WASHINGTON, Aug. 29 (UPI) -- Average U.S. mortgage rates fell in the week ending Thursday in response to concerns over a monetary policy change, the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp. said.

Freddie Mac said interest rates were "fluctuating over taper turbulence," referring to speculation the U.S. Federal Reserve would be winding down its $85 billion per month quantitative easing program in the near future.

In the week ending Aug. 29, average interest rates on 30-year fixed rate loans fell to 4.51 percent with an average 0.7 point, down from the prior week when it averaged 4.58 percent.

A year ago at this time, rates for 30-year fixed-rate loans averaged 3.59 percent.

Rates for 15-year fixed-rate mortgages averaged 3.54 percent with an average 0.7 point in the week, down from last week when it averaged 3.6 percent. A year ago in the same week, 15-year fixed-rate loans averaged 2.86 percent.

Rates for 5-year Treasury-indexed hybrid adjustable-rate mortgages averaged 3.24 percent this week with an average 0.5 point. Last week, rates for these loans averaged 3.21 percent. A year ago, they averaged 2.86 percent.

Rates for 1-year Treasury-indexed adjustable-rate loans averaged 2.64 percent in the week with an average 0.4 point, a drop from the prior week's average rate of 2.67 percent.

Last year over the same period, rates for 1-year adjustable-rate loans averaged 2.63 percent.

One point is equal to 1 percent of the amount of the loan and is typically paid up front. It includes a corresponding discount on the loan's long-term interest rates.

Read more: http://www.upi.com/Business_News/2013/08/29/Mortgage-rates-buffeted-by-Fed-speculation/UPI-29681377815616/#ixzz2dSWHgKZQ

As the U.S. housing market recovers, FHA home loans remain popular among today's first-time and repeat home buyers. This is because of the loan traits that the FHA will allow.

FHA loans can be ideal for buyers with less than 5% to put down; with credit scores below 720; who've recently gone back to work; or, for a combination of these reasons. They're especially good for buyers getting cash gifts for downpayment.

FHA mortgages offer low rates and flexible guidelines. This article explains how to apply.

What Is The FHA Mortgage Program?

The FHA mortgage program is technically an insurance program. This is because the FHA is not a mortgage lender -- it's an agency which provides insurance to lenders for defaults or loan foreclosures.

In order for a loan to be insurable, the lender must be FHA-approved and the specific loan must be underwritten to the standards set forth in the official FHA mortgage guidelines.

FHA mortgage guidelines are among the most forgiving of all mortgage loan types. There is no minimum credit score requirement. Downpayments can be as little as 3.5% on a home. The waiting period after a bankruptcy, short sale or foreclosure can be as little as 12 months.

There are other benefits, too.

All FHA-insured loans get access to the FHA Streamline Refinance program -- one of the simplest ways to lower your annual mortgage rate -- and homeowners with FHA financing can actually sell their homes with the loan attached. This is because FHA loans are assumable.   

How To Get An FHA Mortgage

So, how can you get an FHA loan? Here’s a step-by-step guide to what you’ll need to do.
1. Discuss Your Ideas With A Lender

It's easy to research loans on your own, and that's a terrific way to begin educating yourself about mortgages. However, most information on the internet is general in nature and does not apply to your situation specifically. For example, you may earn non-standard income or show abnormal activity in your bank statements.

You can't know for certain whether you'll qualify for an FHA loan until you talk to a lender.

When you speak with a lender, he will review your financial situation with you and alert you to any ideas which may need to be addressed prior to closing. This can include talking through collection items on your credit report and judgments. During this stage, the more information that you share with your lender, the closer you'll be to getting FHA loan approval later on.

Note that you do not have to select your lender at this stage. It's just important that you speak to somebody who can assist,
2. Get Pre-Approved For An FHA Loan

After you've spoken with a lender, you'l want to begin the pre-approval process. As part of your pre-approval, the lender will tell you the maximum amount you can borrow with an FHA loan given your income, your debts and the expected monthly escrow of homes in the area.

Once pre-approved, your lender will provide you with an official pre-approval letter. Use this letter to prove that you can purchase homes up to a certain purchase price. Keep your pre-approval letter handy for your real estate agent and potential home sellers.

