Subscribe Now!

Tuesday, April 8, 2014

Zero Down Payment Home For Sale

There are still some ZERO DOWN loan programs available


   photo f2c80bc8-d44c-49ed-89ab-663021c71bcc_zps502888e6.png

If you pay more than $800 per month for rent, you may be paying too much.  For pictures and location of this fine home click the box.  You'll receive powerful information that helped me purchase my home with no money out of pocket!  You can do it too!!

AMEC  NMLS  267557   150953   Regulated by the Division of Real Estate

Friday, April 4, 2014

FEATURED LISTING BY BERNADETTE MATTHIENSEN

...


18 Leibel Court, Los Lunas, NM  87031 

$399,500      MLS  #809750





Listed by:  Bernadette Matthiensen
ALFRESCO KITCHEN! PRIVATE COURTYARD ready for that DELUXE ALFRESCO KITCHEN Piped for Built In Gas Stove/Grill~Sink~Hot & Cold Water, as well as Water Feature…Build that Water Fountain you have always wanted or that Coy Pond.
This home designed for Indoor Outdoor Living.Entertain in the Private Courtyard or take full advantage of the Views from the Patio off the Dining Room!
Both are Perfect for entertaining guests.  Kitchen sports Prep Sink for preparing those amazing Hor d Oeuvre’s while enjoying the Views.
Chill your Wine in the Beverage Cooler. Display your favorite wine glasses in a glass door cabinet.  Outdoor acoustics add ambiance.
Top off the evening with a soft glow from the gas fireplace…Entire House Audio IN/OUT,  Handicap Doors as well as oversize Halls.

Free Mortgage Pre-Approval and Interest Rate Quote


For a tour of this home email Bernadette Matthiensen at bernadette777@comcast.net  or  call her at 505-804-1372

Thursday, February 27, 2014

REAL ESTATE REPORT FEBRUARY 2014



Real Estate Trends Newsletter -- A weekly news update for mortgage professionals
Oil Hits $100
Another effect of a long and cold winter is invariably the rising cost of energy. Energy bills get hit with a double whammy in a cold winter. First, homes use more energy for heating purposes because of the cold and because we are home more often and secondly the cost of the energy we use goes up because of higher demand. Thus after a nice respite with lower energy costs which helped the economy last year, we start this year with oil prices hitting a benchmark of $100 per barrel in the middle of February with natural gas prices rising as well. The next question is–will this hurt the economy?

When consumers spend more on energy costs, this leaves less discretionary income to spend elsewhere. So it is not surprising that we saw a weak report on retail sales released recently. We should also point out that more energy used by homes also increases economic output and this will factor in the first quarter numbers as well. However, it is the cold spurring higher energy prices–not stronger economic growth. The cold winter will end soon. This means that higher energy prices could be a temporary phenomenon.

Or, if the economy is bolstered by latent demand after the long and cold winter, these levels could be the new normal. Energy costs affect more than consumer spending — they affect consumer trends as well. For example, higher energy costs spur housing sales closer to the center of cities versus the far out suburbs. This is part of a trend that has been occurring over the past decade. Thus, the cost of oil and gas bears watching even when we are not at the pump enjoying the better weather ahead. Meanwhile we will see economic reports this week covering consumer confidence, personal income and spending, as well as pending and new home sales as we approach another wave of jobs data next week.
WEEKLY INTEREST RATE OVERVIEW
The Markets. Rates rose moderately for the second straight week. Freddie Mac announced that for the week ending February 20, 30-year fixed rates increased to 4.33% from 4.28% the week before. The average for 15-year loans was up slightly to 3.35%. Adjustable rates rose slightly as well with the average for one-year adjustables rising to 2.57% and five-year adjustables increasing to 3.08%. A year ago 30-year fixed rates were at 3.56%. Attributed to Frank Nothaft, vice president and chief economist, Freddie Mac — “Rates on home loans crept up further following the uptick in the 10-year Treasury yield as minutes of the Federal Reserve’s last meeting indicated little possibility of a pause in the central bank’s reduction of bond purchases.

