Tag Archives: FHA

FREE DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE AND GRANTS ARE NOW AVAILABLE FOR NC RESIDENTS TO HELP YOU BUY A HOME!

FREE DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS ARE NOW AVAILABLE IN NORTH CAROLINA FOR QUALIFIED HOME BUYERS!

Family in front of house

If your income or the need for down payment assistance has kept you out of the housing market, our home buyer programs can give you the boost you need to own a piece of the “American Dream”!

If you need help with the down payment and closing costs, you may qualify for interest-free, deferred, forgivable second mortgages up to 3% of your down payment or other benefits by using a Qualified Realtor / Broker and Lender, or other assistance programs!

Our Real Estate firm, New Home Buyers Brokers and Realty Pros is one of the qualified Brokers in North Carolina who has the knowledge and experience to help you get FREE Down Payment Assistance to stop throwing your money way in rent and to help you buy the home of your dreams! To see if you qualify for one of the programs, call: Kristen Haynes, Broker In Charge, GC, CMRS at New Home Buyers Brokers: 704-905-4062 (Direct) or 1-877-372-2252 (Toll Free).

 NHBB logo  ”Helping You Find Your Way HOME”!

www.NewHomesNC-SC.com or khaynes@newhomesnc-sc.com

 Nick and Susan in front of NHBB sign

Here are some of the available programs that you may qualify for:

  • The N.C. Home Advantage Mortgage offers competitive interest rates along with down payment assistance and reduced PMI rates to save you money on your mortgage payment every month, on top of the down payment, which is up to 3% of the mortgage loan amount for FHA borrowers (which normally will cover almost all of the required down payment), and 2% for Conventional borrowers. This down payment is fully forgiven after 15 years. This can be combined with the Mortgage Credit Certificate, for a “double home buyer bonus”!
  • The Mortgage Credit Certificate (MCC) enables first-time buyers to save up to $2,000 a year on their federal taxes.
  • For both first-time and move-up home buyers, the NC Home Advantage Mortgage™ provides qualified individuals with stable, fixed-rate mortgages and down payment assistance up to 5% of the loan amount. Even better, repayment of the down payment is required only if you sell, refinance or transfer your home before year 15—the down payment assistance is forgiven at 20% per year after 10 years in the home.

    As an added bonus, if you are a first-time buyer or a military veteran, you may also be eligible to combine this program with aMortgage Credit Certificate (MCC) to increase your savings even more! We offer these products statewide through participating lenders.

  • The House Charlotte Program provides 10-year, deferred, forgivable loans to qualified Funds can be used to cover your down payment, closing costs, as well as for interest rate buy downs.
  • NACA provides credit counseling services, home ownership classes and grants for those who qualify.
  • The Good Neighbor Next Door Program is a federal housing program administered by HUD, for Police Officers, Firefighters, EMTs, and K-12 Teachers that offers up to a 50 % discount on the appraisal value of homes in specially designated “revitalization areas”,  as well as “One Hundred Dollar Down” homes that qualify for FHA financing.

MW Small House

The N.C. Home Advantage Mortgage™ 

Available with 30-year, fixed rate FHA, VA, USDA and conventional mortgages, the N.C. Home Advantage Mortgage™ is a perfect match for buyers looking for safe, affordable financing. The mortgages offer competitive interest rates, lower PMI and MIP mortgage insurance rates (saving you more in your mortgage payment every month in MIP and PMI fees), AS WELL AS the FREE down payment assistance. These programs can be STACKED with other assistance programs for eligible borrowers (Charlotte Housing Partnership or NACA funds, VA loans, or other programs and grants available statewide in North Carolina.

Repayment is required only if you sell, refinance or transfer the home before year 15 of the loan – the down payment assistance is forgiven at 20% per year after you live in the home for 10 years, and fully forgiven at 15 years.

For more information on the Home Advantage Mortgage, click here: http://www.nchfa.com/home-buyers/interest-rates

Am I Eligible For The NC Home Advantage Mortgage With Down Payment Assistance?  

You may be eligible for an N.C. Home Advantage Mortgage™ if:

  • you are buying a new or existing home;      Saussy Burbank house
  • you are a first-time OR a move-up buyer;
  • you buy a home in North Carolina and occupy it within 60 days of closing (this is not for investors who will not occupy the residence as their principal home;
  • you don’t exceed the income limits for the person on the loan (not the entire household, as in MCC);
  • you are applying for a FHA, USDA, VA or conventional loan through a Participating Lender and meet the sales price limits of the loan type;
  • you are a legal resident of the United States, and;
  • your credit score meets the basic requirements for the program.
  • If you choose an FHA, VA, or USDA loan, you will get 3 % towards your down payment. With conventional loans, you will receive 2 % towards your down payment.
  • The down payment can be “stacked” with other federal and state programs and with additional seller concessions towards closing costs, if you qualify, Seller concessions are limited to 3 % with Conventional loans, and up to 6 % with FHA loans.
  • Click the link below to see if you qualify via the income limits in your area: http://www.nchfa.com/home-buyers/income-limits

Renovated MW house

What Properties Are Eligible For This Free ‘Down Payment Assistance’ Program?

