Monthly Archives: March 2015

Prepare Your Credit for a Mortgage | Waccabuc Real Estate

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Applying for a mortgage soon? Consider this: Improving your credit health could limit how much you’ll need to pay in interest and potentially save you thousands of dollars.

According to Zillow, the median home value in the United States is $178,500. Let’s pretend that two people each want a $178,500 30-year fixed mortgage and have the same amount saved up for a down payment. However, one has an excellent credit score of 760 while the other has a poor score of 620.

How much more do you think the person with the poor credit score will have to pay?

In most cases, poor credit could cost that consumer tens of thousands of dollars. Even the seemingly minuscule difference between a 3.5 percent interest rate and a 5 percent interest rate could tack on an extra $59,000 or more over the life of the mortgage, according to FICO’s loan savings calculator. (Keep in mind, interest rates and savings can vary and are ultimately up to the lender.)

It’s clear that your credit is important. Let’s discuss a few ways to prepare your credit in the months or years leading up to your mortgage application:

1. Monitor your credit score.

Your credit score will likely be one of the most important aspects of the approval process. Don’t go into the mortgage process blind. Instead, check your score ahead of time so you can estimate what kind of rates you may get and whether your credit is good enough to get you approved. Then, identify areas of your credit history that need work, make steps to improve and continually monitor your progress.

2. Pull your credit reports and dispute errors.

A 2013 Federal Trade Commission study found that 1 in 4 consumers identified errors on their credit reports that might affect their credit scores. The same study found that 5 percent had errors on one of their reports that could lead to them paying more for products such as auto loans and mortgages.

Don’t let errors on your credit reports cause you to pay more than you should. Before looking for a mortgage, be sure to pull all three of your credit reports and dispute any errors that could affect your score, such an incorrect account or the wrong credit limit. The dispute process may not be instantaneous, but the time and effort you put into ensuring your reports accurately represent your credit history will be worth it if it saves you money on interest.

3. Pay off outstanding delinquent accounts.

Like other lenders, mortgage underwriters want to ensure you’re a reliable borrower who will make payments on time, so having outstanding delinquent accounts on your credit report can drastically hurt your chance of being approved. Before you apply, consider paying off any delinquencies. Also try to lessen the impact late payments may have on your score by burying them with months or years of timely payments first.

 

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http://news.yahoo.com/prepare-credit-mortgage-125500730.html

U.S. Household Balance Sheet Improves Again | South Salem Real Estate

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The balance sheet of U.S. households with real estate continues to improve – despite tight lending conditions – as increases in home prices continue. The real estate equity position of U.S. households (the difference between assets and liabilities) increased nearly 2.4% for the quarter according to NAHB tabulations of the fourth quarter Federal Reserve Flow of Funds.

The value household-owned real estate, including owner-occupied and second homes, totaled $20.6 trillion for the quarter. Total home mortgage debt outstanding stands at $9.4 trillion. The market value of real estate held by U.S. households increased $265 billion dollars during the quarter, while liabilities (home mortgages) remained virtually unchanged.

AssetLiability

Because the figures are not adjusted for inflation, it is useful to also examine the owners’ equity in real estate as a percentage of household real estate. The ratio is calculated by taking the aggregate equity position divided by the market value of owner-occupied real estate held by U.S. households. The higher the ratio the more favorable is the financial position of U.S. households with real estate. The current reading of 54.5% represents a significant improvement over the 39.1% registered as recently as the second quarter of 2011.

EquityPosition

The improvement in the balance sheet of U.S. households means fewer underwater homeowners, thereby unlocking housing supply and demand. This type of improvement in the balance sheet of U.S. households with real estate along with further improvements to job market could release pent-up housing demand.

 

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http://eyeonhousing.org/2015/03/u-s-household-balance-sheet-improves-again/

Manhattan Studios Rentals Set Record | Katonah Real Estate

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Manhattan’s smallest apartments are fueling big gains in rents.