Housing starts in January fell 16 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 888,000 units, below consensus forecast. Permits were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 937,000 in January, also below consensus.”  Rates indicated do not include fees and points and are provided for evidence of trends only. They should not be used for comparison purposes.
Current Indices For Adjustable Rate Mortgages Updated February 21, 2014
Daily ValueMonthly Value
Feb 20January
6-month Treasury Security0.08% 0.07%
1-year Treasury Security0.12% 0.12%
3-year Treasury Security0.72% 0.78%
5-year Treasury Security1.57% 1.65%
10-year Treasury Security2.76% 2.86%
12-month LIBOR  0.575% (Jan)
12-month MTA  0.129% (Jan)
11th District Cost of Funds  0.784% (Dec)
Prime Rate  3.25%

REAL ESTATE NEWS
Even though new federal rules for home loans kicked in this year, and lenders’ standards remain high, Americans are increasingly likely to think it’s “easy” to get a home loan, (or jumbo home loan), according to a report released recently. Last month 52% of respondents to a survey from federally controlled mortgage buyer Fannie Mae said they thought it would be “easy” to get a home loan today. That share was a record-high for the series, which goes back to mid-2010. Fannie’s survey polls 1,000 American adults each month. January’s result should be good news for housing-market observers (in places like Denver and Albuquerque) who have been concerned about the impact of new rules, along with rising rates, on demand. It seems that at least some would-be borrowers aren’t letting an evolving marketplace get them too down. Indeed, 70% of Fannie’s respondents said in January that they would buy a home if they were to move, matching a series high hit in October. While Fannie’s results may be a bit surprising, recent data from the Federal Reserve signaled that some large banks are easing standards for prime home mortgages. Source: Market Watch
The housing market is heating up, yet many house hunters are not prepared to take on the biggest purchases of their lives. When it comes to home loans, homebuyers answered basic questions about terms, how to choose a lender and financing wrong nearly one-third of the time, according to an April survey of more than 1,000 current and prospective homeowners by real estate website Zillow. Among the survey’s findings, 31% of buyers don’t think it’s possible to get a home loan for less than 5% down; 34% don’t know what the term “annual percentage rate” (APR) means and one in four believe you must close with the lender that pre-approves your home loan. And 24% of buyers believe the best deals are available through the banks where they currently have their savings and checking accounts, but often competing lenders can undercut those banks by large margins. “If a homebuyer can lower their interest rate by even half a percentage point, they can not only increase their purchasing power, but save thousands of dollars over the life of the loan,” said Lantz. Many house hunters go shopping with financing in place because it enables them to act more quickly if they see a home they want. But 26% of buyers believe that once they’re pre-approved, they’re obligated to close the deal with those loans, according to the survey. In reality, there’s no obligation. If buyers see better terms available they should take them. Existing homeowners can also be guilty of ignorance. Some 20% of homeowners surveyed didn’t know that underwater loans — those in which borrowers owe more than their homes are worth — can be refinanced into lower rate loans. Finally, the survey found that nearly a third of homeowners are unaware that if they go through a foreclosure or short sale, they may not have to wait the full seven years it takes for their credit score to recover and they can buy a home again. In reality,
some homeowners who do short sales can obtain financing to buy another home in as little as two years. Source: CNN/Money
Builders are expected to increase new-home production in 2014, but the sector continues to grapple with several challenges that could hinder its progress, economists said at the National Association of Home Builders International Builders’ Show this week in Las Vegas. 