  • New and previously owned single family homes
  • Townhouses
  • Condominiums*
  • Duplexes*
  • Manufactured Homes (only new, never occupied, doublewide or greater manufactured homes on permanent foundations)*

*These property types are only available for FHA, VA and USDA loans, not conventional loans.

9116 Four Mile Creek

The Mortgage Credit Certificate (MCC)

If you are a first-time buyer and meet certain income and sales price limits, you may be eligible for a Mortgage Credit Certificate (MCC) worth up to $2,000 a year in tax savings. This federal tax credit can lower your income-tax liability, dollar-for-dollar, leaving you more money to use toward your mortgage. If you qualify, you will be able to claim 30% of the interest you pay on your mortgage if you purchase an existing home or 50% of the interest for a new home (never occupied) – up to $2,000 for every year you live in your home – as a tax credit on your federal income taxes.

MCCs can be combined with the N.C. Home Advantage Mortgage™ and other “stacked, eligible programs”, increasing the savings on your new home – as well as with any other qualifying lender mortgage program, including some adjustable rate mortgages.

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How Does The MCC program work?

Suppose you qualify for an MCC and obtain a 30-year, 4% fixed-rate mortgage of $97,000 for the purchase of an existing home (not new construction). The first year’s interest payment is approximately $3,880. The MCC allows you to take a federal income tax credit of $1,164 ($3,880 x 30%) for that year.

If your federal income tax liability is $1,164 or more after you have taken all other credits and deductions, you receive the entire benefit of the MCC tax credit – $1,164. In figuring your taxes, you also claim a deduction for the remaining 70% of your mortgage interest.

If your federal income tax liability is less than $1,164—for example, $800—your tax is reduced by only $800 that year. However, the remaining credit can be claimed on tax returns for the next three years, if tax liability increases. Note that depending on your individual tax situation, the MCC may not always provide a tax credit benefit to you in a given year depending on your overall tax liability.

You can receive an immediate benefit from your MCC tax credit by filing a revised W-4 (Employee’s Withholding Allowance Certificate) with your employer. In this example, your federal income tax liability would be reduced by $97 a month ($1,164 ÷ 12). The extra $97 increases your take-home pay and helps make your house payments affordable.

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The House Charlotte Program

Who Is Eligible For The House Charlotte Program?

Families with incomes that are 110% or less of the HUD Area Median Income are eligible for assistance. Participants must complete a pre-purchase homebuyer education program. The home must be a family’s primary residence and be located in one of designated House Charlotte eligible areas. Maximum purchase price of home is $155,000.

How The Program Works:

You must use a Registered Broker / Realtor and Lender to find and finance a home. Banks apply for the program on behalf of qualified buyers. To find out if you are qualified, contact your approved Broker / Realtor, who can also set you up with an approved lender.

The selected home must be located in one of the approved Charlotte Neighborhood Statistical Areas (NSAs). Each Charlotte neighborhood is further broken down into Neighborhood Profile Areas.  To determine if the property of interest is eligible, and address search must be completed through the mapping application.  Generally, these homes are located in disadvantaged areas that are “up and coming” but still have some growing to do.

Once your Realtor finds you a house in an eligible area, you will then ask your approved lender to apply for the House Charlotte program. You also must complete a homebuyer education program. In order to register for a home buying course, buyers may contact the Community Link or any other HUD-approved Counseling Agency to register for the program. There are income limits and area limits to be approved for this program.

  • Provides funding up to $5,000 for families with income above 80% AMI, up to 110% Area Median Income (AMI)House Charlotte Program Image.
  • Provides funding up to $7,500 for families with income at or below 80% (AMI)
  • Provides funding up to $10,000 for families with income at or below 60% AMI in select House Charlotte areas.
  • Provides funding up to $10,000 for buyers who are employed as sworn CMPD police officers. This is a 5-year deferred, forgivable loan.

Lydia and Paul

NACA:

The Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America (“NACA”) is a non-profit, community advocacy and homeownership organization. NACA’s primary goal is to build strong, healthy neighborhoods in urban and rural areas nationwide through affordable homeownership.

NACA has made the dream of home ownership a reality for thousands of working people by counseling them honestly and effectively, enabling even those with poor credit to purchase a home or refinance a predatory loan with far better terms than those provided even in the prime market.

The NACA homeownership program is one answer to the huge subprime and predatory lending industry. NACA has conclusively shown that when working people get the benefit of a prime rate loan, they can resolve their financial problems, make their mortgage payments and become prime borrowers. NACA’s track record of helping people who have credit problems become homeowners or refinance out of a predatory loan debunks the myth that high rates and fees are necessary to compensate for their “credit risk.”

