COVID-19 & The Return to Real Estate

Posted by admingg in Buying a Home, Featured Property, Local Experts, Mortgage Info, New Construction, Pre-Market Opportunities, Real Estate, Selling a Home, Short Sale & Foreclosure, Uncategorized

Governor Whitmer Eliminates Remaining Real Estate Limitations and Reopens Much of the State.

Today, Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed Executive Order 2020-110, rescinding her “Safer at Home” Order, and moving the entire state to phase four of the MI Safe Start Plan. This action removes most of the restrictions that real estate brokerages and clients have been operating under. As we reported last week, Michigan Realtors® was working with the Governor’s Office to remove the previously imposed real estate restrictions. Effective immediately, the following real estate activity is now permitted:

• Private showings are no longer limited to 4 individuals on the property;
• Open Houses are now permitted. However, as an enclosed public space rather than a private showing, masks should be required for those individuals participating. Participants should also adhere to existing 6-feet social distancing requirements;
• Tenant-occupied property may now be shown subject to any requirements under the current lease;
• Short-term rental properties may now be marketed without any state-imposed limitation. However, local restrictions may still be in force.

While many restrictions have been removed, the continued implementation of best practices geared toward Realtor® and client/customer safety remain important. These include:

1. Asking sellers to turn on all of the lights and leave interior doors, drapes and blinds open.  This will ensure that anyone entering the home will not need to touch the light switches and doorknobs throughout the home;
2. Asking sellers to clean and disinfect all frequently touched surfaces prior to and after the showing or open house;
3. Meeting clients at the home rather than driving together to the showing;
4. Encouraging the use of masks and gloves for private showings;
5. Asking buyers to refrain from touching any surfaces in a home (including light switches and interior doorknobs).  Do not share phones, pens or tablets.

Today’s order also makes clear that real estate offices that are open for business must continue to follow the Governor’s workplace rules contained in an earlier order.  (Executive Order 2020-97, available here.)  The rules for offices cover written policies that must be put in place, day-to-day safety measures, as well as procedures to be followed in the event of possible Covid-19 exposure. We had previously provided Realtors® with a summary of these rules. (Available here.)

As always, please visit https://mirealtors.com/Industry-Resources for regular updates.

What Affects Mortgage Rates?

Posted by admingg in Buying a Home, Local Experts, Mortgage Info, Real Estate, Uncategorized

Your mortgage rate depends on your own financial portfolio and the home you plan to buy. But that’s not all. Mortgage rates also reflect movements in the U.S. housing market and the global economy — which is why they’re in constant flux.

• Economy – The global financial picture drives all interest rates, including mortgage rates
• Lender pipeline – The amount of business a lender is currently processing can impact their rates
• Property location – State laws can drive up lender costs or keep them down
• Home use – Primary residence, vacation home, or rental?
• Property type – Single-family, multi-family, condo, mobile, co-op, etc.
• Loan-to-value – Borrowing less (and putting more down) gets you a better rate
• Credit score – Better credit means a lower interest rate
• Loan features – Term, documentation, rate adjustment, interest-only payments, etc.
• Points – Paying more up front for “discount points” lowers your rate
• Loan amount – Very high or very low loan amounts can mean higher rates

The lowest advertised mortgage rate will probably apply to you if you have a low loan-to-value ratio and great credit. Everyone else will be subject to risk-based pricing adjustments.

You’ll only know what your rate is by getting a custom mortgage quote from a lender based on your unique borrower profile. And, typically better personal service from a local mortgage broker that will give you personal service with local interest in the community – they have more to lose if they do a bad job!!!

Taking control of mortgage rate factors

You can’t control many of the things that impact your mortgage rate. (Unless, maybe, you’re the president of the Federal Reserve or POTUS.)

