Understanding the Numbers Behind an Offer: Bidding Wars, Low Appraisals and Commissions

Recently I wrote a post “How to Improve Your Odds of Getting YOUR Offer Accepted” which included this bit of advice:

“Understand the numbers: Bidding wars, low appraisals and commissions. Your mortgage professional should review strategies regarding how your offer may look like, including how long it will take to “break even” on bidding above the list price. What do your payments look like if you need to bid up $5K, $20K or more in order to “win” the bid. What happens if the appraisal comes in lower than expected? What if the seller is not offering to pay your real estate brokers commission? Understanding the numbers helps to reduce the stress involved with the “what ifs. You may be surprised that bidding up on a home doesn’t impact the payment as much as one would think as cost is amortized over 30 years with a typical mortgage.” [Read more…]

Mortgage Rate Update for the Week of July 22, 2024

Mortgage interest rates are remaining fairly steady with potential to trend lower this week. If you’d like more details, check out my latest video!

Mortgage Market Update for the week of July 15, 2024

Mortgage rates have been trending lower! Check out my latest video to see what may impact the direction of mortgage interest rates this week.

 

How to Improve Your Odds of Getting YOUR Offer Accepted

The housing market in the Pacific Northwest remains competitive with the continued lack of inventory. Home buyers need to be patient and prepared for the process to possibly take a while. There are some actions that you can implement to help improve your odds of having your offer accepted over other offers. [Read more…]

Mortgage Market Update for the Week of July 8th

This week is loaded with events or data that may impact the direction of mortgage rates. Check it all out in my latest video.

Mortgage Market Update for the Week of July 1, 2024


Have a great, fun and safe Independance Day!

What if mortgage rates don’t hit 5%?

Fannie Mae and the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) released their monthly updated forecast for mortgage rates through 2025. This June update no longer shows predicted rates for the 30-year fixed conforming to hit the 5% range. MBA, who tends to be the most optimistic, forecasts that in the 4th quarter of 2025, we’ll see 6.0% for a rate with the homes of 5.8% in 2026.

Should you hold out on Fannie Mae and MBA’s forecast for lower rates in two years? It depends. [Read more…]

Mortgage Market Update for the Week of June 24, 2024