 NACA has access to billions of dollars of mortgage funds for primarily low- and moderate-income people and people purchasing in low to moderate-income communities.

Eligibility and Program Details:

Purchase and Rehab loans

DOWN PAYMENT: None

CLOSING COSTS: None (paid by lender)

INTEREST RATE: One percent below the prime market rate

Current Interest rate:  30 year fixed (as of )

BUY-DOWN: Funds to Permanently Reduce Interest Rate

One percent of mortgage amount reduces interest rate by one quarter of a percent (.25%). This is a tremendous added benefit.

APPLICATION FEE: None (paid by lender)

POINTS & FEES: None (paid by lender)

Lender Grants: Lenders with NACA provide a grant for low and moderate income (“LMI”) homebuyers and those purchasing in LMI communities that matches a down payment with funds for an additional buy-down. You must become a member, attend Home Counseling sessions and the property must be located in a NACA, Urban Designated Housing area to utilize this program. You lso must use a NACA approved lender and Realtor / Broker.

CREDIT HISTORY:

Perfect Credit Not Required

Member’s personal payment history evaluated without consideration of his/her credit score.

P.M.I.: (Private Mortgage Insurance) None

Membership: (Neighborhood Stabilization Fund) None

OTHER TERMS: No yield spread premium; No pre-payment penalty; No balloon payment; No required credit life, or other unnecessary or overpriced insurance.

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The Good Neighbor Next Door Program: 

Law enforcement officers, pre-Kindergarten through 12th grade teachers and firefighters/emergency medical technicians can contribute to community revitalization while becoming homeowners through HUD’s Good Neighbor Next Door Sales Program. HUD offers a substantial incentive in the form of a discount of 50% from the list price of the home. In return you must commit to live in the property for 36 months as your sole residence.

How the Program Works: 

Eligible Single Family homes located in revitalization areas are listed exclusively for sales through the Good Neighbor Next Door Sales program. Properties are available for purchase through the program for seven days.

How to Participate in The Good Neighbor Next Door Program: 

Call a HUD- Approved Broker in North Carolina who will help you check the available listings for your state. Follow the instructions from your Realtor to submit your interest in purchasing a specific home. If more than one person submits on a single home a selection will be made by random lottery. You must meet the requirements for a law enforcement officer, teacher, firefighter or emergency medical technician and comply with HUD’s regulations for the program.

Eligibility Details:

This program is only available to Police Officers, Firefighters, EMT’s, and K-12 Teachers.

Those buyers can get a 50 percent discount off the HUD appraised value of a home in specially designated ares. For example, if HUD lists a home at $100,000, you can buy it for $50,000 provided, you occupy the home as your personal residence for the required occupancy period. If you qualify for any FHA-insured mortgage program, your down payment is only $100 and you may finance closing costs.

You must live in the home for 36 months after the purchase.

The program is available for those with cash or using Conventional, FHA, VA financing.

This program can be “stacked” and combined with FHA financing (even with 203 K or 203 B “Rehab” loans.

If the buyer uses and qualifies for FHA financing, they also might qualify for the “$100 Down Payment” plan. Call your Realtor to see what you qualify for and what is available on the market with this $100.00 Down Payment program (areas are limited).

HUD requires that you sign a second mortgage and note for the discount amount. No interest or payments are required on this “silent second” provided that you fulfill the three-year occupancy requirement.

Kathy and Richard Watson

CREDIT REPAIR COUNSELING COMPANY:

In need of credit repair? Our lenders like www.HOPE4USA.com. They are excellent  and very price conscious compared to other similar companies. They are  for-a fee service provider, but used by many major lenders for credit repair, and are very economical compared to other companies.

Here’s a FREE, informative guide for you from Hope 4 USA, so you can start taking steps to rebuild your credit score so you can purchase the home of your dreams:

 http://www.hope4usa.com/free-credit-repair-toolkit

Ready To Start Searching For Your Next Home? See What’s Out There Today!

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Start your FREE Home Search today by calling Kristen Haynes at new Home Buyers Brokers at 704-905-4062 or by downloading this new, FREE App on your Smartphone or Tablet!

Home Scouting 1

To Use This 100 % FREE, “Home Scouting” Home Search App:

  1. Go to your phone’s App Store and download the “Home Scouting” application.
  2. Enter VIP Code: 7049054062 (no dashes).
  3. Create your own anonymous User Name And Password- then you can use it to log in on a desktop, too! It’s that easy!

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We are also MILITARY FRIENDLY and support our Armed Forces and Veterans!

Contact Us To See What Programs that YOU Qualify For! It’s 100 % Confidential- and it’s always 100 % FREE!

