Are You Spending TOO Much on Rent?

Chances are if you are renting you are spending too much of your income on your monthly housing expense. There is a long-standing ‘rule’that a household should not pay more than 28% of their income on their rent or mortgage payment. This percentage allows the household to save money for the future while comfortably covering other expenses.

According to new data released from ApartmentList.com, 49.5 million renters in the United States were cost-burdened in 2017, meaning theyspent more than 30% of their monthly incomes on rent. This accounts for nearly half of all renter households in the country and is up 3.1 million from 2007.

When a household is cost-burdened by their monthly housing expense, they are not as easily able to save money for the future. This is a big factor for many renters who dream of owning their own homes someday.

But there is hope for those who are able to save at least a 3% down payment! The percentage of income needed in the US to buy a home is significantly less than renting at 17.1%!

The chart below compares the historic percentage of income needed to rent and buy from 1985-2000 to the first quarter of 2018. As you can see, the cost of renting has climbed above historic numbers while the cost of buying dropped over the same period of time.

Bottom Line

If you are one of the many renters who is spending too much of their monthly income on rent, consider saving money by getting a roommate, moving into a less expensive apartment, or even moving in with family. These are all ways to save for a down payment so that you can put your housing costs to work for you!

Bottom Line

If you are one of the many Americans who is unsure of how much equity you have built in your home, don’t let that be the reason you fail to move on to your dream home in 2018! Meet with a local real estate professional today who can help you evaluate your situation and assist you along the way!

Call us 1st to AVOID mortgage problems,
Call us 2nd to SOLVE them!

YOU CAN BUY A HOME, CALL US AND TAKE THE RIGHT STEPS. Even if another Bank or Lender has said “NO,” we will work with you until we can say “YES.” If you have already started in our Qualification Coaching Program, call us, so we can check your progress! Call us 1st to AVOID mortgage problems, Call us 2nd to SOLVE them!

Click Here to start your quick Free Credit Analysis & Loan App Now!

J. Scott Harris NMLS # 375517 & Jani Mansour NMLS # 877007
www.MortgageXperts.com

J. Scott Harris

Branch Manager

8105 Rasor Blvd #140 Plano, TX 75024

M: 214-435-8825 | F: 972-769=5760

NMLS# 375517 | Company NMLS # 3274

Equal Housing Lender

MortgageDaily – Record Guild Mortgage Originations

Servicing portfolio, staffing expand

Aug. 13, 2018

By Mortgage Daily staff

Home lending increased at Guild Mortgage Co. to the highest level ever. Meanwhile, the size of the national staff and the residential loan servicing portfolio both increased.

As part of the Mortgage Daily Second Quarter 2018 Mortgage Origination Survey, Guild reported that it serviced 208,246 single-family loans with a collective unpaid principal balance of $42.773 billion as of June 30.

The San Diego-based mortgage banking firm’s servicing portfolio increased from 198,806 loans for $40.016 billion as of three months previous. The portfolio was 172,615 loans for $34.126 billion as of mid-2017.

Guild closed 20,733 loans for $4.875 billion during the three months ended June 30. Activity during the three-month period turned out to be an all-time high for the company.

Production was 14,513 loans closed for $3.465 billion in the first quarter and 18,353 loans funded for $4.228 billion in the second quarter 2017.

Second-quarter 2018 production consisted of $4.680 billion in retail lending and $0.195 billion in correspondent acquisitions. Refinance share was just 12.3 percent.

During the six months ended mid-year 2018, Guild originated 35,246 loans for $8.340 billion — also a record.

In a news release, Guild Mortgage President and Chief Executive Officer Mary Ann McGarry noted that the home lender is growing from its base in the West into new areas added in recent years. These include Texas, the Southeast and the Midwest.

Guild finished the first half of this year with 4,377 people on its payroll. Headcount was raised from 4,216 employees three months earlier and 4,012 people one year earlier.

Guild Mortgage 3-2-1 Home Loan

Bottom Line

YOU CAN BUY A HOME, CALL US AND TAKE THE RIGHT STEPS. Even if another Bank or Lender has said “NO,” we will work with you until we can say “YES.”

If you have already started in our Qualification Coaching Program, call us, so we can check your progress!

