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Reverse Mortgages 101: How This Unique Financial Product Can Make Your Life Easier

November 3, 2021 by Valeria Gaufillier

Reverse Mortgages 101: How This Unique Financial Product Can Make Your Life EasierIf you’ve been in your home for a while and have considered other loan options, you may have heard the term reverse mortgage without being aware of how this product can benefit you. While this type of mortgage works for those who have a high amount of equity in their home, here are the details on reverse mortgages and how this product may work for you.

What’s A Reverse Mortgage?

The reverse mortgage was created in 2009 as the Home Equity Conversion Mortgage for Purchase (HECM) and is something that can be used by those who are older than 62. As this type of mortgage does not require the homeowner to pay monthly mortgage payments, it enables those who use it to repay their loan after they move out or pass on. If the cost of maintaining your home is manageable and you don’t plan on moving, this can be a useful option.

The Requirements For Reverse Mortgages

Beyond the age requirement, those who want to utilize this product need to own their current property or have a high amount of equity in it. They must have the ability to pay any insurance and property tax on the home, and they must comply with the standards that are set by the Federal House Administration (FHA). This means that applicants may require documentation like bank statements to confirm their financial security, or even pay stubs if they are still receiving a monthly income.

The Pros And Cons

A reverse mortgage can be an option for those who don’t want to make a regular monthly payment on their home and would like to turn it into a source of additional funds while still owning it. While this can be an option to for those who want to stabilize their monthly expenditures, it’s also important to be aware that there can be higher costs associated with a reverse mortgage. In addition to a higher interest rate, reverse mortgages incur a higher overall interest payment since monthly payments are deferred until the loan is paid in full.

There are many types of mortgage products out there on the market, but you may not be aware that a reverse mortgage or the Home Equity Conversion Mortgage for Purchase (HECM) can be a useful option for many seniors. If you are wondering if this option is right for you, contact your trusted mortgage professional for more information.

Filed Under: Home Mortgage Tips Tagged With: Home Mortgage Tips, Mortgage, Reverse Mortgages

Luxury Selling: How to Qualify Potential Buyers to Ensure They Can Afford Your Home

November 2, 2021 by Valeria Gaufillier

Luxury Selling: How to Qualify Potential Buyers to Ensure They Can Afford Your HomeLuxury estates can be a challenge to sell. The more expensive a home is, the less potential buyers there are. The biggest hassle is going through the process with people who can’t actually afford the home, only to have it fall apart at the last minute.

Here are some ways to make sure the property is only being viewed by qualified buyers.

Only Accept Offers From Buyers Who Are Pre-Qualified From A Lender

One of the only ways to guarantee a buyer will be able to afford a luxury home is to let the bank do the work on your behalf. By only accepting offers from people who have been pre-qualified by a lender, it allows the seller the peace of mind of knowing that every offer is a legitimate one.

Luxury Agents Will Have Vetted Their Clients

Working with a real estate agent with a specialty in luxury properties is one way to make sure the vetting process is handled effectively and legally. These agents do not have time to waste with people who can’t afford a home in this price range and they will have a roster of clients who are not only looking for a new luxury house, but can afford one. Talk to the neighbors and see who their buying agent was. This will give an idea of which professionals are working with clients who can afford the neighborhood.

Use Broker Open Houses Over The Traditional Open House

Hosting an open house in a luxury home is a dangerous prospect. There is no way of knowing how many visitors can actually afford the home and how many just want to look around to see how the other half lives. On top of that, it’s a serious safety risk as luxury open houses bring out potential thieves to case the place and see what the security is like.

For luxury sellers a broker open house is the best course of action. These open houses are closed to the public and only available to brokers who have clients that are looking for a luxury home.

There are more luxury homes on the market than buyers and standing out is important if you want to sell quickly. Trying to sell a home like this on your own is a disaster waiting to happen. Make sure to talk to real estate agents in the area who deal with luxury properties until you find one you are comfortable with. Contact your local real estate professional today for more information.

Filed Under: Home Seller Tips Tagged With: Home Seller Tips, Real Estate Tips, Selling a Home

What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week – November 1, 2021

November 1, 2021 by Valeria Gaufillier

What's Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week - November 1, 2021Last week’s economic reports included readings on home price growth from S&P Case-Shiller Home Price Indices, data on new home sales, and the University of Michigan’s Consumer Sentiment Index. Weekly readings on mortgage rates and jobless claims were also published. 

Case-Shiller: Home Price Growth Slower, but Prices Aren’t Falling

National home prices rose by a seasonally-adjusted annual pace of 19.80 percent in August, which was incrementally lower than July’s year-over-year home price growth rate. Analysts said that rising mortgage rates caused some buyers to leave the market and eased demand in areas where bidding wars drove home prices beyond market value in some areas.

The S&P Case-Shiller 20-City Home Price Index reported a seasonally-adjusted annual pace of  19.70 percent growth for August home prices in metro areas included in the index. Home price growth was slower than July’s year-over-year reading of 20.00 percent. Phoenix, Arizona held the top position with year-over-year home price growth of 33.30 percent. San Diego, California maintained second place with year-over-year home price growth of 26.20 percent. Tampa, Florida displaced previous holders of third place with its home price growth rate of 25.90 percent.

Craig J. Lazzara, managing director and global head of index investment strategy at  S&P Dow Jones Indices, said: “Every one of our city and composite indices stands at its all-time high, and year-over-year price growth continues to be very strong, although moderating somewhat from last month’s levels.”

The Federal Housing Finance Administration, which oversees Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, published similar results for home price growth in August. Lynn Fisher, deputy director for research and statistics at FHFA, said, “Annual house price gains remained extremely high in August, but the pace of month-over-month gains continues to decelerate…This suggests we may have seen the peak in annual home price  gains for the time being.”

Recent home price growth was driven by high demand for homes and limited supplies of new and pre-owned homes for sale, but rapidly rising home prices and mortgage rates sidelined some buyers.

Mortgage Rates Rise as Jobless Claims Fall

Freddie Mac reported higher average mortgage rates last week as the rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages rose five basis points to 3.14 percent. Rates for 15-year fixed-rate mortgages rose four basis points and averaged 2.37 percent. The average rate for a  5/1 adjustable-rate mortgage rose two basis points to 2.56 percent. Discount points averaged 0.70 percent for fixed-rate mortgages and 0.30 percent for 5/1 adjustable-rate mortgages.

Initial jobless claims fell to 281,000 first-time claims filed as compared to the prior week’s reading of 291,000 new claims filed. Ongoing jobless claims filed also decreased with 2.24 million continuing claims filed as compared to 2.48 million continuing jobless claims filed during the prior week.

The University of Michigan’s Consumer Sentiment Index for October rose to an index reading of 71.7 as compared to September’s reading of 71.4. Analysts expected a reading of 71.9 for October.

What’s Ahead

This week’s scheduled economic news includes readings on construction spending, the post-meeting statement, and a press conference from the Fed’s Federal Open Market Committee and Fed Chair Jerome Powell. Data on public and private-sector jobs will be released along with the national unemployment rate. Weekly readings on mortgage rates and jobless claims will also be published.

Filed Under: Financial Reports Tagged With: COVID19, Financial Report, Jobless Claims

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Valeria Gaufillier

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Eastern Financial Mortgage
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