Mortgage Rate Update for the week of June 3, 2024

June 3, 2024 by Leave a Comment

It’s Jobs Week! Check out what’s going on with rates with my latest video.

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Mortgage Rate update for the week of March 4, 2013

March 4, 2013 by Leave a Comment

This week’s economic calender would be considered a little on the light side if not for Friday’s Jobs Report. Here are some of the economic indicators scheduled to be released this week.

Tuesday, March 5: ISM Services Index

Wednesday, March 6: ADP National Employment Report and the Beige Book

Thursday, March 7: Initial Jobless Claims and Productivity

Friday, March 8: THE JOBS REPORT

Remember, signs of inflation tend to drive mortgage rates higher. You may also notice that when the stock markets are doing well, mortgage rates tend to rise as investors will trade the safety of bonds (like mortgage backed securities) for the potential greater return of stocks.

Mortgage rates are still very low, however they have been trending higher over the last several weeks.

If I can provide you with a rate quote for a home purchase or refinance located anywhere in Washington state, please click here.

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Reader Question: Should I Wait to Refi?

January 23, 2013 by Leave a Comment

One of my returning clients is considering a refinance, however, they’re not sure if they should wait or not.  Their Seattle area home is really close to that magically 80% loan to value – based on best estimates – which would allow them to avoid private mortgage insurance if their home’s value increases.

There are pros and cons to waiting to a refi, similar to those with having an extended closing when you’re buying a home.  Here are a few:

  • changes to home value. Your home’s value may increase as the Seattle markets seems to be doing well with purchase inventory… or a home in the neighborhood that’s a potentially a strong comparable for your appraisal might become a short sale or foreclosure, which may negatively impact your home’s appraised value.
  • changes to employment. If your or your spouse decides to change jobs and it’s not in the same line of work or the new job has a different pay structure, this may impact qualifying.
  • credit scores vary. Credit scores impact the pricing of your rate and underwriting decisions. Lately I’ve been encountering clients who have paid off credit cards and closed them which sounds great, however they now have “shallow credit” and lower credit scores. I’ve also seen late payments on a credit report caused by a parent co-signing for their child. Sometimes it may be worth deciding to delay a refi if you’re trying to improve your scores, or proceeding with the refi and rechecking scores prior to closing.
  • interest rates. Mortgage rates change daily. Sometimes rates change throughout the day. Although it’s anticipated that mortgage rates will remain low for the remainder of the year, members of the Fed have hinted that the Fed should consider no longer buying mortgage backed securities, which has kept rates at their manipulated lower levels. As the economy improves, mortgage rates tend to trend higher.
  • loan programs and guidelines may change. Currently, unless our elected officials take action, HARP 2.0 is set to expire at the end of this year. Banks and lenders currently adjust their underwriting guidelines (aka overlays). And we’re waiting for FHA to increase their mortgage insurance premiums which impacts FHA streamline and non-streamline refi’s. 

Refinancing now is gambling that your home will appraise high enough or you may be out the appraisal fee unless mortgage insurance or a piggy-back second mortgage makes sense to proceed with the refi.

Delaying the refinance adds other potential risk factors assuming you’re satisfied with the current low mortgage rates and you qualify.

I recommend reviewing possible refinance options that are available now and weigh out the pro’s and cons. Refinancing now, should you decide to, also means that you’re reducing your payment and higher interest sooner. 

If you are interested in a mortgage rate quote for your refinance or purchase of a home located anywhere in Washington, click here.  I’m happy to help you!

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The ABC’s of Preparing to Buy Your First Home

December 13, 2012 by 1 Comment

iStock_000020110629XSmallBorrowers getting ready to buy their first home are often surprised…for different reasons. I find that some are surprised to learn that they do qualify for a home in their price range and some are disappointed to learn that they have a little work to do before they can buy a home. Getting preapproved with a mortgage professional helps take some of the “surprise” out of the process.

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Changing jobs during the mortgage process

August 24, 2012 by 1 Comment

Sometimes an employment opportunity may become available while you’re in the process of buying a home or refinancing. Lenders are looking at a borrowers employment and income stability so depending on the type of field you’re in, a change of employment may or may not impact your loan approval. 