Call us 1st to AVOID mortgage problems,

Call us 2nd to SOLVE them!

Click Here to start your quick Free Credit Analysis & Loan App Now!

J. Scott Harris NMLS # 375517 & Jani Mansour NMLS # 877007
www.MortgageXperts.com

J. Scott Harris

Branch Manager

8105 Rasor Blvd #140 Plano, TX 75024

M: 214-435-8825 | F: 972-696-7810

NMLS# 375517 | Company NMLS # 3274

Equal Housing Lender

3-2-1 First-Time Buyer Loan Program exclusively from GUILD Mortgage

You bring the 3% down payment

We give you a $2000 The Home Depot Gift card

We gift you a $1500 grant toward closing

An additional advantage to this program is that the funds for your down payment can be in the form of a gift. If you’re newly married, have a generous relative or a best friend that wants to reward your loyalty, you can use those funds towards your payment.

Eligibility and requirements are as follows*:

First-time homebuyers only
Must fall within income limits or live in a low-income area
Credit score as low as 620
Maximum loan limits of $453,100**
Homeownership class required

Call us 1st to AVOID mortgage problems,
Call us 2nd to SOLVE them!

Click Here to start your quick Free Credit Analysis & Loan App Now!

J. Scott Harris NMLS # 375517 & Jani Mansour NMLS # 877007
www.MortgageXperts.com

J. Scott Harris

Branch Manager

8105 Rasor Blvd #140 Plano, TX 75024

M: 214-435-8825 | F: 972-696-7810

NMLS# 375517 | Company NMLS # 3274

Equal Housing Lender

Demand for Homes to Buy Continues to Climb

Across the United States, there is a severe mismatch between the low number of houses for sale and the high demand for those houses! First-time homebuyers are out in force and are being met with a highly competitive summer real estate market.

According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), the inventory of homes for sale “has fallen year-over-year for 36 consecutive months,” and now stands at a 4.1-month supply. A 6-month supply of inventory is necessary for a balanced market and has not been seen since August of 2012.

NAR’s Chief Economist Lawrence Yun had this to say,

“Inventory coming onto the market during this year’s spring buying season – as evidenced again by last month’s weak reading – was not even close to being enough to satisfy demand.

That is why home prices keep outpacing incomes and listings are going under contract in less than a month – and much faster – in many parts of the country.”

Is There Any Relief Coming?

According to the CoreLogic’s 2018 Consumer Housing Sentiment Study, four times as many renters are considering buying homes in the next 12 months than homeowners who are planning to sell, “which is the crux of the available housing-supply imbalance.”

As more and more renters realize the benefits of homeownership, the demand for housing will continue to rise.

Do homeowners realize demand is so high? With home prices rising across the country, homeowners gained over a trillion dollars in equity over the last 12 months, with the average homeowner gaining over $16,000!

The map below shows the breakdown by state:

Bottom Line

Click Here to start your quick Free Credit Analysis & Loan App Now!

J. Scott Harris NMLS # 375517 & Jani Mansour NMLS # 877007
www.MortgageXperts.com

J. Scott Harris

Branch Manager

8105 Rasor Blvd #140 Plano, TX 75024

M: 214-435-8825 | F: 972-696-7810

NMLS# 375517 | Company NMLS # 3274

Equal Housing Lender

Home Buying Power at Near-Historic Levels – Call Us is you want to buy! 214 435 8825

We keep hearing that home affordability is approaching crisis levels. While this may be true in a few metros across the country, housing affordability is not a challenge in the clear majority of the country. In their most recent Real House Price Index, First American reported that consumer “house-buying power” is at “near-historic levels.”

Their index is based on three components:

Median Household Income
Mortgage Interest Rates
Home Prices

The report explains:

“Changing incomes and interest rates either increase or decrease consumer house-buying power or affordability. When incomes rise and/or mortgage rates fall, consumer house-buying power increases.”

Combining these three crucial pieces of the home purchasing process, First American created an index delineating the actual home-buying power that consumers have had dating back to 1991.

Here is a graph comparing First American’s consumer house-buying power (blue area) to the actual median home price that year from the National Association of Realtors (yellow line).