Pre-approvals are often provided at no cost, and asking for one does not obligate you to go ahead with the loan, or the lender.
3. Shop For A Home

There are many ways to shop for a home. You can work through a REALTOR®; you can search via the popular online real estate portals; you can use your local newspaper's real estate section; or, you can use a combination of all three. The good news is that you're pre-approved and  know exactly what you can afford.

When you find a home and make a purchase offer, be sure your contract includes a "financing contingency". Financing contingencies allow you to cancel the contract in the event you are unable to secure a loan. Hopefully, your financing contingency won't need to be invoked but it's important to always have that protection.
4. Select Your FHA-Approved Mortgage Lender

Once you're under contract, it's time to turn your pre-approval into an actual approval.

First, shop for FHA mortgage rates. This is an important step because the FHA does not set mortgage rates -- lenders do. There can be a big difference in rates between lenders, too, so get at least two rate quotes. Get one of your rate quotes here.

After you've selected a lender, provide whatever paperwork that lender requests then let the lender do his job of preparing your loan for closing. During this time, an appraisal of your home will be ordered. This is not the same as a home inspection, though. You should still arrange to have the home inspected on your own. Home inspections can reveal physical defects in a home which you may not have noticed otherwise.

Your real estate agent can refer an inspector, if you need one.
5. Closing Your FHA Loan

Once your loan is approved, you'll be issued a "cleared-to-close" by your lender, and you'll be ready to go to settlement. Often called "closing", your settlement may occur at a title company near your home or office, or in an attorney's office, or in your current home -- each closing can be different.

After closing is complete, you will receive copies of your signed loan documents, which will include directions on where to send your payments and how to establish an auto-pay for your mortgage, if that's your preferred method of payment.

You will also receive keys to your new home.
Take Your First FHA Loan Step

FHA loans account for a significant share of the U.S. housing market and it's easy to understand why. The forgiving nature of the FHA mortgage guidelines, combined with the low rates available via the program, can make it a compelling mortgage option. 

Source: http://themortgagereports.com/13412/how-to-apply-and-get-approved-for-an-fha-mortgage-plus-live-mortgage-rates

Mortgage rates in the U.S. jumped to a two-year high, increasing borrowing costs for homebuyers as sales accelerate.

The average rate for a 30-year fixed mortgage rose to 4.58 percent last week from 4.4 percent, Freddie Mac said in a statement. The average 15-year rate climbed to 3.6 percent from 3.44 percent, the mortgage-finance company said. Both were the highest since July 2011.

Homebuyers are rushing to take advantage of historically low borrowing costs before they increase even more.

Existing-home sales in July jumped 6.5 percent to the second-highest level in six years, the National Association of Realtors reported on Aug. 21. Those transactions largely reflect closings of contracts signed a month or two earlier, when mortgage rates were just beginning to edge up.

“If you were considering buying, rates aren’t going to get much better any time soon,” said Erin Lantz, director of mortgages at Seattle-based Zillow. “So buying sooner rather than later makes sense.”

The 30-year fixed mortgage rate has climbed from 3.35 percent in early May as the Federal Reserve signaled it may begin scaling back its bond-buying program aimed at lowering borrowing costs.

Policy makers were “broadly comfortable” with Chairman Ben Bernanke’s plan to start reducing purchases later this year if the economy improves, according to the minutes of the Federal Open Market Committee’s (FOMC) July meeting, released last week.

The FOMC will probably reduce its $85 billion in monthly purchases at its Sept. 17-18 meeting, according to 65 percent of 48 economists in a Bloomberg survey. The median estimate called for a cut to $75 billion each month.

Rising mortgage rates have had the biggest effect on refinancing. The Mortgage Bankers Association’s index of applications to lower monthly payments fell 7.7 percent in the week ended Aug. 16, the 10th straight decline. A measure of purchases rose 1.2 percent, the trade group said.

The 30-year fixed mortgage rate is well below its average of about 6.3 percent for the past 20 years, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. The 20-year average for a 15-year loan is about 5.83 percent.

