Here’s an excerpt of an article on March 11th from BankRate.com. Keep in mind that rate surveys are reflecting the rates of the previous week and there are ebbs and flows to the market causing rate fluctuations.

Rates Fall to Lowest Point of this Young Year

The Fed is in the final three weeks of a mortgage-buying initiative that began more than a year ago. In all, the Fed plans to buy $1.25 trillion in mortgage-backed securities. The central bank is down to the last $30 billion or so of these purchases. Afterward, it will be up to investors to buy mortgages and keep home loans available. 

For a while, the consensus among bankers and economists was this: Mortgage rates would rise roughly half a percentage point after the Fed’s withdrawal. That consensus of an expectation of higher rates has transformed into uncertainty.

“Are we going to see a half-point blip? I don’t know. Maybe. Possibly. Probably. I don’t know,” says Dick Lepre, senior loan consultant for Residential Pacific Mortgage. If the Fed’s withdrawal means that rates are going to rise, why haven’t rates gone up already?

Even members of the Fed are asking that question, which implies that they are uncertain about the direction of mortgage rates, too. Brian Sack, executive vice president of the New York Fed, said in a speech Monday that the central bank has been tapering its purchases of mortgage-backed securities. “However, even as the pace of our purchases has slowed, longer-term interest rates have remained low,” Sack said, and the gap between mortgage rates and Treasury yields has remained narrow.

Click here to read the full article: http://www.bankrate.com/finance/mortgages/rates-fall-again-to-new-low.aspx

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* All Borrowers’ Birth Certificate will be required with Pictures taken in the hospital with medical staff. Birth certificate with a live home delivery will not be eligible for first time home buyers.

* Marriage certificate with bridal dress will be required if both husband and wife are required to qualify for the loan

* GFE will not require signature but will require blood sampling from a recognized institution within three days of application

* DNA test will be performed at closing to avoid any ARM length transaction. Loan funding will be contingent upon satisfactory receipt of DNA results.

* Verification of deposit will be acceptable only if Bank representative is present at the closing.

* Copy of Pay stubs and W2 will only be acceptable through IRS only with a wax sealed envelope mailed directly to the lender.

* 7 Witnesses from neighborhood will be required as proof of primary residence in case Borrower owns more than 1 property.

* All appraisers will be required to use Mask and ear plugs at the time of inspection to avoid any personal influence by the Borrower for the appraised value.

* In order to correctly calculate DTI and true house running ratio a list of Grocery items, monthly usage and brand names will be required with receipts and projected 12 months consumption chart.

* Closing will not occur without loan officer presence at settlement and Loan officer picture will be taken at the closing in a Mug shot format with loan number. Picture should meet standard guideline of 2 X 2 inch in color format with one facing and one side view.

* Loan officer picture will be attached to the Deed and note and will be made available for general public and security agencies in case Borrower defaults on the loan.

Thanks to one of my colleagues for sending the funny email to a Realtor in my office. She has more empathy for loan officers after reading this. If you want to have some fun with the mortgage process, give me a call. I’m David Wolsky from Coldwell Banker Home Loans in Tucson, Arizona. You can reach me at (520) 529-7515 or david@davidwolsky.com. I have over 15 years of experience and we offer great rates and terms for conventional, FHA and VA loans including USDA and HomePath Financing.

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If you are in the market for a new house this spring, check out www.homepath.com. Home Path are Fannie Mae REO properties all over the country. The deal just got better. Fannie Mae is offering a 3.5% incentive for buyers who purchase and close on a Fannie Mae owned home between January 28 and April 30, 2010. The credit can be used towards closing costs, the purchase of new Whirlpool appliances by Fannie Mae or a mix of closing costs and appliances, at the buyer’s discretion, up to the maximum 3.5%. Combine that with a $8000 tax credit for first time buyers or a $6500 for qualifying repeat buyers who have owned a home for five out of the last eight years.

There is also special financing available for Fannie Mae owned homes. The benefits include:

• Low down payments (3% for owner occupied and 10% for investment properties)
• Qualify with less than perfect credit
• Down payment (at least 3%) can be funded by your own saving, a gift or a qualified grant
• No mortgage insurance
• No appraisal fees

PHH Home Loans and Coldwell Banker Home Loans is an authorized Fannie Mae HomePath lender. Call David Wolsky at 520-275-2536 for more details! You can apply online on my website: http://davidwolsky.coldwellbankerhomeloans.com/

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There are only 14 weeks to get your new home into escrow for the homebuyer’s tax credit. Act now!! If you are a first time buyer, you can qualify for a tax credit up to $8,000. If you are a homeowner for the past five years, you might qualify for a $6,500 tax credit if you purchase a new primary residence. In either case, you must have your purchase contract dated by April 30th, 2010 and close of escrow must take place by June 30th, 2010. Members of the armed forces and federal diplomatic and intelligence personnel stationed overseas get and extra year to claim their credit.

Contact me, David Wolsky for more details… the direct line is 520-529-7515 or email me at david@davidwolsky.com.

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To get a free pre-approval for a FHA, VA or conventional loan, call David Wolsky at 520-275-2536 or email me at david@davidwolsky.com.