Consumer house-buyer power has been greater than the actual price of a home since 1991. And, the spread is larger over the last decade.

Bottom Line

Even though home prices are increasing rapidly and are now close to the values last seen a decade ago, the actual affordability of a home is much better now. As Chief Economist Mark Fleming explains in the report:

“Though unadjusted house prices have risen to record highs, consumer house-buying power stands at near-historic levels, as well, signaling that real house prices are not even close to their historical peak.”

Call us 1st to AVOID mortgage problems,
Call us 2nd to SOLVE them!

Click Here to start your quick Free Credit Analysis & Loan App Now!

J. Scott Harris NMLS # 375517 & Jani Mansour NMLS # 877007
www.MortgageXperts.com

J. Scott Harris

Branch Manager

8105 Rasor Blvd #140 Plano, TX 75024

M: 214-435-8825 | F: 972-696-7810

NMLS# 375517 | Company NMLS # 3274

Equal Housing Lender

VA Loans: Making a Home for the Brave Possible

Since the creation of the Veterans Affairs (VA) Home Loans Program, over 22 million veterans have achieved the American Dream of homeownership. Many veterans do not know the details of the program and therefore do not take advantage of the benefits available to them.

If you are a veteran or you know someone who is, here is a breakdown of the VA Home Loan benefits that can be used to achieve the American Dream!

Top 5 Benefits of a VA Home Loan

The greatest benefit of a VA Loan is that borrowers can buy a home with a 0% down payment. In 2016, 82% of all VA Loans put down 0%!
Primary Mortgage Insurance (PMI) is not required! (Most other loans with down payments under 20% require PMI, which adds additional costs to your monthly housing expense!)
Credit Score requirements are also lower for VA Home Loans. The average FICO^® score of a borrower for an approved VA Loan is 620, compared to 676 (FHA) or 753 (Conventional).
There is also a limitation on a veteran buyer’s closing costs. Sellers can pay all of a buyer’s loan-related closing costs and up to 4% in concessions in some cases.
Even with interest rates rising, VA Loans continue to have the lowest average interest rates of all loan types.

Who Qualifies for a VA Home Loan?

One of the most important first steps when applying for a VA Home Loan is obtaining your Certificate of Eligibility (COE). “The COE verifies to the lender that you are eligible for a VA-backed loan.”

You Can Apply for a VA Loan if You:

Serve 90 consecutive days during wartime
Serve 181 consecutive days during peacetime
Have more than 6 years in the National Guard or Reserves
Are the spouse of a service member who has died in the line of duty or as the result of a service-related disability

You Can Use a VA Loan To:

Purchase a Home
Purchase a Condo
Build a Home
Refinance an existing home loan
Make improvements to a home by installing energy-related features or making energy-efficient improvements

Bottom Line

For more information or to find out if you or a loved one would qualify to use the VA Home Loan Benefit, contact a local real estate professional who can help! Thank you for your service!

Click Here to start your quick Free Credit Analysis & Loan App Now!

J. Scott Harris NMLS # 375517 & Jani Mansour NMLS # 877007
www.MortgageXperts.com

J. Scott Harris

Branch Manager

8105 Rasor Blvd #140 Plano, TX 75024

M: 214-435-8825 | F: 972-696-7810

NMLS# 375517 | Company NMLS # 3274

Equal Housing Lender

Texas Homes are More Affordable – 44 out of 50 States Housing is less than in 1995-2003 Average

With both home prices and mortgage rates increasing this year, many are concerned about a family’s ability to purchase a major part of the American Dream – its own home. However, if we compare housing affordability today to the average affordability prior to the housing boom and bust, we are in much better shape than most believe.

In Black Knight’s latest monthly Mortgage Monitor, they revealed that in the vast majority of the country, it is actually more affordable to purchase a home today than it was between 1995 to 2003 when looking at mortgage payments (determined by price and interest rate) as compared to incomes. Home prices are up compared to 1995-2003, but mortgage rates are still much lower now than at that time. Today, they stand at about 4.5%. Here are the average mortgage rates for each of the years mentioned:

1995 – 7.93%
1996 – 7.81%
1997 – 7.6%
1998 – 6.94%
1999 – 7.44%
2000 – 8.05%
2001 – 6.97%
2002 – 6.54%
2003 – 5.83%

On the other hand, wages have risen over the last twenty years.