Lowe’s, the second-largest U.S. home improvement retailer, isn’t “overly concerned” about the rise in rates as long as the 30-year average stays below 6 percent, chief executive Robert Niblock said on a conference call Aug. 21. The company and larger competitor Home Depot last week reported earnings that beat analysts’ estimates and raised their profit forecasts for 2013, buoyed by the housing recovery.

“The rate increases will likely take some steam out of the recent housing market rebound but shouldn’t derail it as long as job gains persist, homes continue to appreciate and rates rise more gradually going forward,” Niblock said.

source: http://kpbj.com/business_daily/2013-08-26/mortgage_rates_jump_to_two_year_high_refinancing_hit

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1 Rodgers, Scott D. Scotch Plains NJ Eastern                                             New Jersey Region 756
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21 marshall, william New York NY Eastern                                             Metropolitan Region                                             95
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26 Bellcourt, Scott L. Niskayuna NY Eastern                                             Northern Region 64
27 Smith, David Cresskill NJ Eastern                                             New Jersey Region 64
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29 L'allier, Jean Flushing NY Eastern                                             Metropolitan Region                                             13
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31 Greenblatt, Joel Sands Point NY Eastern                                             Long Island Region 4
32 Rakoczy, Roman Clifton Park NY Eastern                                             Northern Region 4
33 Barest, Warren S. White Plains NY Eastern                                             Southern Region 4
34 Gash, Gary M. White Plains NY Eastern                                             Southern Region 4
35 Heath, Timothy New York NY Eastern                                             Metropolitan Region                                             4
36 Appel, Jeffrey New York NY Eastern                                             Metropolitan Region                                             2
37 Gribbin, Bill Manhasset NY Eastern                                             Long Island Region 2
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41 Hesky, Haim Great Neck NY Eastern                                             Long Island Region 2
42 Ackley, Frank Wainscott NY Eastern                                             Long Island Region 1
43 Anton, David Old Bethpage NY Eastern                                             Long Island Region 1
44 Swenson, Christopher B Montclair NJ Eastern                                             New Jersey Region 1
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46 Weiss, Andrew G. Port Chester NY Eastern                                             Southern Region 1
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To say mortgage rates are volatile right now is an understatement. Every few days for the past two months, there have been heavy swings in mortgage pricing, translating to strong gyration in mortgage rates. Nothing can be more frustrating for a pre-approved potential homebuyer than knowing their ability to qualify and their subsequent proposed payment could change in an instant. But there are other options that can help take the volatility out of your house hunting.

Should You Lock In a Mortgage Rate?: Most lenders will not lock in your interest rate until you have a ratified purchase contract or a bona fide legitimate purchase agreement. Mortgage lenders offer interest rate locks for 30 days, 45 days, 60 days and some even as long as 90 days, with the majority of buyers doing 30-day rate locks to match the traditional 30 days for close of escrow. Locking in an interest rate means you've committed to an interest rate that will be used for the term of the loan, e.g. 360 months for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage.

Pros:
• Payment clarity upfront.
• More time to budget and plan your finances during the escrow process.
• More time for the lender to get your loan package through the underwriting process.
• More allowance to focus on other aspects of your purchase offer, i.e. contractual obligations.

Cons:
• Missed opportunity for a reduction in the interest rate, which means a lower monthly payment.

Should You Float?: Floating your rate is defined as simply not locking in your interest rate. Floating essentially allows your interest rate and payment to move on a daily basis until you fully commit to your lender on an interest rate.

Pros:
• The opportunity for a lower interest rates and costs.
• Depending on your individual lender's policies/procedures, the opportunity to switch loan programs during the loan process, such as going from a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage to a 15-year fixed-rate mortgage.

Cons:
• This can be a risky position to be in during a volatile interest rate environment.
• You risk rates rising while you float, which could reduce your ability to qualify for a mortgage and could impact your earnest money deposit on your purchase transaction.