Call:  New Home Buyers Brokers / Realty Pros, Realtors / Brokers in NC / SC: 704-905-4062 or Toll Free: 1-877-372-2252

Do you have further questions about what programs you qualify for? Call or email us, below:

Brought to you by:

charre16_photoemblem_kristen-haynes_l  Certified Military Residential Specialist-logo  EHO logo  Logos for page Kristen Haynes, Broker In Charge, GC, Certified Military Residential Specialist

Direct: 704-905-4062  or Toll Free: 1-877-372-2252

 Email: khaynes@newhomesnc-sc.com

Web: www.NewHomesNC-SC.com

Copyright © 2016 New Home Buyers Brokers / Realty Pros

Lender’s Credit Score Requirements May Be More Strict Than Necessary

Lenders’ Credit Score Requirements May Be More Strict Than Necessary

FICO scores run from 300 to 850. Wells Fargo recently lowered in minimum acceptable scores for conventional loans to 620 from 660. Could this signal the start of some fresh thinking on credit scores? As Realtors, we certainly hope this is the case. As much as stricter credit scoring models were needed after the banking crash in late 2007, credit has been unreasonably tightened to the point that “good borrowers” were still unable to get loans. This includes First Time Home Buyers, the Self-Employed, and Move-Up Buyers who had to switch jobs or careers due to downsizing during the recession.

Are lenders’ credit score requirements for home buyers this spring too high — out of sync with the actual risks of default presented by today’s borrowers? The experts say yes. We agree.

What experts are we talking about here? The actual developers of the credit scores used by virtually all mortgage lenders. Executives at both FICO, creator of the dominant credit score used in the mortgage industry, and up-and-coming competitor VantageScore Solutions, confirmed that mortgage lenders could reduce today’s historically high score requirements without raising their risks of loss. In the process, many prospective buyers who currently can’t qualify might get a shot at a loan approval. This will be a good thing for buyers and sellers alike, and will help keep the housing market going in the right direction.

Consider this: Consumer behavior in handling credit is subject to change over time, often keyed to regional or national economic conditions. Credit scores that were acceptable risks in the early 2000s — say FICOs in the 640-to-680 range — turned into larger-than-anticipated losers when the recession hit. Now that the housing rebound is well underway and federal regulators have imposed tighter standards on income verification and debt ratios, the high credit score “cutoffs” that virtually all mortgage lenders imposed in the scary aftermath of the crash are stricter than necessary.

FICO scores run from 300 to 850. Lower-risk borrowers have high scores, and higher-risk consumers have low scores. Early in the last decade, a FICO score of 700 was good enough for an applicant to get a lender’s best deals or close to it. Today a 700 FICO just barely makes the grade — 50-plus points below the average score for home purchase loans at Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the big investors. Banks now need to package and sell their loans on the secondary market, and if a homeowner defaults on the loan and the Underwriter review team finds something potentially amiss, the bank or lender now has to “buy back” the bad loan. Not something lenders want to do in the aftermath of such past, big bank failures due mainly to bad loans.

  

Joanne Gaskins, senior director of scores and analytics for FICO, said that statistical studies by her company have demonstrated that “the risk of default on more recent mortgage vintages is better than at the onset of recession” — essentially real risk has reverted to the early 2000s. A lot more people pay on time. As a result, she said, lenders can afford to “take a look” at their current strict scoring requirements and consider lowering them without sacrificing safety.

To illustrate how consumer behavior has improved, Gaskins cited one internal study that examined mortgage default data through 2011. At a FICO score level of 700 in 2005, roughly 36 borrowers paid their loans on time for every one who went into serious default. In 2011, by contrast, for every one defaulting mortgage borrower, roughly 91 paid on time. That’s a huge decrease in risk to the lender.

VantageScore Solutions has documented a similarly dramatic improvement in mortgage borrower payment behavior. In an article scheduled for publication this week in Mortgage Banking, a trade journal, Barrett Burns, president and chief executive of VantageScore, offers an analysis based on scores of 680 and 620 from 2003 through 2012. VantageScore’s latest scoring model uses a high risk to low risk scale of 300 to 850.

According to Burns, the probability of default at both score levels was lowest in 2003-05, then soared between 2006 and 2008 as the economy began deteriorating. By 2012, both scores were just slightly higher than 2005’s.

Burns notes that although auto lenders and credit card banks have adjusted their underwriting standards to these important changes in borrower risk, “the mortgage industry has been hesitant.” In an interview, Burns emphasized that mortgage lenders could expand home purchase possibilities for large numbers of consumers simply by lowering score cutoffs. They wouldn’t have to loosen up on their standards on down payments or debt ratios — just their scores.

A study last year by the Urban Institute and Moody’s Analytics estimated that every 10-point reduction in mandatory credit scores on mortgages increases the pool of potential borrowers 2.5%. A 50-point cut in score requirements, researchers found, would increase potential home purchases 12.5% — more than 12.5 million households.

At least one major bank has concluded that lowering scores is the way to go. Wells Fargo , www.wellsfargo.com, recently announced reductions in minimum acceptable scores for conventional loans to 620 from 660. They are joining other major banks in lowering the acceptable score threshold for FHA loans to 600. See the article here from Bloomberg News.

