...]

They sure are!  Freddie Mac’s weekly survey shows that the average 30 year mortgage rate still remains at a record low. The average 30 year fixed mortgage rate of 4.57% remains unchanged from a week earlier.  Last year this time, the average 30 year fixed rate was 5.14%.   15-year mortgages were lower of course, [...]

Good news, rates have been falling for the most of this year. Bad news, rates have probably bottomed and will head higher. Last week brought a gale of game-changing news, contradicting recovery, and a whiff of panic. This holiday-short week was news-thin, and mid-July marks the beginning of an often sleepy season for markets and [...]