Which Is Right for You?: It depends on your personal threshold for how much risk you're willing to take on by floating for interest rate opportunity. If you can qualify for the mortgage loan even if rates were to rise during your loan process, you would have the luxury of being able to take advantage of a favorable market reaction the next time the bond market rallies. On the flipside, you'd be entering into a purchase contract with thousands of dollars on the line in exchange for what may or may not come to fruition with rates. This is why it solely depends on your appetite for risk and how much you're willing to gamble in the market. If you have a 30-day close of escrow, that's not much time for floating in an attempt to seize something better.

Other Timing Considerations: Don't forget interest rates aren't the only consideration to take during the home-buying process. Some other factors include:
• Ordering an appraisal, or making sure value comes in at purchase price.
• Inspections.
• Releasing any inspection contingencies.
• Providing updated financial documentation in a timely manner to the lender. (This is a big one!)
• Releasing any loan contingencies.

While these steps in the purchase process seem relatively small, they can very quickly become task-heavy, which otherwise can change your focus from interest rates to making sure everything else is in order. Granted, your loan officer and real estate agent will be handling a lot of these steps in conjunction with you, but these are things to be mindful of in addition to trying to time the market.

Strategy for Locking In a Mortgage Rate: In a perfect situation, locking ahead of major economic news is generally the most conservative approach. It is expected that before large economic market mover information comes out, an idea of how the market will react is typically released beforehand. For example, whenever the Federal Reserve makes a statement about the financial markets, usually there is information and analysis leading up to the speech before the news actually hits the markets. This gives you and your lender an opportunity to examine the market and discuss whether not it makes sense to float or lock the interest rate prior to the official announcement. Keep in mind that the speculation beforehand is just that -- speculation -- and you will need to make your own call based on the information.

 WASHINGTON — Three years ago, with his former partner suffering from cancer, Jim Dorsey decided to borrow against the equity on his Vashon Island, Wash., home with a reverse mortgage. The couple didn't have children and didn't plan to move, so a loan that didn't have to be repaid until he died seemed like a good deal.

Dorsey, 69, isn't so sure now.

The retired high school teacher figures the loan — which netted him a $75,000 lump sum after paying off his mortgage — will reduce his home equity by $100,000, compared with what it otherwise might have been, if he lives another decade.

Then again, Dorsey can stay in the house for as long as he pays his property taxes and homeowner's insurance. Plus, he won't be liable for the shortfall if his final loan balance exceeds his home's value, either because of falling real-estate prices or because he lives longer than expected.

That's because almost all reverse mortgages since 1989 have been insured by the Federal Housing Administration. The agency collects mortgage-insurance premiums from borrowers, much of which are used to make lenders whole if borrowers default or home prices drop.

“The feds are assuming the risk,” he said. “The bank is in the catbird seat.”

That risk has put the FHA's reverse-mortgage portfolio $5.25 billion in the hole as worrisome numbers of borrowers fail to keep up with taxes and insurance or convey their homes to the FHA rather than go through the expense of marketing and selling their properties.

In response, Congress recently passed legislation sponsored by U.S. Rep. Denny Heck, D-Wash., allowing the FHA to fast-track changes to stem the deficit. President Obama signed the bill. The agency plans to use the new authority to tighten lending terms that could reduce loan amounts or even disqualify some borrowers.

Among the proposed changes are requiring a review of applicants' finances before granting a loan, and mandating an escrow account to set aside money for taxes and insurance.

The new rules are scheduled to take effect Oct. 1.

The legislation's passage follows an FHA administrative action in April to steer borrowers to lower-fee, lower-payout loans to reduce stress on the agency's insurance fund.

Some consumer advocates fear the pending changes could lock seniors out of reverse mortgages or drastically lower their borrowing limits. That's a worry because retirement experts expect more pension- and savings-poor Americans to tap their home equity after their paychecks end.

The FHA intends to limit the amount borrowers can draw at the beginning of the loan, possibly tied to the size of the existing mortgage they need to pay off and other types of debt.

“We will get frantic calls from borrowers,” said Erin Reardon, a reverse-mortgage counselor with Solid Ground, a nonprofit anti-poverty group in Seattle. Any time rules change, borrowers are “rushed into getting the loan when they usually might have taken more time to think about it.”