The good news is that the variables you can control have the most impact on your rate. They are:

• Property type — If deciding between two homes, incorporate the relative cost of financing when comparing them
• Loan-to-value (LTV) — Putting more money down improves your chances of loan approval, cuts your loan fees and gets you a lower mortgage insurance rate (if applicable)
• Credit score — It may be worth it to put off buying a home and concentrate on raising your FICO score for a lower rate
• Loan features — Choosing a loan with a shorter fixed-rate period, or one with a 15-year amortization instead of a 30-year term can save you a lot in interest
• Points — You can buy a lower interest rate by paying more up front, if you have expendable cash on hand
• Loan amount — It might be smarter to get a conforming first mortgage with a purchase-money second mortgage than taking out a more-expensive jumbo home loan

By understanding the factors you can and can’t control, you can get your best mortgage rate when you buy or refinance a home.

HUD FHA Condo Financing

Posted by admingg in Local Experts, Mortgage Info, Real Estate, Retirement, Selling a Home, Uncategorized

HUD Announces New FHA Condo Financing Rules!

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is expected to release updated guidance tomorrow on FHA-insured condominium financing. The new rules should benefit your real estate clients and customers by allowing more buyers to obtain low down-payment mortgages on affordable housing options.

Specifically, the new rules will:

• Extend FHA certifications on condo developments from two years to three years, reducing the compliance burden on condo boards.
• Allow for single-unit mortgage approvals—often known as spot approvals—which will enable FHA insurance of individual condo units, even if the property does not have FHA approval.
• Secure additional flexibility in the ratio of investors to owner-occupants allowed for FHA financing in a condo building.

The full guidance will go into effect in mid-October, 60 days from publication.

“Condominiums are often the most affordable option for first time home buyers, small families, and those in urban areas,” said NAR President John Smaby, in a statement issued to the media Wednesday morning. “We are thrilled that (HUD) Secretary (Ben) Carson has taken this much-needed step to put the American dream within reach for thousands of additional families.”

Since 2008, NAR has championed policy changes in condo lending. NAR has sought rules that would allow the owner-occupancy level to be determined on a case-by-case basis and that would extend the approval period for project certification to five years.

NAR’s existing-home sales report for June showed condominium and co-op sales at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 580,000 units, a decline of 3.3% from May and 6.5% from June 2018. With more than 8.7 million condo units nationwide, only 17,792 FHA condo loans have been originated in the past year.

“This ruling, which culminates years of collaboration between HUD and NAR, will help reverse recent declines in condo sales and ensure the FHA is fulfilling its primary mission to the American people,” Smaby said.

The full rule for single-family condo financing is scheduled to be published in the Federal Register on Aug. 15, 2019, and available online at https://federalregister.gov/d/2019-17213, and on govinfo.gov.

14 Things to Avoid Before Buying a House

Posted by admingg in Buying a Home, Local Experts, Mortgage Info, Real Estate

14 Things to Avoid Before Buying a House

Many first-time home buyers are surprised to discover just how many ways you can mess up a home purchase. You may have got your pre-approval, found a home you loved and made an offer. But if you want to avoid messing up the transaction, you will need to be extremely careful until the sale has closed.

Keep reading as I tackle what not to do before buying a house. Many of these items are mortgage mistakes that can be easily avoided. If you have an exceptional mortgage broker or real estate agent, more than likely a few of these points have already been mentioned.

Use the following tips to protect yourself and your home purchase. In fact, be sure to check out what you should do before buying a home. These twenty tips will help you make the best buying decision possible.

Making mistakes is easy when you have never bought a home before. Avoid these home buying mistakes to keep the stress out of your life!

1. Don’t miss loan payments.

You must keep your payments current on all your loan accounts, including credit cards and car loans. The lender will look at your credit again before finalizing your mortgage, and if you have missed any payments, it may lead to you losing the loan.

Many buyers mistakenly believe that once the lender issues their loan commitment, they are golden. This is NOT the case!  Lenders have the power to revoke a mortgage commitment and will do so if they see fit. Not too long ago a buyer was purchasing a home I listed in Millbury Mass. The buyer had been selling and buying a house simultaneously. They closed on their existing home but didn’t make their last mortgage payment.