The median rent in the borough jumped 8.9 percent last month to $3,375, according to a report Thursday by appraiser Miller Samuel Inc. and brokerage Douglas Elliman Real Estate. Costs for studio apartments climbed 10 percent to a median $2,351, while rents for one-bedrooms rose 9.4 percent to $3,400, both the highest in more than seven years of record-keeping.

New York’s smaller apartments are luring new tenants entering an improving job market in the city, as well as those who can’t afford bigger homes. Would-be buyers who have been shut out of owning because of high prices and tight credit are also lingering as renters of studio apartment options.

“The studio and one-bedroom market is the more common jumping-off point for first-time buyers,” said Jonathan Miller, president of Miller Samuel and a Bloomberg View contributor. Rents are rising “because of the logjam that has been created by people who have either been priced out of the purchase market or don’t qualify for a mortgage.”

Manhattan apartment prices jumped to the highest since their 2008 peak in the fourth quarter as buyers competed for a limited supply of homes. Demand was greatest for one-bedroom apartments, which accounted for 38 percent of all sales last quarter, Miller said.

A strengthening job market is also fueling housing demand. New York City’s private sector added 112,300 jobs in the 12 months through January, and the unemployment rate fell to 7.1 percent that month from 8.3 percent a year earlier, the New York State Labor Department said Tuesday.

More Affordable

While employment is improving, incomes aren’t rising as fast as Manhattan rents, leading tenants to seek affordability by finding smaller spaces, Gary Malin, president of brokerage Citi Habitats, said in an interview.

“Smaller apartments are drawing more attention because there’s more of an appetite for those price points if there’s only a certain amount of money you can afford to spend,” Malin said.

Citi Habitats, which also released a report today on the Manhattan rental market, said the average rent for a studio increased 5 percent in February from a year earlier to $2,150. Rents for one-bedroom units climbed 3 percent to $2,893.

Rents declined at the higher end of the market. Two-bedroom units fell 2 percent to $3,957, and three-bedrooms dropped 1 percent to $5,133, Citi Habitats said.

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http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-03-12/manhattan-studios-set-rent-record-as-tenants-go-small

Mortgage Rates Up | Bedford Hills Real Estate

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Freddie Mac today released the results of its Primary Mortgage Market Survey® (PMMS®), showing average fixed mortgage rates moving higher amid a strong jobs report and bringing mortgage rates back to where they were at the start of 2015. The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage has averaged below 4 percent since the week ending November 13, 2014.

News Facts

  • 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) averaged 3.86 percent with an average 0.6 point for the week ending March 12, 2015, up from last week when it averaged 3.75 percent. A year ago at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 4.37 percent.
  • 15-year FRM this week averaged 3.10 percent with an average 0.6 point, up from last week when it averaged 3.03 percent. A year ago at this time, the 15-year FRM averaged 3.38 percent.
  • 5-year Treasury-indexed hybrid adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) averaged 3.01 percent this week with an average 0.5 point, up from last week when it averaged 2.96 percent. A year ago, the 5-year ARM averaged 3.09 percent.
  • 1-year Treasury-indexed ARM averaged 2.46 percent this week with an average 0.4 point, up from last week when it averaged 2.44 percent. At this time last year, the 1-year ARM averaged 2.48 percent.

Average commitment rates should be reported along with average fees and points to reflect the total upfront cost of obtaining the mortgage. Visit the following links for theRegional and National Mortgage Rate Details and Definitions. Borrowers may still pay closing costs which are not included in the survey.

Quotes
Attributed to Len Kiefer, deputy chief economist, Freddie Mac.

“The average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage rose to 3.86 percent for this week following a strong labor market report, essentially bring rates back to where they were at the start of the year. The U.S. economy created 295,000 jobs in February while the unemployment rate dipped to 5.5 percent from 5.7 percent in January, both outperforming market expectations.

Bedford NY Town Offices Memo | Bedford Real Estate

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A MESSAGE FROM
SUPERVISOR CHRIS BURDICK

Dear Residents,

 

We’re pleased to announce that the Town has launched an annual report, please click here for the  2014 Town of Bedford Annual Report.

Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions.

I can be reached at Supervisor@bedfordny.gov or at 666-6530.