“Consumers are back, pent-up demand is emerging, there is a growing need for new construction, distressed sales are diminishing, and builders see it,” says David Crowe, NAHB’s chief economist. However, builders continue to face rising costs for building materials, difficulties in obtaining appraisals that reflect builders’ prices, and limited availability in labor and developed lots, Crowe says. Borrowing costs will likely inch higher this year since rates are expected to climb as the Fed begins to taper its $85 billion per month bond-buying stimulus program. Still, “regarding rates, we’ve gone from dirt cheap to cheap, and I think we will see a gradual rise of about a half a percentage point to 5 percent in 2014,” says Frank Nothaft, Freddie Mac’s chief economist. Even then, he adds, “most markets will remain quite affordable.” New-home sales are averaging 8.7 percent of total home sales – just barely half the historical average of 16.1 percent, according to NAHB. Crowe projects 1.15 million total housing starts in 2014, up nearly 25 percent from the 2013 total of 928,000 units. Single-family production is expected to increase 32 percent in 2014 to 822,000 units, and then rise an additional 41 percent to 1.16 million units in 2015. Source: NAHB
This is a guest commentary from Melvin Vallejos through Origination Pro

Monday, February 10, 2014

HOUSING OUTLOOK FOR 2014


Housing Outlook 2014: 10 Predictions From The Experts
In 2013, the housing recovery was a welcome bright spot for the economy: prices were shooting up, fewer homeowners were underwater, and builder confidence was finally on the upswing. It’s looking like 2014 should be another good year for housing–mostly. Here are ten things housing experts expect to see in 2014:
1. More homes will be available
Short supply drove rapid price increases at the beginning of 2013, but watch for that to change next year. Realtor.com notes that the inventory (homes available for purchase) shortage began to soften in February. New construction and rising prices should bring more homes, both new and old, on to the market in 2014, helping inventory return to traditional levels.



Online real estate database Zillow predicts rates will hit 5% by the end of 2014–well up from the 4′s and 3′s of late, but still well within normal levels. New Fed Reserve chief Janet Yellen is expected to continue Ben Bernanke’s policy of keeping mortgage rates low by buying blocks of mortgage-backed securities, but the Fed’s bond-buying taper could push rates higher. “While this will make homes more expensive to finance – the monthly payment on a $200,000 loan will rise by roughly $160 – it’s important to remember that mortgage rates in the 5 percent range are still very low,” says Erin Lantz, Zillow’s director of mortgages. Really. “Prior to the Federal Reserve’s 2008 decision to buy $85 billion in debt per month, the 36-year average was 9.2%, and never below 5.8%,” notes Glen Kelman, CEO of Redfin.

Zillow: National mortgage rates, 30-year, fixed-rate
3. Mortgages will be easier to get 
“The silver lining to rising interest rates is that getting a loan will be easier,” says Lantz. “Rising rates means lenders’ refinance business will dwindle, forcing them to compete for buyers by potentially loosening their lending standards.”
4. Home prices will rise 3%
Redfin and Zillow are predicting that home prices will rise between 3% and 5% in 2014. For comparison’s sake, 2013 saw jumps of 5% nationally, with increases of more than 20% in some hot spots. “These gains, while beneficial in many ways, were also unsustainable and well above historic norms for healthy, balanced markets,” says Dr. Stan Humphries, Zillow’s chief economist. “This year, home value gains will slow down significantly because of higher mortgage rates, more expensive home prices, and more supply created by fewer underwater homeowners and more new construction.”
5. Fewer homeowners will be underwater
Rising prices helped 2.5 million homeowners with underwater mortgages regain positive equity status during the second quarter of 2013, according to Realtor.com. By Q3, a CoreLogic report found that about 6.4 million homes were still in negative equity at the end of Q3. Watch for that number to shrink in 2014.

6. Affordability will decline
Despite the slower pace of price increases, home affordability will decline as mortgage rates rise. The real culprit is income levels, which aren’t keeping pace with the increases in housing costs. In 2013, the National Association of Realtors’ Home Affordability Index dropped to a five-year low. Experts predict the trend will continue in 2014.
7. Ownership will decline
In 2014, Zillow predicts, homeownership rates will fall below 65 percent for the first time since 1995. “The housing bubble was fueled by easy lending standards and irrational expectations of home value appreciation, but it put a historically high number of American households – seven out of ten – in a home, if only temporarily,” says Humphries. “That homeownership level proved unsustainable and during the housing recession and recovery the homeownership rate has floated back down to a more normal level, and we expect it to break 65% for the first time since the mid-1990s.” Watch also for adult children to move out of their parents’ homes, starting their own households and further decreasing the overall homeownership rate.
8. Americans will move
Rising prices, a reversal of underwater mortgages, and easier credit will free Americans up to move. But next time they’ll choose smaller homes in more affordable locations. Redfin is predicting that new lending regulations–which make it harder to borrow more–will send Americans to less expensive hubs like Portland, Denver, Austin, Richmond, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, Atlanta, and Raleigh.
9. Foreclosures will fade
The once booming foreclosure market has slowed, with September 2013 the 36th straight month of year-over-year decreases in foreclosure activity, nearly 33% down from the end of 2012. The declines should continue with the overall housing recovery.