Unfortunately, this was flagged on their credit report and prevented the buyer from getting the loan for their new purchase.

They had to apply at a new bank under a different program (FHA instead of conventional). Needless to say, this caused their purchase to be delayed, and in the process, they lost thousands of dollars.

2. Be careful before you consolidate your debt.

Debt consolidation can be tempting when you finally start looking at buying a home. Most consolidation offers make it possible for you to bring all your debt under one umbrella payment, which makes sense for some people.

But there are also often hidden fees and interest rates that can increase dramatically without warning. Consolidation may not improve your credit in the way you expect, so be sure to read all the fine print.

3. Avoid changing jobs.

It goes without saying that changing jobs is not something you should do in the middle of purchasing a home! One of the things lenders look closely at is your employment history. They want to be sure that you are financially stable and capable of making your loan payments.

By changing a job before you get your loan, you make yourself less appealing to the lender. Changing situations may cause the lender think you are unstable, or that you won’t have a steady income to keep up with the mortgage. The word stability is something lenders love.

Keep your move under wraps until after the closing takes place.

4. Don’t shift your finances around before getting the loan.

When a lender pre-approves you, the approval is based on the current state of your finances. You want to maintain that state – the one that got you the pre-approval – at all costs. Sometimes buyers make the mistake of shifting their money around to better position themselves, but this is a mistake.

Wait to make any financial changes until after you have gotten your mortgage. If a lender sees you moving money around various accounts, they will ask for an explanation.

You will need to give them a detailed accounting of why you moved your money around. Avoid making this mistake and keep your money in one place before closing.

5. Don’t start banking at a new institution.

Your bank may have made you angry or upset. Or maybe you saw a great offer from a competing bank that you just can’t pass up. Well, you do need to pass it up, because changing banks before getting your loan can disrupt everything.

Just like the job and the finances, your banking history and status is part of the equation that leads to you getting pre-approved. Change your bank, and you may not get final approval.

6. Avoid buying a car…or motorcycle, RV, boat, etc.

Without a doubt buying a car while also purchasing a home is a common mistake. Doing so is also at the top of the list of what you shouldn’t do before buying a home. Sometimes the feeling of knowing you are finally going to get a home of your own can be so exciting that you start looking at other ways to improve your life – like buying a car.

Unfortunately, purchasing a car can throw a wrench into your home buying plans. Your loan pre-approval was based on the state of your credit and your debt load at the time of pre-approval before you bought a car. Adding the debt that the car purchase will bring may make you unable to get the loan for your home.

7. Don’t buy furniture or household goods on credit.

Another mistake many home buyers make is using credit to start preparing for their new living arrangements. You may want to start buying furniture and appliances to fill up your new home and make it truly yours, but hold back.

Taking on new debt, even for furniture or other household related items, will change the state of your credit and may throw up a flag for the lender that leads to the loss of your loan approval.

8. Avoid making large deposits into your bank account or making cash deposits.

Money that appears suddenly in your bank account makes lenders uneasy. In fact, they prefer for you to have the money that is going to your down payment in the same account for at least two months.

Lenders refer to the two month period as “seasoning,” and consider it a demonstration of stability and your ability to cover the loan payments. Whenever you make a significant deposit or start doing unusual or unexpected things with your finances before the home purchase, the lender may begin to scrutinize the loan and might back out.

The bank could, in fact, think it’s fishy to see large deposits moving in and out of your account, especially if that hasn’t happened before. Doing as little as possible to make a lender scrutinize your finances.

9. Avoid lying or stretching the truth on your loan inquiry.

You may have no intention of lying about your finances when you fill out a loan application, but the point needs to be stated regardless. Lying on a loan application is fraud, and if the lender finds out that you mislead in any way, you will almost certainly lose your loan.

Even stretching the truth or making an honest mistake that is inaccurate, can cause you significant problems if the truth is discovered. So be very, very careful that all the information you put down is entirely accurate. Falsifying knowledge is a definite no-no when applying for a mortgage.

This a significant home buying mistake that can put you in a horrible spot.