The number of Americans taking out reverse mortgages fell for a third straight year to 54,591 in fiscal 2012. But that number is expected to spike in coming years as more baby boomers finance retirement.

Anthony Webb, research economist at the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College, said the need is being driven by the rising age for Social Security eligibility and inadequate savings.

But Webb put most blame on disappearing pensions. Between 1989 and 2010, the percentage of American workers with defined-benefit pensions that pay specific, promised sums fell by two-thirds to just 8 percent.

“I think more Americans, out of necessity, will turn to reverse mortgages,” he said.

Dorsey, who separated from his partner, said reverse mortgages come with trade-offs: cash now or equity later. He said fees ate up a substantial portion of his original draw.

“Do you need the cash? If so, then reverse mortgages may be a sound choice,” he said. “Do you value future equity? If so, then reverse mortgages may not be a good choice.”

Source: http://triblive.com/business/headlines/4541058-74/reverse-mortgages-borrowers#axzz2cQE9MiLT

In his State of the Union address, President Obama said overlapping regulations were keeping “responsible young families from buying their first home.” He called for change: “Let’s streamline the process, and help our economy grow.” Banking regulators apparently agree, and by the end of summer may propose new rules to simplify the mortgage market.

Bloomberg News reports that by the end of August, regulators will release a “softer” version of rules overseeing how banks finance mortgages. The Dodd-Frank financial reform bill tasked regulators with writing rules that would force Wall Street to keep some skin in the game when they bundle mortgages into securities. Rather than letting banks pass all of the risk on to investors who buy the securities, the bill said banks must keep 5 percent of the deals on their own books.

In 2011, regulators released their preliminary proposal for defining the clunkily-named “Qualified Residential Mortgage,” which are loans that wouldn’t need to comply with the rule. The proposal said banks wouldn’t need to retain the risk on loans to borrowers who put at least 20 percent down or spend less than 36 percent of their income on debt payments (such as monthly mortgage and credit-card bills). That prompted a huge outcry from the mortgage industry and some consumer advocates, who said the new rules would make it hard for people to get loans. Now the agencies are on the cusp of issuing a final version of the rules that is less strict. Banks would need only to keep a slice of the loans for homeowners who spend at least 43 percent of their monthly income paying debts, as Bloomberg News reported.

This change brings the rules about mortgage securities closer in line to the other major change in mortgage lending—a related rule with the confusingly-similar name “Qualified Mortgage.” That new regulation comes from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which outlined certain underwriting standards that, if banks follow, will provide lenders with protection from consumer lawsuits. It also uses the 43 percent limit as a cutoff point.

By aligning QM and QRM, the road map is clearer for banks. They can still make loans that don’t fit the standards, but those mortgages will likely be more expensive because banks will have to keep some of the risk on their books (through QRM) and will have greater potential exposure to lawsuits (through QM). It also means that borrowers who spend less than 43 percent of their income on debts will have an easier time getting loans.
Source: Businessweek

 WASHINGTON — Three years ago, with his former partner suffering from cancer, Jim Dorsey decided to borrow against the equity on his Vashon Island home with a reverse mortgage. The couple didn’t have children and didn’t plan to move, so a loan that didn’t have to be repaid until he died seemed like a good deal.

Dorsey, 69, isn’t so sure now.

The retired high-school teacher figures the loan — which netted him a $75,000 lump sum after paying off his existing mortgage — will reduce his home equity by $100,000, compared with what it otherwise might have been, if he lives another decade.

Then again, Dorsey can stay in the house for as long as he pays his property taxes and homeowner’s insurance. Plus, he won’t be liable for the shortfall if his final loan balance exceeds hishome’s value, either because of falling real-estate prices or because he lives longer than expected.

That’s because almost all reverse mortgages since 1989 have been insured by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA). The agency collects mortgage-insurance premiums from borrowers, much of which are used to make lenders whole if borrowers default or if home prices drop.

“The feds are assuming the risk,” he said. “The bank is in the catbird seat.”

That risk has put the FHA’s reverse-mortgage portfolio $5.25 billion in the hole as worrisome numbers of borrowers fail to keep up with taxes and insurance or convey their homes to the FHA rather than go through the expense of marketing and selling their properties.