10. Home buying process less crazed
During the bust, investors bought as many as one out of every five homes in America, according to Redfin. The perfect storm of increased inventory, higher prices, and fewer foreclosures means that investors are stepping out of the buying market, giving way for regular folks. Add to that the loosening credit rules, and the housing buy market begins to look more normal. “All in all, more inventory, less competition from investors, and more mortgage credit should all make the buying process less frenzied than in 2013,” says Kolko of Trulia TRLA -3.86%.
Source:  12/23/2013 @ 12:59PM |115,829 views
Erin Carlyle, Forbes Staff
Real estate: luxury homes and the people behind the big deals.
Repost by Todd McManigal
Upcoming blog on the Native American Dream  SEC 184 Loan Program and Jumbo Loans on the rise in Denver


HURDLES SHRINK FOR JUMBO LOAN SHOPPERS


You’ll pay more for a big home nowadays, but a big mortgage should be less of a reach.
For the first time in over 20 years, rates on jumbo mortgages — loans of more than $417,000, or $625,500 in pricier areas — are at or below rates on conventional mortgages. Jumbo rates usually run one-quarter to one-half of a percentage point higher, but lenders eager for wealthier customers are making deals.

Available Now! In Denver
In 2013, Wells Fargo and Bank of America cut minimum down payments to 15% from 20%; some competitors did too.
“It’s a good time to be a jumbo borrower,” says Guy Cecala, CEO of Inside Mortgage Finance.
Want a large loan?
Currently, rates for a 30-year fixed jumbo are averaging 4.25%, compared to 4.35% for a conventional 30-year fixed-rate mortgage. For ultralow rates, check out adjustable-rate jumbos: Wells Fargo recently offered a five-year adjustable for 2.375%. Get an ARM, though, only if you expect to move on during the fixed period. To top of page

Source:  Money Magazine First Published: February 7, 2014: 4:08 PM
Mortgagemates, your friend in the business for a Jumbo Loan.

Monday, February 3, 2014

5 Reasons to Hire a Real Estate Professional



5 Reasons to Hire a Real Estate Professional
Originally posted by  The KCM Blog
Posted: 03 Feb 2014 04:00 AM PST

2.3 Blog VisualWe are often asked if it makes sense to hire a real estate professional when buying or selling a home. We always emphatically answer – YES!
Here are five reasons why:

PAPERWORK

An agent will help with all disclosures and paperwork necessary in today’s heavily regulated environment. This helps remove much of the liability a buyer or seller could face.

EXPERIENCE

Navigating today’s real estate and mortgage processes can be like walking through a minefield of challenges. Real estate professionals are well educated in and experienced with the entire sales process.

NEGOTIATIONS

Negotiating such a large financial transaction can get tricky. Agents act as a ‘buffer’ in negotiations with all parties throughout the entire transaction.

PRICING

Real estate professionals help buyers and sellers understand the true real estate value of a property in today’s market. This is crucial when setting the price on a listing or on an offer to purchase.

UNDERSTANDING OF CURRENT MARKET CONDITIONS

There is a plethora of housing information available today. The challenge is that some information appears to be in direct conflict with other pieces of information. A true real estate professional can simply and effectively explain today’s real estate headlines and decipher what they mean to you.
________________________________________________________________________________


GET PRE-APPROVED FOR A LOAN
Choose a Lender that can get you pre-approved quickly and painlessly.  Whether you are choosing an FHA loan, a VA loan, a Jumbo loan or a specialty SEC 184 Native American Loan, we have the experience to keep the process simple.