Warmest regards,

Chris Burdick

Supervisor

Old Postcards of Miami & Miami Beach | Pound Ridge Real Estate

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XC2008_10_6_5_000.jpg[Images via Wolfsonian-FIU]

Whatever the architecture blogs think, Miami did not discover great architecture just in the last ten to twenty years. We may not have always had Rem Koolhaas (although Rem’s been connected to this town longer than you’d think), but we’ve always had beautiful environments, and outstanding buildings. Just look at thesepostcards of Miami and Miami Beach though the decades, from theWolfsonian Museum’s archives. They’re all about architecture and edenic landscapes, be it Art Deco, the neoclassical Beaux Arts, or Mediterranean Revival. They also show a healthy zest for the good life, which Miami has always had in spades.

 

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http://miami.curbed.com/archives/2015/03/11/postcards-of-miami-and-miami-beach.php

Millennials accounted for largest share of home purchases last year | Bedford Corners Real Estate

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The albatross of student debt, underemployment and weak wage growth didn’t prevent millennials from accounting for the largest share of home purchases, according to data released Wednesday.

The National Association of Realtors said millennials, or those between 18 and 34 years old, accounted for the largest share of home buyers last year at 32%, according to a report from the National Association of Realtors. Millennials make up 23% of the U.S. population, according to separate data from the Census Bureau.

This is the third year of the survey, and the second year millennials had the top spot.

The median age of millennial homebuyers was 29, their median income was $76,900 and they typically bought a 1,720-square foot home costing $189,900.

Generation X, or those between 35 and 49, was closely behind with a 27% share. The median buyer in that group was 41 years old, had a median income of $104,600 and purchased a 1,890-square-foot home costing $250,000.

The median home purchase for all buyers was 1,870 square feet and cost $216,000.

According to the survey, 13% of all home purchases were by a multi-generational household, consisting of adult siblings, adult children, parents and/or grandparents.

 

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http://www.marketwatch.com/story/millennials-accounted-for-largest-share-of-home-purchases-last-year-2015-03-11

Weekly mortgage applications drop as rates jump | Chappaqua Real Estate

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A sharp jump in mortgage rates last Friday took its toll on home lending, leaving mostly high-end home buyers on the playing field.

Total mortgage application volume fell 1.3 percent week-to-week on a seasonally adjusted basis for the week ending March 6th, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA). The fall was driven by a 3 percent drop in applications to refinance. Refinance volume is now at its lowest level since January and accounts for just 60 percent of all applications. Refinances had seen as much as an 80 percent share of all applications in recent years, as rates dipped and home buying stalled.

Mortgage applications to purchase a home rose two percent for the week and are two percent higher than a year ago. The slight increase, however, was largely due to higher-end home buyers. The average purchase loan size last week soared to $294,900, the highest level ever recorded on the MBA survey. The median price of a U.S. home sold in January was $199,600, according to the National Association of Realtors.

“The record high average loan size indicates that the strength of the market remains at the high end. We have not yet seen an influx of first-time homebuyers,” noted Michael Fratantoni, chief economist for the MBA.

A stronger-than-expected February employment report last Friday pushed interest rates higher, as investors now expect the Federal Reserve to increase its lending rate by mid-year. The average contract interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages with conforming loan balances ($417,000 or less) increased to 4.01 percent, the highest level since the week ending January 2, 2015, from 3.96 percent, with points increasing to 0.39 from 0.30 (including the origination fee) for 80 percent loan-to-value ratio (LTV) loans, according to the MBA.

Interest rates edged back a bit Tuesday, as the stock market sold off, but 4 percent may be the new normal now for 30-year fixed rate loans, with the expectation that they would move higher later this year. While these moves may seem small, they can take away significant purchasing power, especially for lower income borrowers using small down payments. With home price gains accelerating, and still tight supply of homes for sale, home buyers are especially sensitive to every potential penny lost or gained.