As long as you’re staying in the same line of work and if you have an annual salary, it probably won’t be an issue. The lender will probably require at least one pay stub (possibly more to document your income) from your new employer as well as a verification of income. If you have an employment letter or contract from the new employer, this can be helpful to provide the lender as well. With new employment, signing bonuses are not factored into the annual income however, they may be used towards the down payment or closing cost as your seasoned funds. 

If the new employment is not related to the same line of work, this may cause an issue with the loan approval as lenders are looking for two years of employment in the same or related field. If the income structure has changed, this may cause an issue as well unless it is to an annual salary. The underwriter may require a written letter explaining your employment history.

Moving from annual salaried income to a potentially flexible type of income may derail your loan approval. Self-employed, hourly income, bonus or commissioned income requires a two year history before a lender can use it for qualifying purposes.

Sometimes a promotion can impact loan approval if pay structure changes. For example, if a borrower was paid an annual salary and then receives a promotion which reduces the annual salary in exchange for a higher bonus or commission structure, the bonus or commission income cannot be used unless the borrower has been receiving that type of income for a minimum of two years. In this case, the new lower base salary (the “guaranteed” portion of the income) can be used, but not the “flexible” bonus type income. 

If you are considering a job change during the mortgage process, it’s crucial to inform your mortgage originator as soon as possible. Your loan application needs to be updated and the lender will be doing a verification of employment prior to funding your mortgage.  

If you’re considering buying or refinancing a home anywhere in Washington, I’m happy to help you!

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Explaining the “Letter of Explanation”

January 19, 2012 by 3 Comments

preapprovalIt’s not unusual these days to have a lender request a “letter of explanation” from a home buyer or someone who is refinancing their current property.  I letter of explanation (or LOE) is often used to help provide more information to the underwriter or lender based on information that is disclosed on an application or credit report. LOE’s may address anything from gaps in employment to inquires on a credit report and is intended to help explain or add support to the transaction. If a borrower has had an extenuating circumstance and is trying to have an exception made to an underwriting guideline, they may be asked to write a LOE.

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5 Ways to Derail Your Loan Approval

January 27, 2011 by 2 Comments

MonorailYou’re getting ready to buy a home or refinance your home with your closing day around the corner when your mortgage originator contacts you to let you know there may be a problem.  Some issues may not revealed until days or sometimes weeks into a transaction.  Anytime documentation is provided to the mortgage company, it has the potential to raise more questions or require more documentation to satisfy underwriting guidelines.   Here are five situations to be aware of that can cause headaches during the loan process.

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How Strong Are Your Legs?

February 25, 2007 by 1 Comment

J0384828A borrower in a mortgage transaction is kind of viewed like a chair with four legs.   The legs on the chair provide strength to the base or seat of the chair.   If one leg is shorter than the others, the chair is still strong, but may wobble a bit.   Shorten two legs and the chair becomes less stable.    Three week legs and the chair is just waiting to tip over on you.

So how strong are the legs of your chair?

Consider each of these items as one leg in your chair.

  • Employment.  Having a minimum 2 year history in your line of work (this can include education).  Employment gaps that don’t make sense to an underwriter, may cause issues with getting your mortgage approved.   A lender wants to know that you are going to be able to keep your job and therefore, make your mortgage payments on time.
  • Income.  If paid salary and regular hours, this can be pretty easy to compute.  When your hours vary, the income needs to be averaged.   Also, if you’re paid bonuses or commission and going for the best interest rate (not stated income or no income verified), then your bonuses and commissions are typically averaged for the past two years.   Debt-to-income ratios are crucial for qualifying for mortgages.   A $500 car payment equals $50,000 less home that you can purchase.
  • Savings and assets.   There are many zero down loans, even if you are considering that route, it is in your best interest to have at least three months of your future mortgage payments in savings after all closing costs are paid.  The more money you can put down towards a home, the better your interest rate will be.
  • Credit Scores.   Having scores above 680 are a worthy goal.  A score 700 or more is even better!   Pay your accounts on time.   Keep your balances below 30% of the credit limit for the best scores.   Take care of your credit and it will take care of you.   Credit is reflective.  If your credit score is on the low end, meet with a Mortgage Planner to help you develop a plan to improve your score. 

All of these factors impact how a borrower qualifies for a mortgage.    The more strong legs you have reduces the risk to the lender, which in turn means a better interest rate for you!

Filed Under: Credit Scores and Reporting, Financial Planning, Interest Rates, Mortgage, Refinance, Residential Purchase Tagged With: , , , , ,