Helping Washington State homeowners learn more about their mortgage options.
Holy Catfish – the Seahawks are going to the Superbowl! Okay, now I can return to writing this week’s mortgage rate update.
This is a short week with yesterday’s holiday honoring Martin Luther King. There are not a lot of U.S. economic indicators scheduled to be released this week. Elsewhere in the world, China has some interesting developments taking place in their markets yesterday and the ECB’s monetary policy decision will be released on Thursday, which may impact our markets.
This morning, Freddie Mac released their weekly mortgage rate report confirming that the 30 year fixed conforming rate is back to record lows from 19 months ago:
[Read more…]
Mortgage rates continue to bounce along very low levels. Last Friday’s Jobs Report was a bit of a mixed bag with then number of employed increasing and hourly wages slightly lower. We don’t have any economic indicators scheduled to be released today. Watch mortgage rates take their cue from the stock market and world events.
Today HUD issued Mortgagee Letter 2015-01 officially reducing FHA mortgage insurance effective on case numbers issued on or after January 26, 2015. HUD is also allowing existing case numbers (with the current higher mortgage insurance) to be cancelled as long as they were ordered within 30 days from today.
Tomorrow President Obama is expected to announce a reduction in the mortgage insurance premiums for new FHA mortgage loans.
From Bloomberg News:
As part of an effort to expand homeownership among entry-level buyers, President Barack Obama will announce a cut in Federal Housing Administration mortgage-insurance premiums during a speech in Phoenix tomorrow, according to three people with direct knowledge of his plans.
The annual fees the agency charges to guarantee mortgages will be cut by 0.5 percentage points, said two of the people, who asked not to be identified because the White House hasn’t yet made the announcement.
Today’s lower mortgage rates can help home owners with their New Year resolutions. The obvious first benefit of refinancing is often the reduced mortgage payment (or reduced mortgage term). There are simple steps you can take after closing your refi that can make a significant financial impact on your life.
Happy 2015! Mortgage rates are kicking off the new year trending lower with more troubles from the Euro-zone. This week is packed with economic indicators which may impact the direction of mortgage interest rates. If one of your New Year resolutions is to save money, now is a great time to look at refinancing to reduce your monthly mortgage payment and create more cash flow to pay off debts or help fund your retirement. Click here if your home is in Washington state and you would like me to help review your current scenario.
I will be teaching a home buyer class in Kent with Ira Sacharoff of Better Properties Real Estate on Saturday, February 21, 2015 at Mortgage Master Service Corporation’s home office which is located just south of South Center on West Valley Highway.
The class is sponsored by the Washington State Housing Finance Commission. Students who attend are eligible for programs like Home Advantage or House Key Opportunity (the Washington state bond program) or Freddie Mac Home Possible. Students are also eligible for various down payment assistance programs and MCC (mortgage credit certificates).
If you are considering buying a home with your spouse, partner or friend, they will need to attend the class with you to qualify for the programs. You do not need to be a first time home buyer to qualify for many of the mortgage programs. And of course, you’re welcome to attend if you’re not interested in down payment assistance programs and you just want to learn more about the home buying process.
Rhonda Porter is a Licensed Mortgage Originator MLO121324 living in the greater Seattle area. Rhonda began her career in 1986 in the title and escrow industry and began her mortgage career in 2000. She enjoys helping people understand the mortgage process and started writing The Mortgage Porter in late 2006. Read More…
Recent Comments