The debt limit is the total amount of money that the United States government is authorized to borrow to meet its existing legal obligations, including Social Security and Medicare benefits, military salaries, interest on the national debt, tax refunds, and other payments. The debt limit does not authorize new spending commitments. It simply allows the [...]
By Rachel Siegel and Emily Wright Updated Nov. 2 at 2:02 p.m. Originally published Oct. 31, 2022 The economy runs like a machine. Right now, it’s overheating: Inflation levels are at the highest in decades, with prices climbing on everything from groceries to cars to rent. And the job market is unsustainably tight, with nearly [...]
Homebuyers are often caught off-guard, and confused, by supplemental property tax bills. Receiving an unexpected bill in the mail is never a pleasant surprise, however supplemental property tax bills have been with us since July of 1983. To help you better understand what they are, and how they affect you and your property, we have [...]
Adjustable-Rate Mortgage vs. Fixed Rate Mortgage When interest rates are on the rise, like as of late, it’s not all bad news for homebuyers. With the surge in interest rates, many forecast an uptick in housing inventory, potentially less competition for homebuyers, and an increased interest in mortgage solutions that have recently been neglected – like the adjustable-rate [...]
By Kathleen Howley Mortgage credit in August was the tightest in more than six years as a weak economy prompted lenders to tighten standards, the Mortgage Bankers Association said in a report on Thursday. The group’s Mortgage Credit Availability Index fell 4.7% to 120.9 last month, the lowest since March 2014, indicating stricter requirements to get loans. [...]
Loan-Level Pricing Adjustments (LLPA) A loan-level pricing adjustment (LLPA) is a risk-based fee assessed to mortgage borrowers using a conventional mortgage. Loan-level pricing adjustments vary by borrower, based on loan traits such as loan-to-value (LTV), credit score, occupancy type, and number of units in a home. Borrowers often pay LLPAs in the form of higher [...]
The federal government is telling lenders to lower or suspend mortgage payments for homeowners who have lost income because of the coronavirus outbreak. Mike Segar/Reuters Updated at 2:49 p.m. ET on March 19, 2020 Homeowners who have lost income or their jobs because of the coronavirus outbreak are getting some relief. Depending on their situation, [...]
By Carissa Abazia Here is more information you can share with your clients, colleagues, friends and family who are asking about 0-3% interest rates. Again, mortgage rates are not affected by Sunday's fed rate cuts. Here is the first problem we must deal with: The media gets their information about rates from what Fannie Mae [...]
By Carissa Abazia The Federal Fund Rate is the overnight borrowing rate that banks get when they borrow money from the federal reserve. This rate was 0.75% last week and now it is 0.00% to 0.25%. There are a lot of questions out there about the interest drop the Federal Reserve just completed. The Federal [...]
By Carissa Abazia The Fed Reserve cut its benchmark interest rate to zero on Sunday, the second such emergency rate cut this year in response to the coronavirus. We wish mortgage rates would be 0%! However mortgage rates don’t follow the Fed Rates. Although the Fed funds rate is indirectly tied to mortgage rates, it’s [...]