Monday, January 27, 2014

720 Credit? Here's a little help!

How can I make corrections to my credit report?


If you find something wrong in your credit report, you should dispute it.

Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), both the credit reporting company and the information provider (the person who you have an account, company, or organization that provides information about you to a credit reporting company) are responsible for correcting inaccurate or incomplete information in your report. 

If you find a mistake in a report from a credit reporting company, you should contact, in writing, both the credit reporting company and the company, that provided the information to explain what you think is wrong and why:
  • Provide your complete name and address, telephone number, credit report confirmation number, and account number for any account you are disputing.
  • Explain what information you think is inaccurate, clearly identify each mistake, explain why you are disputing the information and request that the information be deleted or corrected.
  • Include copies (NOT originals) of documents that support your position. You may want to enclose a copy of your credit report with the items in question circled.
  • Send your letter by certified mail, return receipt requested, so you have a record that your letter was received.
  • Keep copies of your dispute letter and enclosures.

Credit reporting companies must investigate the items in question.

This is usually done within 30 days unless they consider your dispute frivolous. They also must forward all the relevant data you provide about the inaccuracy to the organization that provided the information. After the information provider receives notice of a dispute from the credit reporting company, it must investigate, review the relevant information, and report the results back to the credit reporting company. 

If the company corrects your information as a result of your dispute, it must notify all of the credit reporting companies to which it provided the wrong information, so they can update their reports with the correct information. 

When the investigation is complete, the credit reporting company must give you the written results and a free copy of your report if the dispute results in a change. (This free report does not count as your annual free report under the FACT Act.) If an item is changed or deleted, the credit reporting company cannot put the disputed information back in your file unless the information provider verifies that the information is, indeed, accurate and complete. The credit reporting company also must send you written notice that includes the name, address, and phone number of the information provider.

If you request, the credit reporting company must send notices of any correction to anyone who received your report in the past six months. A corrected copy of your report can be sent to anyone who received a copy during the past two years for employment purposes.

How to submit a dispute to the nationwide credit reporting companies

To submit online, by mail, or by phone, use the following contact information:
Equifax 
Online: www.ai.equifax.com/CreditInvestigation
By mail: Click here to download the dispute form 
Mail the dispute form with your letter to:
Equifax Information Services LLC
P.O. Box 740256
Atlanta, GA 30374
By phone: Phone number provided on credit report or (800) 864-2978
Experian 
Online: www.experian.com/disputes/main.html
By mail: Use the address provided on your credit report or mail your letter to:
Experian
P.O. Box 4000
Allen, TX 75013
By phone: Phone number provided on credit report or (888) 397-3742
TransUnion 
Online: www.transunion.com/personal-credit/credit-disputes-alerts-freezes.page
By mail: Click here to download the dispute form 
Mail the dispute form with your letter to:
TransUnion Consumer Solutions
P.O. Box 2000,
Chester, PA 19022-2000
By phone: 800-916-8800

If you are dissatisfied with the resolution

If an investigation doesn’t resolve your dispute with the credit reporting company, you can ask that a statement of the dispute be included in your file and in future reports. You also can ask the credit reporting company to provide your statement to anyone who received a copy of your report in the recent past. Expect to pay a fee for this service.

You also have the option of submitting a complaint to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. To do so:
  • Go to: http://www.consumerfinance.gov/complaint
  • Select the icon labeled "credit reporting"
  • Complete and submit the online form
  • If you suspect that the error on your report is a result of identity theft, visit the Federal Trade Commission’s Fighting Back Against Identity Theft website for information about identity theft and steps to take if you have been victimized. This will include filing a fraud alert and possibly filing a security freeze.
The Passion of Blog!  Be Empowered!  
Want to see where your credit stands?  CLICK HERE

Specialists in SEC 184 Native American Loans, Jumbo Loans, Zero Down Loans

Wishing for the best in 2014?  Check out the 2014 WISH MACHINE  --  IN ACTION