Last week’s economic reporting included readings on home prices, new and pending home sales, and the post-meeting statement of the Fed’s Federal Open Market Committee. Weekly readings on mortgage rates and jobless claims were also released. S&P Case-Shiller Home Price Indices: Home Price Growth Breaks Records for Second Consecutive Month National home prices grew by 16.60 percent year-over-year in May according to S&P Case-Shiller’s National Home Price Index. April’s reading reported year-over-year home price growth of 14.80 percent. Home price growth broke records for the second month in a row in May. S&P Case-Shiller’s 20-City Home Price Index … [Continue Reading...]
If you're like most homeowners, you probably believe that one missed mortgage payment won't have a noticeable impact on your FICO score. People get behind now and then, and besides, you've been faithfully making payments on time for years. How bad could it be? In truth, even one missed mortgage payment could seriously damage your FICO score. Lenders can report missed monthly payments whenever they choose - they don't need to wait until a certain date to do it. That means even if your mortgage payment is a few days late, your lender may report it as unpaid. So what exactly happens to a FICO score when you miss a mortgage payment? Here's what you need to know. Payment History: The Single … [Continue Reading...]
Home prices continued to rise at record rates in May according to S&P Case-Shiller Home Price Indices. National home prices rose by 16.60 percent year-over-year in May as compared to 14.80 percent year-over-year price growth in April. The 10-City Home Price Index reported home prices rose 16.40 percent year-over-year and 1.90 percent month-to-month. 20-City Home Price Index Reports 17 Percent Home Price Growth Year-Over-Year S&P Case-Shiller’s 20-City Home Price Index reported month-to-month home price growth of two percent in May as year-over-year home price gains rose from April’s reading of 15 percent to 17 percent year-over-year home price growth. All cities … [Continue Reading...]
If you have equity in your home, you may wonder how you can access it. You don’t want to sell your home, but you know you’ve earned a profit from it. We have many options to secure your home’s equity, one of which is the FHA cash-out refinance. Unlike the FHA streamline refinance, you don’t have to be a current FHA borrower. As long as you meet the requirements below, you can use an FHA loan to cash into your home’s equity. Qualifying for the FHA Cash-Out Refinance Like an FHA purchase loan, the FHA cash-out refinance has simple requirements: Minimum 600 credit score Maximum 43% debt-to-income ratio Proof you’ll occupy the property as your primary … [Continue Reading...]
There are a few parts of American culture that people believe define this country. One element is the dream of homeownership. There is a strong belief that people need a place to call home. Therefore, since the dawn of this country, the government has tried to incentivize people to purchase a home. At the same time, there are some people who are looking at the younger generation, wondering if this American Dream is starting to change. Is homeownership still a part of the American Dream? Americans Still Believe In The Idea Of Homeownership Hard work and owning a home appear to be inseparable. There is still a belief that as long as people work hard and save money, they can fulfill the … [Continue Reading...]
Last week’s economic reporting included readings from the National Association of Home Builders Housing Market Index, data on sales of new and previously-owned homes, and weekly reports on mortgage rates and jobless claims. NAHB: Affordability, Shortages of Labor and Materials Impacting U.S. Housing Markets Housing market conditions are changing according to July’s Housing Market Index produced by the National Association of Home Builders. Although the HMI reading declined by one point in July, ongoing trends including labor shortages, higher prices for building materials, and affordability impacted builder confidence in overall market conditions. July’s index reading was … [Continue Reading...]