 

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https://homes.yahoo.com/news/weekly-mortgage-applications-drop-rates-110000215.html

 

Williamsburg’s New Rental Has Nice Views But Tiny Apartments | Armonk Real Estate

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After a tipster complained about the size of the units in the newly launched third Northside Piers tower, 1 North 4th Place, officially known as 1N4th, we were invited inside the brand new Williamsburg waterfront rental tower to take a look for ourselves. And while, yes, the units are indeed small (they’re rentals, after all), and expensive, they are also as advertised, containing condo-quality finishes, and, possibly more importantly, access to the building’s many amenities. There’s an enormous lobby as befits a building of this size (there are 509 units in total, 20 or so of which already have residents) with multiple lounging areas, a kitchenette, and a meeting room; a bike room with storage space for more than 250 bicycles; an approximately 3,000-square-foot gym; and more, as you will discover on the rest of the tour.

  • The units feature a variety of different kitchen layouts. This is the most open one, as it’s tucked into a corner of the living area.
  • The highly touted views live up to the hype, as you’ll soon see in greater detail.

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http://ny.curbed.com/archives/2015/03/10/williamsburgs_new_rental_has_nice_views_but_tiny_apartments.php

Consumer Credit Expands on Auto, Student Loans | Mt Kisco Real Estate

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The Federal Reserve Board recently reported that consumer credit outstanding rose by a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.2%, $138.7 billion, in January 2015. Consumer credit outstanding now totals $3.3 trillion.

The expansion of total consumer credit outstanding reflected an increase in the outstanding amount of non-revolving consumer credit. Non-revolving consumer credit includes auto loans and student loans. According to the report, non-revolving credit outstanding grew by a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 6.3%, $152.7 billion, in January 2015, 0.5 percentage points faster than the 5.8%, $140.2 billion, growth recorded in December 2014. There is now $2.4 trillion in outstanding non-revolving credit, 73.3% of the total amount of consumer credit outstanding.

The growth in non-revolving credit was partially offset by a contraction in the outstanding amount of revolving credit. Revolving credit outstanding is largely composed of consumer credit card debt. After recording an increase of 8.4%, $74.2 billion, in December 2014, revolving credit outstanding registered a 1.6% decrease, -$13.9 billion, in January 2015. As of January 2015, revolving credit outstanding totals $0.9 trillion, 26.7% of total consumer credit outstanding.

Presentation1

A previous post illustrated that depository institutions are the largest holders of outstanding consumer credit. According to data from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), which collects banking statistics from depository institutions as part of its responsibility to guarantee the safety of depositor’s accounts, the growth in the amount of loans to individuals, which includes credit cards, other revolving credit plans, automobile loans, and other loans to individuals, but excludes loans to individuals that are secured by real estate, has been accelerating since 2012. As a result, the gap between growth in outstanding loans to individuals and growth in total net lending has converged.

According to Figure 2, loans to individuals made by depository institutions fell by 2.9% in 2009, but total net loans and leases fell by 8.4% indicating that the contraction in loans to individuals was not as severe as other lending made by depository institutions in 2009. Total net loans and leases is equal to the total amount of loans and leases less the reserve for debts gone bad. In 2010, loans to individuals rose by 24.4% while total net loans and leases grew by 1.3%, indicating that growth in loans to individuals exceeded the growth of total net loans and leases. However, the 2010 increase in consumer lending of 24.4% reflects financial institutions’ implementation of the FAS 166/167 accounting rules which moved loans from pools of securitized assets to the balance sheets of lenders. Since 2011, the gap between the growth in loans to individuals and total net loans and leases has closed as growth in loans to individuals has accelerated.

Presentation2

In contrast, the gap between growth in single-family and multifamily lending compared to growth in total net loans and leases had steadily widened until 2014. In 2014, the gap between lending secured by single- and multifamily real estate and total net loans and leases converged. Figure 3 illustrates this result. According to the figure, between 2009 and 2013, the widening gap in growth rates occurred during a period in which lending secured my single-family and multifamily residences was declining and overall lending by depository institutions was growing. In 2014, the gap between the growth in single-and multifamily loans outstanding and total net loans and leases closed as loans for single- and multifamily real estate returned to growth.

 

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http://eyeonhousing.org/2015/03/consumer-credit-expands-on-auto-student-loans-2/