Mortgage Rates & Trends

Freddie Mac published their weekly mortgage rates survey today.  They found that mortgage rates increased for the first time in five weeks, as the average rate on a 30 year fixed mortgage increased from 4.19 percent to 4.21 percent last week.  The average rate on a 15 year fixed rate mortgage inc...

FHA mortgages are gaining popularity over the last few years among first time home buyers throughout the country. These types of mortgages are provided by FHA-approved lenders and insured by the Federal Housing Administration so that borrowers who may not be able to meet the strict requirements o...

This is a ignominious record to be sure: according to a Bloomberg article by Dan Levy, home seizures due to foreclosure hit an all-time high in September as lenders seized more than 102,000 houses according to a RealtyTrac report.  This is an increase over August, when more than 95,000 homes were...

Freddie Mac released their weekly mortgage rates survey earlier today, and found that the average rate on a 30 year fixed rate mortgage fell to 4.19 percent last week, down from 4.27 percent the week prior.  The average rate on a 15 year fixed mortgage fell to 3.62 percent, down from 3.72 percent...

Are the rich different than the rest of us*?  It depends on whose data you believe. From a story on HousingWire.com yesterday, we learned that Moody’s Investors Service believes that strategic defaults on jumbo mortgages ($1m+) are occurring at the same rate as delinquencies on conventional mortg...

For the sixth consecutive week, mortgage rates reached a new record low.  According to Freddie Mac, the average mortgage rate on a 30 year fixed rate mortgage hit 4.54 percent this past week.  Rates on 15 year fixed rate mortgages are at 4 percent. These are the lowest rates since Freddie Mac sta...

Make sure you ask the seller for these key items at or before your closing When the big day arrives to close on the purchase of your home, make sure you get everything you need. Many first time home buyers don't know what they should ask for when closing on their new home. If you have a good rela...

Learn how monthly mortgage amortization works How mortgage payments are calculated is a mystery for most home buyers and even for many Realtors and loan officers. The reason it is a mystery is because the formula to calculate the monthly payment for an amortizing mortgage is the following: To cal...

If you are ready to buy a home in New Jersey, the following guide will help you in understanding how the home buying process works in New Jersey. Wherever you are going to buy a home, the first step of every home buyer is to put together your team of professionals ( Home buyers should make sure ...

Learn how homeowners can plan to minimize the stress of having two homes. Want to sell your house and buy another one? Your overall financial position will determine how you can complete this transaction. In an ideal scenario, you put your home up for sale, find a buyer and sign a contract to clo...