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Here in Tucson, over 68,000 homes are “underwater”. No, the desert has not flooded. Unless you’re in New Orleans, being “underwater” means that you owe more on your mortgage than the current value of the property. Last week we learned that 25% of homeowners in the country owe more than their homes are worth and in Tucson,  over a third are underwater. Arizona is the second worst rate in the country behind Nevada at 48% largely because the number is 54% in Phoenix!!  Now you know why banks do not consider offering home equity loans in our state and why Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac consider Arizona as a “severely declining market”.

In Ken Harney’s weekly real estate column, he writes about Brent T. White, a University of Arizona law professor who suggests that homeowners that are “under water” on their home loans, walk away!

Here’s the article: http.latimes.com/classified/realestate/news/la-fi-harney29-2009nov29,0,3801270.story://www

Josh Brodesky’s column in The Arizona Daily Star discusses White’s academic paper and the possible repercussions from walking away from mortgage. The article also gauges reactions from professionals and homeowners.

Here’s the article: AZ Starnet 11.29.09 Real Estate Article

As a mortgage originator, I cannot imagine advising a borrower to default on their mortgage. However, millions of Americans have few alternatives. It will take years for Arizona to recover from the foreclose crisis. On the other hand, this is a very desirable place to live and the housing affordability index in Arizona is at its best level in forty years thanks to low housing values and record low interest rates. If you want to get in on the market, call me! I’m David Wolsky with PHH Home Loans and can be reached at 520-275-2536! Ask me about the tax credit available for buying an owner-occupied home by June 30th, 2010.

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New legislation was signed into law on November 6th. The $8000 tax credit for first time home buyers has been expanded to include a $6500 tax credit for existing home owners buying a new primary residence. Here are some of the qualification guidelines:

• You are eligible for the tax credit if you have owned and lived in your home as your primary residence for at least five of the last years. This tax credit could accommodate homeowners who lost their homes due to a foreclosure in the past couple of years, but did not replace the home. (Although it might be difficult for those folks to qualify for a new loan).
• You must have a binding contract by April 30, 2010 and a settlement by June 30, 2010 to be eligible for the tax credit
• The sales price of the home may not exceed $800,000.
• The property could be a newly constructed home, an existing home, a manufactured house, townhouse or condo. Mobile homes or houseboats are also eligible if they become your primary residence.
• You must make the replacement house your primary residence. There is no requirement in the legislation that you sell your current home. You could rent it out, turn it into a second home, or list it for sale later in 2010 when prices might be higher. If you plan to keep it, be sure to move into the new house on the day you close so there is no question it was your principal residence at that time.
• You are not eligible for the credit if you are buying a second home or an investment property.
• Congress  is requiring the IRS to scrutinize claims for tax credits (both for the $6,500 and the $8,000 for first time buyers) much more closely than it did earlier in 2009 because federal investigators have documented significant instances of fraud. Investigators found various violations, such as purchase transactions between immediate family members, which are prohibited. The revised rules require taxpayers to submit copies of their settlement statements (HUD-1 forms), along with their requests for credits using IRS Form 5405. Congress’ new rules also prohibit individuals under the age of 18 or who are counted as dependents on another taxpayer’s filings from claiming the credit.
• Eligible home buyers who go to close after Nov. 6 but no later than Dec. 31, can claim the $6,500 credit on their 2009 federal tax returns, or amend their 2008 returns. Eligible buyer who close in 2010 will be able to file for the credit on their 2009 returns or 2010 returns.
• Income limitations are $125,000 a year for a single and $225,000 for married couples filing jointly. The sale of a home could affect your income. Talk to your tax adviser for further information. You can also find information on http://www.irs.gov/.

If you or someone you know is interested in buying a house, call me, David Wolsky to get a same day approval! I can be reached on my direct line, 520-275-2536. My email address is david.wolsky@mortgagefamily.com.

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How the homebuyer tax credit would work:

• Tax credit: Ten percent of the purchase price of a primary residence, up to a maximum of $8,000 for first-time homebuyers and $6,500 for repeat buyers who purchase between December 1, 2009 and May 1, 2010. First-time homebuyers are defined as people who have not owned a home in the previous three years. Repeat buyers must have owned their current home at least five years. The credit cannot be used for houses costing more than $800,000.
• Deadline for qualifying: Purchase agreements must be signed by April 30, 2010, and closings must be final by June 30.
• Military deadline: The deadline is extended by a year for members of the military who have served outside the U.S. for at least 90 days from Jan. 1, 2009, to May 1, 2010.
• Income limits: Individuals with annual incomes up to $125,000 and joint filers with incomes up to $225,000 qualify for the full credit. Individuals with incomes up to $145,000 and joint filers with incomes up to $245,000 qualify for reduced credits.
• How to apply: Taxpayers can claim the credit on their federal income tax returns. If the credit exceeds their tax bill, the government will issue a payment. Taxpayers who want immediate refunds can amend their tax returns for 2008 to claim the credit.
• New anti-fraud limitations imposed.
• Cost: $10.8 billion.

 Source: Bloomberg Press and Associated Press and confirmed information with the content of the Senate bill.

Call David Wolsky of PHH Home loans for further details. I can be reached at 520-275-2536.

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