Black Knight’s research revealed that, when comparing “the share of median income required to buy the median-priced home” today, to the average between 1995 to 2003, it is currently more affordable to purchase a home in 44 of 50 states.

Here is a state map of the percentage change in the price-to-payment ratio. Positive numbers indicate that it is less affordable to buy while negative numbers indicate that it is more affordable.

Bottom Line

Whether you are moving up to the home of your dreams or purchasing your first house, it is a great time to buy when looking at historic affordability data.

Call us 1st to AVOID mortgage problems,
Call us 2nd to SOLVE them!

Bottom Line

Click Here to start your quick Free Credit Analysis & Loan App Now!

J. Scott Harris NMLS # 375517 & Jani Mansour NMLS # 877007
www.MortgageXperts.com

J. Scott Harris

Branch Manager

8105 Rasor Blvd #140 Plano, TX 75024

M: 214-435-8825 | F: 972-696-7810

NMLS# 375517 | Company NMLS # 3274

Equal Housing Lender

Parents Say Kids’ Opinions Matter Big When Buying a Home

A recent survey conducted by Harris Poll and released by SunTrust Mortgage found that “55% of homeowners with a child under the age of 18 at the time when they purchased their home said that the opinion of their offspring played a major role in their home buying decision.”

When the results were broken down by the parent’s age, millennials (those 18-36) led the way with 74% of homeowners saying that their child’s opinion was a factor in choosing which home to buy. Eighty-three percent of renters believe that their child’s opinion would be a deciding factor when looking to purchase a home.

Coming in at 57%, it should come as no surprise that gaining their own bedrooms was the top most-desirable feature of any home for kids, followed by a large back yard to play in at 34%.

Todd Chamberlain, Head of Mortgage Banking at SunTrust explained the reasoning behind the survey,

“As a parent of two kids, I know from experience that including children in the home buying process is not only fun for the whole family, but also educational for our homebuyers of tomorrow.”

Bottom Line

If you’re thinking about selling your home this year, make sure to highlight all the kid-friendly features your home has to offer so that you can sway the real decision makers.

Bottom Line

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Click Here to start your quick Free Credit Analysis & Loan App Now!

J. Scott Harris NMLS # 375517 & Jani Mansour NMLS # 877007
www.MortgageXperts.com

J. Scott Harris

Branch Manager

8105 Rasor Blvd #140 Plano, TX 75024

M: 214-435-8825 | F: 972-696-7810

NMLS# 375517 | Company NMLS # 3274

Equal Housing Lender

Are Lending Standards Too Loose…or Too Tight?

With home values appreciating at record rates, some are concerned that we may be heading for another housing bubble like the one we experienced a decade ago. One of the major culprits of that housing boom and bust was the loosening of standards for mortgage credit.

In a study done at the University of North Carolina immediately after the crisis, it was revealed that:

“Lenders began originating large numbers of high risk mortgages from around 2004 to 2007, and loans from those vintage years exhibited higher default rates than loans made either before or after.”

A study by John V Duca, John Muellbauer, and Anthony Murphy concluded that those risky mortgages caused the housing crisis:

“Our findings indicate that swings in credit standards played a major, if not the major, role in driving the recent boom and bust in US house prices.”

How do today’s mortgage standards compare to those from 2004 to 2007?

The Mortgage Bankers’ Association tracts mortgage standards in their Mortgage Credit Availability Index (MCAI). A decline in the MCAI indicates that lending standards are tightening, while increases in the index are indicative of loosening credit. While the chart below shows the index going back to that period between 2004 and 2007 when loose standards caused the housing bubble, we can see that, though the index has risen slightly over the last several years, we are nowhere near the standards that precipitated the housing crisis.

Bottom Line

If anything, standards today are too tight and are preventing some qualified buyers from getting the mortgage credit they deserve.

Click Here to start your quick Free Credit Analysis & Loan App Now!