Could this signal the start of some fresh thinking on credit scores, a trend that other large lenders will pick up on? Let’s see. If they do so, it should be a win-win for everybody involved.

Copyright  2014 New Home Buyers Brokers, Inc. / Realty Pros. With excerpts from: Kenneth R. Harney, Washington Post Writers Group

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NEW FICO ‘SCORE NINE’ CREDIT SCORING SYSTEM ANNOUNCED, AND AN FHA LOAN MARKET UPDATE

For Sale sign- web

 

NEW FICO SCORING SYSTEM ANNOUNCED AND FHA LOAN MARKET UPDATE

March 18, 2014

Breaking News. FICO has announced that it will release the next broadly available version of the FICO Scoring System beginning this summer.

16101 Wright's Ferry - 2

INTRODUCING FICO ‘SCORE NINE”: Using a new, multi-faceted modeling approach, which combines sophisticated in-house analytic technology with insights gained over 50 years of building credit risk models, FICO ‘Score Nine’ will provide the best-in-class predictive power across all of the major credit product lines—home loans, auto loans, credit cards and personal loans—from loan originations, all of the way through managing and servicing the loan. FICO has also addressed lenders’ concerns regarding score consistency across the three major credit bureaus, and compatibility with previous FICO Score versions to ease adoption. The FICO Score continues to help keep lenders aligned with key compliance objectives and relevant government regulations. The FICO Score is the most widely used credit score in North America. Lenders purchased more than 10 billion FICO Scores in 2013, and 90 percent of all U.S. consumer lending decisions use the FICO Score.

WHO WILL UTILIZE THE NEW FICO SYSTEM?: The 25 largest credit card issuers, the 25 largest auto lenders and tens of thousands of other businesses rely on the FICO Score for consumer credit risk analysis and federal regulatory compliance. “To become a widely adopted industry standard, a credit score must work well across industries, across all lending product lines and across the entire credit lifecycle,” said James Wehmann, executive vice president of Scores at FICO. “The major changes in the lending environment over the last few years demanded that we take a different approach to building a score that will continue to perform consistently well in various situations. We devised an innovative approach to developing FICO Score Nine that enabled us to leapfrog our own industry-standard benchmark. Our goal is to continue to support a financial ecosystem that includes lenders, securitization investors, rating agencies, regulators and other stakeholders who need a common risk benchmark.” Source: NAMP Daily – www.nampdaily.com

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HOMEPATH AND HOME STEPS OFFER FREE CLOSING COSTS AND OTHER INCENTIVES: Government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac recently introduced new incentives to bolster home sales through their HomePath and HomeSteps programs, respectively, which are designed to help the firms liquidate the real-estate owned (REO) properties they hold in their portfolios.

Specifically, Fannie Mae is offering up to 3.5% in closing cost assistance on HomePath properties available in 27 states during the FirstLook period. During the FirstLook period, owner-occupant or public entity buyers are able to submit offers on HomePath properties, giving them the opportunity to purchase homes without competition from investors.

Fannie Mae recently announced the extension of the FirstLook period from 15 days to 20 days. To be eligible for the incentive, the initial offer must be submitted between now and March 31, 2014, so there’s not a lot of time left to utilize this program (unless it’s extended). Homes using this incentive must also close on or before May 31, 2014.

The incentive will offer qualified buyers up to 3.5% of the final sales price to pay closing costs. In addition, home buyers have a choice of $500 incentives they can use towards condominium association dues, flood insurance premiums or the home warranty of their choice. To qualify for these additional incentives, the closing must settle on or before May 30, 2014. The promotion does not apply to investor purchases, auction sales, sealed-bid sales and bulk sales, Freddie Mac reports. Source: MortgageOrb, www.mortgageorb.com For a list of available properties, call your local Realtor or go to: http://www.homepath.com.

 9116 Four Mile Creek

AN FHA UPDATE AND PREDICTIONS FOR THE UPCOMING YEAR: Following the first-ever Treasury draw required by the Federal Housing Administration this year, the agency says it is back on stable footing and does not anticipate requiring Treasury assistance in fiscal year 2015. As reflected in the Obama Administration’s proposed budget for the coming fiscal year, both FHA’s forward and reverse lending programs are expected to be cash flow positive with the Home Equity Conversion Mortgage program anticipated to have a negative subsidy rate at -0.23%. A positive credit subsidy indicates the program would require cash to cover losses.

In this case, however, the HECM program is expected to perform on its own, slightly above its break-even point. The earlier bailout to the tune of $1.7 billion was largely attributed to losses in FHA’s reverse portfolio. “The budget estimates the Mutual Mortgage Insurance Fund will have a positive capital reserve balance of $7.8 billion,” said FHA Commissioner Carol Galante of the entire fund outlook following the budget release. “We will not require a mandatory appropriation from the Treasury this year.”