In response, Congress last week passed legislation sponsored by U.S. Rep. Denny Heck, D-Olympia, allowing the FHA to fast-track changes to stem the deficit. President Obama signed the bill Friday. The agency plans to use the new authority to tighten lending terms that could reduce loan amounts or even disqualify some borrowers.

Among the proposed changes are requiring a review of applicants’ finances before granting a loan, and mandating an escrow account to set aside money for taxes and insurance.

The new rules are scheduled to take effect Oct. 1.

Drastic changes feared

The legislation’s passage comes on the heels of an FHA administrative action in April to steer borrowers to lower-fee, lower-payout loans to reduce stress on the agency’s insurance fund.

Some consumer advocates fear the pending changes could lock seniors out of reverse mortgages or drastically lower their borrowing limits. That’s a worry because retirement experts expect more pension- and savings-poor Americans to tap their home equity after paychecks end.

Heck said his legislation was a “twofer” win for seniors and taxpayers. Giving the FHA quick authority to shore up its reverse-mortgage program of Home Equity Conversion Mortgages (HECM), Heck said, protects against defaults and minimizes the tab for the Treasury.

Heck acknowledged critics regard reverse mortgages as inherently predatory. Unlike home-equity loans, for instance, reverse mortgages carry origination fees, mortgage-insurance premiums, closing costs and other expenses. Then there are those who believe “the FHA shouldn’t even exist at all,” he said.

Conservative congressional Republicans want to greatly pare back the federal government’s role in insuring private mortgages, including returning the FHA to its original mission of focusing on low-income and first-time buyers.

More complication ahead?

Erin Reardon, a reverse-mortgage counselor with Solid Ground, a nonprofit anti-poverty group in Seattle, warned that the FHA’s new guidelines could sow more confusion with a product that’s already complicated.

Reverse mortgages are available to any homeowner 62 or older. Borrowers receive a portion of the home’s appraised value, with older seniors allowed to tap more equity. The loans do not have to be repaid until borrowers die, move or sell. They are the opposite of traditional mortgages: Loan balances grow, not shrink, with interest, over time, chiseling away equity.

Reardon said one of the attractions of reverse mortgages is that they do not require credit histories or sufficient cash flow. She’s waiting to find out whether the FHA’s new financial-assessment rules might knock out potential borrowers.

Reardon also worried that mandatory reserves for taxes and insurance might leave some seniors with little or nothing from their home equity. The FHA has not issued formal guidelines, but agency officials have indicated the escrow set-asides could equal two years’ worth of taxes and insurance or even cover the full duration of the loan, which can last 30 years or longer.

As of February 2012, a record 54,000 borrowers, or 9.4 percent of reverse-mortgage holders, were at risk of foreclosure because they failed to keep up with property taxes and homeowner’s insurance.

The FHA also intends to limit the amount borrowers can draw at the beginning of the loan, possibly tied to the size of the existing mortgage they need to pay off and other types of debt.

“We will get frantic calls from borrowers,” Reardon said. Any time rules change, borrowers are “rushed into getting the loan when they usually might have taken more time to think about it.”

Hard-pressed retirees

The number of Americans taking out reverse mortgages fell for a third straight year to 54,591 in fiscal 2012. But that number is expected to spike in coming years as more baby boomers finance retirement.

Anthony Webb, research economist at the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College, said the need is being driven by the rising age for Social Security eligibility and inadequate savings.

But Webb put most blame on disappearing pensions. Between 1989 and 2010, the percentage of American workers with defined-benefit pensions that pay specific, promised sums fell by two-thirds to just 8 percent.

“I think more Americans, out of necessity, will turn to reverse mortgages,” he said.

Dorsey, who separated from his partner, said reverse mortgages come with trade-offs: cash now or equity later. He said fees ate up a substantial portion of his original draw. In exchange, he can stay put in his home as long as he keeps it in good repair.

“Do you need the cash? If so, then reverse mortgages may be a sound choice,” he said. “Do you value future equity? If so, then reverse mortgages may not be a good choice.”

Source: http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2021579933_reversemortgagexml.html