10. Don’t let anyone make inquiries into your credit.

Any time you apply for a credit card, a loan or even try to sign up for a new service, like a cell phone service, the company you are working with will probably make a credit inquiry. They do this to determine if you are a safe risk, much as the mortgage lender does.

But when the mortgage company sees that inquiries are being made, it may assume you are trying to take out more debt – even if you aren’t. While one or two queries may not be enough to lose your home loan, there is no reason to take unnecessary risks when you are so close to getting your home.

One mortgage myth worth knowing – having your credit checked by multiple lenders when buying a home does not affect your credit score all that much.

From MyFICO – “FICO scores are more predictive when they treat loans that commonly involve rate-shopping, such as mortgage, auto, and student loans, differently. For these types of loans, FICO Scores ignore inquiries made in the 30 days before scoring. So, if you find a loan within 30 days, the inquiries won’t affect your scores while you’re rate shopping.”

11. Don’t spend the money you are going to use to cover closing costs.

For many home buyers, the period surrounding the home purchase is one of financial scarcity. Money may be tight right now, which can make the money you saved to cover closing costs tempting. But avoid spending it.

The last thing you want is to be unable to cover closing costs when you are at the point where you almost have your new home. Stay strong and avoid spending it if you can help it. AND, Don’t overspend on a home!

12. Don’t overextend yourself.

When buying a home, lots of lenders will gladly give you what they think you can afford on paper. What you qualify on paper, however, doesn’t necessarily mean what you’ll be comfortable living on day to day.

Some buyers make the mistake of really overextending themselves. They end up becoming a slave to their home. If going out to a nice dinner from time to time is something you have been accustomed to be more conservative with your house purchase.

13. Avoid being a co-signer for anyone.

When you co-sign a loan, you are obligating yourself financially. It does not matter that you are not the primary person on the loan. If the lender needs money and is unable to get it anywhere else, it will come looking for you to pay.

Home lenders are well aware of this fact and are therefore disapproving of any applicant that decides to co-sign. As with all the other points listed above, you need to focus on keeping your credit and financial situation stable and constant until you have closed on the house.

No matter how badly you may want to help out a friend or family member, try to postpone co-signing until you have the money for your home purchase.

14. Don’t spend more than the value of the home.

There are times when real estate markets become extremely hot! In real estate jargon, we call this a “seller’s market.” Most of the country has been experiencing these conditions over the last few years. Buyers have been put in the position where winning bidding wars are the norm, not the exception in many places.

In fact, you’re more likely to see fancy ways to beat the next guy to the punch like an escalation clause in an offer. When you are in an environment such as this, it is easy to overspend as a buyer. After all, if you have lost out on a few homes, you’re more than likely going to reach to get a house you love.

When involved with multiple offers it is not uncommon for the sale price to be pushed significantly above asking. While the buyer may be willing to do this, a lender may not. When the home doesn’t appraise, the borrower may be stuck putting up more money or risk losing the house. You can’t assume the seller will be cooperative and drop their price. You could be rejected for the loan if you can’t make up the difference.

Housing Affordability

Posted by admingg in Buying a Home, Mortgage Info, Real Estate, Selling a Home, Short Sale & Foreclosure, Uncategorized

The Ultimate Truth About Housing Affordability

Is a Lease-option Right For You?

Posted by admingg in Buying a Home, Local Experts, Mortgage Info, Real Estate, Selling a Home

Lease Options, Land Contracts & “Timed-Purchase” with Early Occupancy…

Options to purchase a home outside of getting financing today exist for about the same reasons.  The home seeker does not have the resources to buy a home at this time.  It could be a credit problem from bankruptcy or foreclosure, divorce, job loss, medical hardship, new career, starting a business, 1st time home buyer and even no credit at all.

The bottom line: You cannot buy right now, but you want a certain home or area, you don’t want to rent and you don’t want to move twice.