Copy of 314 South Cedar front color

FHA touted its performance and positive outlook in the coming year, pointing to achievements such as reducing chronic homelessness by 16% and assisting 450,000 homeowners facing foreclosure through loss mitigation assistance in the midst of last year’s budget sequester. “This is more remarkable given the context in 2013,” Housing Secretary Shaun Donovan said. “Given the sequestration that cut across the entire federal government budget, HUD was faced with finding ways to cut 5% from our budget with very little time to prepare and just seven months left in the fiscal year. We made some extremely difficult choices. We’re proud of what we did to provide best possible outcomes.” Source: Reverse Mortgage Daily – www.reversemortgagedaily.com

Congress’s lack of progress on reforming the U.S. housing-finance system shouldn’t be “an excuse” to delay rebuilding the market for private-label mortgage securities, a senior U.S. Treasury Department official said recently. “Many investors have told us that they can and want to take mortgage credit risk,” said Michael Stegman, housing-finance counselor to the Treasury secretary, in prepared remarks at a research conference in New York. Adding simplicity and transparency is a key first step, he said. “To get back to an efficient, responsible, and sustainable level of complexity, and to rebuild trust, the new issue non-agency market must first follow a path of greater standardization and transparency,” Stegman said. Federally controlled buyers Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have been in a conservatorship since 2008, an arrangement that has lingered with U.S. lawmakers disagreed over the appropriate role for government in housing finance. Source: Market Watch – www.marketwatch.com.

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EASIER QUALIFYING EXPECTED FOR FHA MORTGAGE BORROWERS: First-time and low-income borrowers may have an easier time qualifying for a Federal Housing Administration loan. Ginnie Mae, a government agency that issues bonds backed by FHA loans, reports that the average credit score on FHA-backed loans fell to 680 in 2013, and the average debt-to-income ratio rose to 40.3 percent — both indicators that credit may be easing. In comparison, Ginnie Mae reported in January 2013 that the average score was 701 and the debt-to-income ratio was 38 percent. “The FHA theoretically allows scores as low as 580,” the L.A. Times reports. “But lenders, buffeted by defaulted loans and demands that they buy back troubled loans that they sold, generally have set standards higher since the financial meltdown.” Source: The Los Angeles Times – http://www.latimes.com

A Note from Kristen: Actually FHA allows scores down to 500, but requires a down payment of 10% below 580. But many lenders do not want to underwrite loans under 640 (580 is the absolute minimum I have seen here in Charlotte, NC, and those loans also come with higher loan origination fees and interest rates). While many lenders have lowered minimum scores, FHA’s quality assurance initiatives ensure that lenders will still be underwriting their files under a microscope and looking at the loans carefully, because lenders now have to buy back their “bad” or defaulted loans if any errors are found in the original underwriting process. 

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Copyright © 2014 Realty Pros / New Home Buyers Brokers, Inc.

Kristen Haynes, Broker In Charge, GC, CMRS  Web: www.NewHomesNC-SC.com

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BUYING A HOME IS NOW 38 % CHEAPER THAN RENTING

Buying A Home Is Now 38% Cheaper Than Renting

For Sale sign- web

Is renting or buying a better financial bet? Every six months, Trulia’s chief economist Jed Kolko runs the numbers to answer that question and help you stay on top of the trends.  So what does Trulia’s Winter 2014 Rent vs. Buy Report tell us? Although the gap between renting and buying is narrowing across the U.S., homeownership is still 38% cheaper than renting.

Homeownership remains cheaper than renting nationally and in all of the 100 largest metro areas according to Trulia TRLA -2.21%’s latest Winter Rent vs. Buy report. Rising mortgage rates and home prices have narrowed the gap over the past year, though rates have recently dropped and price gains are slowing. Now, at a 30-year fixed rate of 4.5%, buying is 38% cheaper than renting nationally, versus being 44% cheaper one year ago.

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Will renting become cheaper than buying soon? Some markets might tip in favor of renting this year as prices continue to rise faster than rents and if – as most economists expect – mortgage rates rise, due both to the strengthening economy and Fed tapering.

For each metro, the economists identified the mortgage rate “tipping point” at which renting becomes cheaper than buying, given current prices and rents. If rates rise, Honolulu would become the first metro to tip, at a mortgage rate of 5.0%. San Jose and San Francisco would also tip before rates reach 6%. But those are the extreme markets. Nationally, rates would have to rise to 10.6% for renting to be cheaper than buying – and rates haven’t been that high since 1989.

7709 Compton Court

The rent versus buy math is different in each local market. Buying ranges from being just 5% cheaper than renting in Honolulu to being 66% cheaper than renting in Detroit. But even for a specific market, like ours here in Charlotte, NC, the cost of buying versus renting is cheaper- especially with interest rates hovering around 4.50 %! In the Carolinas, we hover somewhere in the 20% range, (cheaper to buy than to rent), with urban cities like Charlotte, or Raleigh, NC leading the surge.

