101 to get to Closing on Your Home.

Mortgage approval isn’t final until it’s funded.  Things can change prior to the loan being closed that can affect a pre-approval such as changes in the borrowers’ financial situation or possibly, factors beyond their control like interest rate changes.


Good advice to buyers is to do nothing that can affect your credit report until the loan closes. Opening new credit cards, taking on new debt for a car or furniture or changing jobs could affect the lender’s decision if they believe you may no longer be able to repay the loan.

The benefits of buyer’s pre-approval are definitive: it saves time, money and removes the uncertainty of knowing whether the buyer is qualified. The direct benefits include:

• Amount the buyer can borrow - decreases as interest rates rise
• Looking at “Right” homes - price, size, amenities, location
• Find the best loan - rate, term, type
• Uncover credit issues early - time to cure possible problems 
• Bargaining power - price, terms, & timing 
• Close quicker - verifications have been made

It is a very common practice for mortgage lenders to require income and bank verifications and to re-run the borrowers’ credit one final time just prior to closing. Mortgage approval isn’t final until it’s funded.

Do You Need Down Payment Assistance? You May Actually Have it and Don't Realize It.

Saving the down payment may be unnecessarily keeping would-be buyers from getting into a home. They may be unaware that the funds might be available.
The NAR Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers reports that 81% of first-time buyers got all or part of their down payment from savings. Less than 4% said that all or part of the down payment came from a withdrawal in their IRA and 8% from their 401(k) or pension fund. 
Traditional IRAs have a provision for first-time buyers which include anyone who hasn’t owned a home in the previous two years. A person and their spouse, if married, can each withdraw up to $10,000 from their traditional IRA for a first-time home purchase without incurring the 10% early-withdrawal penalty. However, they will have to recognize the withdrawal as income in that tax year. For more information, go to IRS.gov.
Allowable withdrawals from traditional IRAs can be from yourself and your spouse; your or your spouse’s child; your or your spouse’s grandchild or your or your spouse’s parent or ancestor.
Roth IRA owners can withdraw their contributions tax-free and penalty-free at any age for any reason because the contributions were made with post-tax income. After age 59 ½, earnings may be withdrawn as long as the Roth IRA have been in existence for at least five years.
Up to half of the balance of a 401(k) or $50,000, whichever is less, can be borrowed by the owner at any age for any reason without tax or penalty assuming the employer permits it. There can be specific rules for loans from a 401(k) that would determine the repayment; interest is usually charged but goes back into the owner’s account. You can consult with your HR department to find out the specifics.
A risk in borrowing against a 401(k) comes if your employment ends before the loan has been repaid. The loan may have to be repaid as soon as 60 days to keep the loan from being considered a withdrawal and subject to tax and penalty. Even if you continue with the same employer, failure to repay the loan could be considered a withdrawal also.
Your tax professional can provide you specific information on how making a withdrawal from your retirement program might affect you. Additional information can be found on www.IRS.gov.

Down Payment Options for Buyers.

For the person who has good credit and income but not enough money for the down payment on a home, their qualified retirement program could offer them some help. The rules are different depending on whether it is a 401(k), a Roth IRA or a traditional IRA.
Up to half of the balance of a 401(k) or $50,000, whichever is less, can be borrowed by the owner at any age for any reason without tax or penalty assuming the employer permits it. There can be specific rules for loans from 401ks that would determine the repayment; interest is usually charged but goes back into the owner’s account. You can consult with your HR department to find out the specifics.
A risk in borrowing against a 401(k) comes if your employment ends before the loan has been repaid. The loan may have to be repaid with as soon as 60 days to keep the loan from being considered a withdrawal and subject to tax and penalty. Even if you continue with the same employer, failure to repay the loan could be considered a withdrawal also.
Roth IRA owners can withdraw their contributions tax-free and penalty-free at any age for any reason because the contributions were made with post-tax income. After age 59 ½, earnings may be withdrawn as long as the Roth IRA have been in existence for at least five years.
Traditional IRAs have a provision for first-time buyers which include anyone who hasn’t owned a home in the previous two years. A person and their spouse, if married, can each withdrawn up to $10,000 from their traditional IRA for a first-time home purchase without incurring the 10% early-withdrawal penalty. However, they will have to recognize the withdrawal as income in that tax year. For more information, go to IRS.gov.
Another interesting fact about this provision is that the taxpayer making the withdrawal can help a relative includes children, grandchildren, parents and grandparents.
If you want more information to clearly understand the issues involved relative to your specific situation, talk to your tax professional or consult www.IRS.gov.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RubetZfdjuY