Like 96% of the buying public, you go online and search, dream and look for options to get what you want.  Getting into a home is no different except that you may be pressed for somewhere to live (quickly) depending on your circumstances.  So, you read about lease options & land contracts as a way to get into a home.  You may even read about so-called no money down schemes (we will address that later!).  But you wonder, are they too good to be true.  Can you really get the home you want at a price you can afford and finance/re-finance it later when your situation improves.

Simple Answer:  Yes, you can. That’s the good news.  The bad news is it is not without an added cost.

In most cases, the owners of nicer homes in better areas don’t want or need to offer terms. These homes sell at fair market value relatively quickly and the risk to the seller typically ends at closing. Sellers often need their proceeds from the sale to move on. Whether buying another home, paying off debt, or investing the sellers would need a good reason to offer terms. And whether you like it or not, sellers typically expect to make money on offer a buyer terms – they become the lender in this case and will be carrying the risk of the buyer’s maintenance, negligence and default if something goes wrong.  After all, the buyer is the one with credit problems or life circumstances.

Put Yourself in the Sellers Shoes

• Lease option candidates are typically a credit risk or have other life concerns;
• Owners of better homes are not interested in a regular lease/tenant relationship so the buyer must have intention to buy;
• Buyers must have earnest money down – this would become part of their purchase money but it is typically not refundable;
• Maintenance has to be on the tenant/buyer – can the tenant/buyer afford repairs;
• Terms for monthly rent start minimally at interest only payments with a balloon clause to payoff the seller in so many months – this does not go towards purchase price;
• The seller SHOULD want additional monthly payment as an incentive to complete the purchase – this extra money reduce down payment upon purchase, but is not refundable; and
• The best deal for both parties is to include an incentive clause that rewards the buyer for closing prior to a deadline.

EXAMPLE:  A $200,000 home seller may want 5% down and 8% interest-only payment on a 24 month contract.  The seller is offering an incentive of 2x the amount paid monthly above the interest only payment for a payoff on or before 12 months into the contract, 1.5x the amount paid monthly above the interest only payment of payoff before 18 months and 1x the amount paid monthly above the interest only payment for a payoff on or before 24 month contract term.  The seller should also have a default clause at 24 months or a defined change in terms that penalizes the tenant/buyer to compel the fulfillment of the contract to withdraw and vacate – forfeiting their rights and moneys. The math here is pretty simple –

$10,000 Down, $1520/mo. Add $300/mo for overage and close within 12 months will make your down $15,400 at closing.  In buying the home, your new payment will be under $1000 at 4.5%.

The “incentive” to fulfill early serves two purposes especially if the buyer contributes regularly :
1)   If the tenant/buyer is serious about buying they should be improving their condition to be a good mortgage loan applicant AND they should be saving money for the purchase; and
2)  In paying in what they are “saving” in order to buy the property, they can report to the loan officer that they have additional funds towards purchase outlined by the contract.
The motivated buyer will add as much as they can each month above the required monthly payment as that would increase much faster than savings, go towards reducing their loan liability making them both a better applicant and requesting a smaller loan, and instill confidence with the seller.  It should be a win-win.

Buyer Beware of Your Misconceptions!

Too often, I hear agents and buyers asking why the seller needs a down payment or why the buyer needs to include a credit report, bank statements & employment verification.  Buyers have been mislead into believing that their credit history does not matter, or sellers should be happy with say 5% interest when the banks are offering ~1-2% on CD savings.  The answer is really simple, and you may not like it… more often then not, lease-option & land contract buyers are high risk.  Private owners simply cant afford to absorb the possible damages and costs like big lenders can.

The bottom line is that these can be a good situation for all parties when all parties perform. Your local professional Realtor can get you connected to a local title company &/or attorney to establish escrow, hold title &/or quitclaim documents and record liens where necessary.

More Info from BankRate: How Rent To Own Works

DISCLAIMER:  This is provided for informational purposes only. It is not legal or financial advice.  Interested parties should consult licensed professional practitioners in your locale in order to conduct business in accordance with local, state and federal laws.  Company, website and writer assume no liability for the use or misuse of any opinions expressed in this article.