The bottom line: Buying Beats Renting Until Mortgage Rates Hit 10.6%

Even though prices increased in most markets over the past year, low mortgage rates have kept homeownership from becoming more expensive than renting. Also, in some markets, like San Francisco and Seattle, rents have risen sharply; rising rents hurt affordability relative to incomes, but rising rents make buying look cheaper in comparison.

Thanks, Trulia, for all of the good data. But, really, what does it mean to me personally?

Lydia & Paul, Centex

Here’s a Realtor’s take on all of this data:

Non-withstanding all the numbers, above, I am going to add some other wrinkles to the equation for you to think about when measuring the equation.

When you rent a home, you don’t get any of the benefits of home ownership- which would be mortgage deduction, which can be substantial, as well as the ability to write off the majority of your property taxes. Don’t kid yourself- if you are renting, you still pay these “fees”, but it’s in the form of rent (your landlord is covering those costs in the rental of the unit- and the landlord is the one who now benefits from the write offs,- not you)!

For argument’s sake- let’s assume that you are comparing renting a 1400 square foot, 3 bedroom, 2 ½ bath condo in Uptown Charlotte, that rents for the market rental rate of $1700.00- versus purchasing a 2300 square foot, 4 bedroom, 2 ½ bath home in the same area of Charlotte, NC, priced at $260,000.

Copy of 314 South Cedar front color

The home sales price that you and your Realtor negotiate for the home ends up being $250,000 (and in the Charlotte, NC and Charleston, SC markets, the seller may even kick in additional money towards closing costs and a warranty, on top of the money off of the sales price, depending on what else you are asking for in the offer. Closing costs in our area generally range somewhere between 2 to 3 % of the loan value- usually with a max contribution of no more than 6 % from the seller).

You can use the free mortgage calculator on our website and check the estimated payment on any loan amount by clicking on: http://www.newhomesnc-sc.com/mortgage/calculator. Keep in mind that this will not take into account any closing costs that you or the seller pay towards your loan, which will be on top of your down payment.

Okay, so you found a couple of great options. You looked at your finances, got pre-approved by a local lender, ran the mortgage calculator to get a comfort level for what you can realistically afford, and have decided that IF you buy a place, you are going to put down a 10 % down payment. You decided that if you decide buy versus rent, you will plan on getting a fixed rate, 30 year loan, currently at 4.50 %- this with no points (which is a fancy term for extra money paid to the lender to buy down the interest rate).

Here’s how the math works: Assuming you are in a 34 % tax bracket (this changes with your income level, so check with your accountant if you are not sure), here’s how it breaks down as a comparison:

For a home worth $250,000 with a 30 year, fixed rate loan of 4.50 % and a 10 % down payment, vs. renting a similar place for $1700 a month in rent:

Sales Price of Home:                              $250,000.00               *See Note, below

– Down payment of 10 %:                      -$25,000.00   

= Financed/ Mortgage Amount of:       $225,000.00   

If you are obtaining a mortgage, here’s your PITI (Principal, Interest, Taxes and insurance), or total housing payment, based on a $225,000.00 mortgage for 30 years @ 4.50 %, assuming you have a tax bracket of 34%:

Principal and interest:                              $1140.00

Taxes (City of Charlotte):                            $267.50

Homeowner’s Insurance:                             $28.00

Total Monthly House Payment:           $1687.50

  • Note: In the above example, the property taxes are based on the tax value or sales price of $250,000.00, The principal and interest are based on the lower, mortgage financed amount of $225,000.

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Now, here’s the fun part, and what most people miss when looking dollar for dollar at renting versus buying:

You can write off a BIG portion of your mortgage payment and taxes, so this is how it compares, financially speaking. Here’s how to figure it out:

STEP ONE: Take your Principal and Interest payment and multiply times your tax bracket- in this case, $1140.00 x 34 %. That figure is: $387.60.

STEP TWO: Subtract the $387.60 from the P & I of $1140.00, which equals $752.40

STEP THREE: Take your Property Taxes and multiply times 98 (since you can write off only 98 % of your taxes). That figure, using our example, above, is $262.15. That you write off and take off as a debt. That’s all of your property taxes, less a difference of – $5.35 per month. That leaves you with a write-off for taxes in the amount of $262.15.

STEP FOUR: Subtract the amount of taxes that you cannot write off from the total monthly tax bill, which is the $5.35, and add it to your revised monthly Principal and Interest. That means taking the $752.40 and adding $5.35, the portion that you cannot write off and have to pay for, (just like rent)- for a total of $757.75.

So, by breaking it down, you can see that your actual payment for the home is really more like $757.75, compared to what “seemed” like the cheaper option of renting a home for $1700.00!

 12511 Agate b

Renting a Home– Monthly Payment- Actual Cost:    $1700.00

Buying a Home– Monthly Payment- Actual Cost:       $757.75

Monthly Difference / Savings to buy your home, versus renting one: +  $942.25

This is NOT a “slash in the pan”, trick of hand game to convince you to buy a home. It is the ACTUAL SCENARIO, using REAL MATH, and the tax benefits that are available to all of us in the United States of America- and it’s a classic example of why many people BUY instead of RENT a home.