When Rates Go Up

Rising interest rates are great if you are renewing a certificate of deposit but not so much when you’re borrowing money. With interest rates on the rise as well as home prices, housing affordability is a concern for would-be homeowners.
A rough rule of thumb is that a person’s or family’s housing should not exceed 28% of their monthly gross income. While rental rates and home prices have been consistently increasing, mortgage rates have been soaring in the past month. In one week, according to the Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey, they jumped by .5%.
This means that people have to pay a larger percentage of their income for housing unless their incomes have been increasing at an equal pace.  A $200,000 mortgage would be over $100 more per month if closed in July compared to closing at the interest rates available in January of 2013.
If rates increase by .5% by the time you close on the same size mortgage, payments would increase by almost $60 per month. In order to keep the payments the same, a borrower would have to put an additional $11,000 down to lower the mortgage amount.


Check out how your payment would be affected if interest rates continue to rise.
The National Association of REALTORS® suggests that housing is more affordable now than one year ago. However, with all of the variables in play including inflation that was not addressed in this piece, it is unclear how long conditions will remain “affordable”.

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Become your kid's mortgage lender

Become your kid's mortgage lender

This is an interesting article!!! Thought you guys would enjoy reading it!!! Hey it's better than the banks return in CDs, saving and money market accounts!!!

Homeowner Versus Renter Population

Homeowner Versus Renter Population

Alabama Step Up Program

A lot of you may not know but the State of Alabama has a great down payment assistance program called "Step Up Program" that is offered through the Alabama Housing Finance Authority. I know your thinking what's the catch? But it really is a great program available for those that need it. Yes, there are some things you have to qualify for but the restrictions aren't bad and a lot of people actually do qualify.

Here are some of the qualifications.


You can't earn more than $97, 500

You have to take a homebuyers education course and there are only certain amount of fund available. So it is a first come first service basis. You also have to find a lender that participates in the program but you'll find that a lot of lenders participate in the program which makes for great lender options.
Some of the amazing things about the program is that there is no limit to the price of home you buy and its a fixed mortgage that is about the same as the current market interest rate and you make one payment since its combined with your primary mortgage. Some other things that are great about the program is that it doesn\'t matter where the home is! The house qualifies! And you don't have to a first time home buyer!

If your interested in getting more information on the program visit the website.

You can also call the following number to find a participating lender in your area.
1.800.325.2432 or visit www.AHFA.com.

Qualified Residential Mortgage (QRM) and Risk Retention: Background

The link shown above provided by the National Association of REALTORS provides information related to Qualified Residential Mortgage and Risk Retention: Background.

Did You Know: Who is Buying Homes More Than $500,000

Did You Know: Who is Buying Homes More Than $500,000
August 14, 2009

By Jessica Lautz, Research Economist







Nineteen percent of people who bought homes that were more than $500,000 were first-time buyers.
One in five buyers of luxury homes (those priced more than $500,000).
In comparison, 43 percent of homes priced less than $500,000 were first-time home buyers.
The median age of buyers who purchased a home more than $500,000 was 42. This is just slightly older than the median age of those who purchased a home under $500,000—39.
The median gross household income, predictably, is substantially higher among luxury home buyers. Those who purchased homes more than $500,000 typically had a household income of $154,600.
Almost one-third of luxury home buyers had a household income above $200,000.
The median household income for those who purchased a home under $500,000 was $71,600.
For a complete 2009 NAR Member Profile - available free only for REALTOR® members this year - click here.


Who is buying homes more than $500,000?

Less than $500,000 More than $500,000
First-time buyer 43% 19%
Repeat buyer 57 81

Age:
18-24 6% 1%
25-44 56 54
45-64 30 38
65 or older 8 7


Median 39 42

Gross Household Income

Less than $54,999 24% 4%
$55,000 - $74,999 22 5
$75,000 - $99,999 21 9
$100,000 - $149,999 18 26
$150,000 - $199,999 5 22
$200,000 or more 3 31
Median $71,600 $154,600


This is one in a series of commentaries by the Research staff of the National Association of REALTORS®. Read more commentaries >

Comments? Questions? E-mail NAR Research.

NAR members, learn how you can add this commentary to your Web site, blog, or newsletter. Read more >




More Research Resources
Commercial Market Survey
Commercial Resource Guide
Local Market Information
Realtors®' Confidence Index
Median Prices Interactive Map
State Sales Interactive Map
Housing Data
Economic Indicators


Fast Facts
Nearly one-quarter of first-time buyers are single females who purchased their first home on a median income of $47,400.
Source: 2008 NAR Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers.