Tawnya King

03 Jan 2022

What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week – January 3, 2022

Financial Reports

Last week’s economic reporting included readings from S&P Case-Shiller Home Price Indices and the National Association of Realtors® released its monthly report on pending home sales. Weekly reports on mortgage rates and jobless claims were also released. S&P Case-Shiller Reports Show Slower Gains in Home Prices October home price readings from S&P Case-Shiller Home Price Indices showed slower home price growth in October than for September. Nationally, October home prices rose 19.10 percent year-over-year as compared to 19.70 percent year-over-year home price growth in September. October’s reading was the fourth highest since the inception of the National Home Price Index…

29 Dec 2021

By Tawnya King

Do You Need Mortgage Insurance Even If It’s Not Required By Your Lender? Let’s Take A Look

Home Buyer Tips

Finding a proper mortgage loan and understanding the processing procedures behind the loan is the basis of good research. The down payment on a mortgage loan is typically significant when dealing with mortgage insurance. Most loan applications with less than 20% down payment are required to include mortgage insurance with the loan. However, mortgage insurance may still be required even if it's not typically required by your lender. Underwriting Requirements Most home mortgage applications undergo a strict set of standards for approval. These standards are known as underwriting and make up the bulk of time spent on a mortgage application.…

28 Dec 2021

By Tawnya King

Major Mistakes Which Are Sure to Increase Your Closing Costs

Home Mortgage Tips

When shopping for a mortgage, it is important to take closing costs into account. While some closing costs are the same for all lenders, different programs may add or reduce some of the burden borrowers face when closing on a home loan. Let's take a look at some major mistakes that could result in borrowers paying more than they need to in closing costs. 1) Failing to Take Property Taxes Into Account Property taxes are generally put into an escrow account that is established prior to closing on the home loan. In most cases, a homeowner will have to pay…

27 Dec 2021

By Tawnya King

What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week – December 27, 2021

Financial Reports

Last week’s scheduled economic reporting included readings on sales of new and previously-owned homes along with weekly data on mortgage rates and jobless claims. Home Sales Increase in November Sales of new and previously-owned homes rose in November. The Commerce Department reported sales of new homes rose to 744,000 sales on a seasonally-adjusted annual basis. October sales of new homes were revised to a year-over-year reading of 662,000 new homes sold, which was the lowest reading since the worst stage of the pandemic in April 2020. Analysts expected a year-over-year reading of 766,000 new homes sold for November. The median…

22 Dec 2021

By Tawnya King

The ‘Debt to Income’ Ratio and How It Affects Your Home Purchase

Mortgage Tips

The real estate market is rife with terminology that can make a home purchase seem more than a little complicated. If you're currently looking for a home and are considering your loan options, you may have even heard the term 'Debt to Income' ratio. In the interest of simplifying things, here are some insights on what this term means and how it can impact your home investment. Determining Your 'Debt to Income' Ratio It's important to consider what exactly your DTI ratio is before your home purchase as this will quickly determine how much home you can actually afford. To…

21 Dec 2021

By Tawnya King

What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week – December 21, 2021

Financial Reports

Last week’s economic reports included readings from the National Association of Home Builders on housing markets and the monthly post-meeting statement from Federal Reserve policymakers. Fed Chair Jerome Powell also gave a press conference. Weekly readings on mortgage rates and jobless claims were also published. Builder Confidence in Housing Markets Rises by One Point in December Homebuilder confidence in current national housing market conditions rose one point to an index reading of 84 in December and met analysts’ expectations. December’s reading was the highest since February. Component readings for the National Association of Home Builders Housing Market Index were lower…

17 Dec 2021

By Tawnya King

It’s Not Just Car Storage: How to Transform Your Garage into a Brand New, Highly Usable Space

Around The Home

In some homes, garages are used only for car storage. They may appear to be bare and without real functional use for homeowners. However, other garages may be an envy of the neighborhood - they may have floor to ceiling shelving systems, and they may be the picture-perfect image of organization. With a bit of planning and creativity, you can turn your garage into a much more functional space. Here's how you can make your garage the most useful space in the house. Determine What You Need To Store One of the most important steps to take when improving the…