Of course, on TOP of all of this good news, most economists agree that since the housing crash first hit in late 2007, we have hit the “bottom of the barrel”, statistically speaking, of downward trends in housing prices in most markets, nationwide.

Home prices are starting to trend upward in a major way- which means that if you rent for another year or two, you may be paying 20 % (or more) for the same, exact home!

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Any accountant will tell you that anything that appreciates in value positively adds to your overall financial well-being, and therefore, contributes to your bottom line. A car is generally a depreciating asset, unless you are a collector. A house is historically an appreciable asset (depending on what you buy it for and what you sell it for- sometimes even taking a loss can helps you, tax wise). A good general rule of thumb is to buy your home if you feel that you are going to be in the home long enough for it to make sense for you to not rent (ie, two to seven years), so you can take advantage of the mortgage deductions, home appreciation and tax advantages when you sell.

Now, if you are not sure that you want to stay in your current job or city or don’t want the hassle of home ownership (paying out of pocket for repairs), then maybe buying a home is not for you.

However, keep in mind, that there are Home Warranty companies that can take care of a service call for $65.00 a trip. You will pay for a yearly policy (they run about $369.00 per year in our market), and you can use it for most repairs that come up, with that trip charge as your only additional cash outlay. For example, the water heater stops working or the dishwasher needs repair. When you rent, it is obviously your landlord’s responsibility to repair anything mechanical or structural that breaks down. But, remember, HE is the one pocketing the tax and mortgage interest deductions savings every month and every year, so he probably has wiggle room in there for repairs!

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And, true, in the above scenario, you have to come up with a down payment. If you qualify, though, are plenty of lower down payment options out there. You may qualify for a zero down or reduced, FHA down payment (currently 3.50 %). If you are a law enforcement professional, and EMT, a teacher or a nurse, you may qualify for a $100 Down, Good Neighbor Next Door loan. If you buy a foreclosure, HUD or Bank REO home that is distressed and it needs repairs, you may qualify for a Streamlined 203 K FHA loan (to buy the home with a 3.50% down payment, PLUS, get money for future repairs). And, with most FHA loan programs, the down payment can even be a gift from a relative. See the link at: http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/program_offices/housing/sfh/reo/goodn/gnndabot

No matter what type of financing you choose, if you buy the house in the above scenario for $250,000, and you sell it in five years for $300,000, you just made $50,000- or $10,000.00 a year. In today’s environment, making $10,000 per year on an initial investment of only $25,000 (the cash / out of pocket down payment in the scenario, above) is very difficult to do, even with a safe investment like a bank CD! You certainly won’t make that at the current market investment rate of 2 percent!

How about EVEN MORE good news? When you sell that house to move up to buy a bigger one, you get to WRITE OFF THE TAX / ie, PROFIT, without paying “Capital Gains taxes” on the transfer of the money (like you would if you sold shares of stock). That’s right- you can write off $250,000 (if filing separately), or $500,000 of the profit (if filing jointly / married)- ALL OF IT 100 % TAX FREE! You can do this, again and again- not just one time, like in the past! One caveat, though- you have to physically live in the home for 2 out of 5 years to use this tax advantage. It can’t be just a rental. Sure, you can rent it for three out of five years- but you have to actually live there for 2 years during that 5 year minimum time frame.

That’s a serious use of smart money that any one can take advantage of! See this article, brought to you by www.Bankrate.com, for an easy explanation of how to use the $250,000 / $500,000 exclusion: http://www.bankrate.com/finance/money-guides/home-sale-capital-gains-1.aspx

That’s it in a nutshell, folks! If you have any further questions or comments, feel free to comment or contact me to discuss how it applies to your specific situation.

Please note that we are not accountants or economists, and your situation may differ from the above scenario. But, generally, this is a good ‘rule of thumb” to use as a guide as to whether buying or renting is the best option for you.

16101 Wright's Ferry - 2

Have questions or want to see what is available for sale in the Charlotte, NC or Charleston, SC areas? Contact me for a list of properties in your area:

Direct: 704-905-4062 or Toll-Free: 1-877-372-2252

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Kristen Haynes, Realtor, BIC, GC, CMRS New Home Buyers Brokers / Realty Pros

Email: khaynes@newhomesnc-sc.com

Web: http://NewHomesNC-SC.com

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Broker In Charge, Unlimited Building General Contractor, Certified Military Residential Specialist
Boards: 2009-2014, Professional Standards Committee, Charlotte Regional Realtor Association
2008-2009, Independent Broker Owner Council, Charlotte Regional Realtor Association
Member: Charlotte Regional Multiple Listing Service, Charleston-Trident Multiple Listing Service, National Association of Realtors, National HUD Broker, Charlotte Regional Realtor Association, NC Licensing Board for General Contractors, BBB. EHO.

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