J. Scott Harris NMLS # 375517 & Jani Mansour NMLS # 877007
www.MortgageXperts.com

J. Scott Harris

Branch Manager

8105 Rasor Blvd #140 Plano, TX 75024

M: 214-435-8825 | F: 972-696-7810

NMLS# 375517 | Company NMLS # 3274

Equal Housing Lender

Getting Pre-Approved Should Always Be Your First Step

In many markets across the country, the number of buyers searching for their dream homes greatly outnumbers the number of homes for sale. This has led to a competitive marketplace where buyers often need to stand out. One way to show you are serious about buying your dream home is to get pre-qualified or pre-approved for a mortgage before starting your search.

Even if you are in a market that is not as competitive, understanding your budget will give you the confidence of knowing if your dream home is within your reach.

Freddie Mac lays out the advantages of pre-approval in the ‘My Home’ section of their website:

“It’s highly recommended that you work with your lender to get pre-approved before you begin house hunting. Pre-approval will tell you how much home you can afford and can help you move faster, and with greater confidence, in competitive markets.”

One of the many advantages of working with a local real estate professional is that many have relationships with lenders who will be able to help you with this process. Once you have selected a lender, you will need to fill out their loan application and provide them with important information regarding “your credit, debt, work history, down payment and residential history.”

Freddie Mac describes the ‘4 Cs’ that help determine the amount you will be qualified to borrow:

Capacity: Your current and future ability to make your payments
Capital or cash reserves: The money, savings, and investments you have that can be sold quickly for cash
Collateral: The home, or type of home, that you would like to purchase
Credit: Your history of paying bills and other debts on time

Getting pre-approved is one of many steps that will show home sellers that you are serious about buying, and it often helps speed up the process once your offer has been accepted.

Bottom Line

Many potential home buyers overestimate the down payment and credit scores needed to qualify for a mortgage today. If you are ready and willing to buy, you may be pleasantly surprised at your ability to do so.

Call us 1st to AVOID mortgage problems,
Call us 2nd to SOLVE them!

YOU CAN BUY A HOME, CALL US AND TAKE THE RIGHT STEPS.

Even if another Bank or Lender has said “NO,” we will work with you until we can say “YES.” If you have already started in our Qualification Coaching Program, call us, so we can check your progress!

Call us 1st to AVOID mortgage problems, Call us 2nd to SOLVE them!

Click Here to start your quick Free Credit Analysis & Loan App Now!

J. Scott Harris NMLS # 375517 & Jani Mansour NMLS # 877007
www.MortgageXperts.com

J. Scott Harris

Branch Manager

8105 Rasor Blvd #140 Plano, TX 75024

M: 214-435-8825 | F: 972-696-7810

NMLS# 375517 | Company NMLS # 3274

Equal Housing Lender

J. Scott Harris – MortgageXperts.com

Call us 1st to AVOID mortgage problems, Call us 2nd to SOLVE them! We close loans every day that Banks would not, or could not approve. NMLS # 375517 – Mobile 214-435-8825

Tag Archives: 1st Time Buyer

Are You Spending TOO Much on Rent?

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MortgageDaily – Record Guild Mortgage Originations

3-2-1 First-Time Buyer Loan Program exclusively from GUILD Mortgage

Eligibility and requirements are as follows*:

Call us 1st to AVOID mortgage problems,
Call us 2nd to SOLVE them!

Demand for Homes to Buy Continues to Climb

Is There Any Relief Coming?

Bottom Line

Home Buying Power at Near-Historic Levels – Call Us is you want to buy! 214 435 8825

Bottom Line

VA Loans: Making a Home for the Brave Possible

Top 5 Benefits of a VA Home Loan

Who Qualifies for a VA Home Loan?

You Can Apply for a VA Loan if You:

You Can Use a VA Loan To:

Bottom Line

Texas Homes are More Affordable – 44 out of 50 States Housing is less than in 1995-2003 Average

Bottom Line

Call us 1st to AVOID mortgage problems,
Call us 2nd to SOLVE them!

Parents Say Kids’ Opinions Matter Big When Buying a Home

Bottom Line

Bottom Line

Are Lending Standards Too Loose…or Too Tight?

How do today’s mortgage standards compare to those from 2004 to 2007?

Bottom Line

Getting Pre-Approved Should Always Be Your First Step

Bottom Line

Call us 1st to AVOID mortgage problems,
Call us 2nd to SOLVE them!