Last week, the FHFA (Federal Housing Finance Agency) announced changes to how conforming mortgages are priced with loan-level price adjustments (LLPAs). Some borrowers will find improved pricing where others will have to pay more in fees. The fees are typically incorporated into the interest rate for the mortgage.
From Fannie Mae’s Lender Letter dated January 19, 2023:
“We are implementing additional changes to our LLPA framework that represent the next step in our effort to increase support for borrowers historically underserved by the housing finance market…”.
If you’re waiting for home prices to come down or interest rates to improve a bit more; I hope you’ll read an article recently penned by David Stevens: 
If you are looking at adding to your real estate investment portfolio, I may have some good news for you! We have a new program that allows investors to qualify for a mortgage based on the property’s cash flow. 
If you have been thinking about buying a home this spring, you’re not alone. Experts predict there is quite a bit of pent-up demand following the recent sellers’ market and higher interest rates. Many homebuyers have been waiting patiently for a cooler market with lower interest rates…the key word here is MANY. It’s not anticipated that we will see a flood of new listings as homeowners who currently have extremely low mortgage interest rates seem to be less likely to want to sell and lose the rate. As people start to list their homes in the new year, and more buyers get off the fence, we could see housing prices push higher or at the very least, stay the same as the demand for homes is still strong. 
If you tried buying a home over the last few years, you probably lost out to buyers who made cash offers. Sellers tend to prefer cash offers because they can close faster and there are less uncertainties when they are not relying on a mortgage approval from a lender they don’t know. Even in a buyers’ market, a seller will most likely prefer a cash offer over one that is dependent on financing or the sale of another property.
6:49 a.m. Well… it’s kind of a live post – I will be updating this post throughout the day. This morning, all eyes are on the FOMC (aka “the Fed”) as we wait to learn how much the Fed funds rate will be adjusted. It is anticipated that the Fed will push the rate 0.500% higher today. This will directly impact loans that are attached to the Prime interest rate, such as home equity loans and many credit cards with variable rates. 
HUD has just announced the 2023 loan limits for FHA mortgages. FHA loan limits vary by the county the home is located in. In Washington state, every county except for San Juan County, has higher loan limits.
Conforming loan limits for 2023 are going up for homes located in Washington state.
Recent Comments