Federal Reserve Turnover Could Affect Mortgage Rates
Two key leadership positions in the Federal Reserve are up for re-appointment this fall. The Biden administration is considering changing up the leadership to appoint officials who are more concerned with climate change, banking regulation, and income inequality. There is pressure from Progressive democrats to take this opportunity…
The VA Has A Little Known Program To Help Veterans Keep Their Homes
The federal mortgage forbearance program being offered through all of the governmental housing agencies is open for enrollment through September 30th, 2021. However, the VA has a second, separate plan available to veterans. This plan is known as the VA Partial Claim…
Home ownership disparities between whites and minorities have been tracked by many different organizations for some time now. Mortgage companies have always insisted that they are not a part of the problem, stating that their lending decisions are fair and neutral. A new analysis of over 2 million mortgage applications from 2019 shows otherwise.…
Renting Your Home May Be An Alternative To Foreclosure
Rental rates have risen drastically over the past year. Monthly rental payments are currently higher than average mortgage payments in the majority of US metro areas. For homeowners facing the end of forbearance program grace periods, renting out their home may be the best option…
Most Homeowners Are Missing Out On Refinancing Opportunities
Almost half of US homeowners say that they have not considered refinancing their home this year. This is largely due to a lack of understanding of how the mortgage markets work. 40% of homeowners do not know the interest rate that they are currently paying on…
Cash Investors Competing With New Home Buyers
Affordable starter homes are getting harder and harder to find. This is the sector of the market that has the least available inventory and is also seeing the lowest rates of new construction. But even if a new home buyer can find a starter home to bid on,…
New Study Confirms Racial Bias In Mortgage Approval Algorithms
A new analysis of data from over 2 million mortgage applications confirm that racial bias is baked in to the approval algorithms. While all minorities are affected, the bias most heavily impacts the black community. According to the study, black people were 80% more likely to…
Rates Rising As Fall Approaches
At the beginning of August the real estate market was at an all time sweet point for homeowners. Mortgage rates were at rock bottom levels, housing prices were soaring, and sellers were sifting through multiple competing offers within days of listing their homes. As predicted, rates are rising and…
Part of Biden's dream for America is a large expansion of green and renewable energy infrastructure. One way America can become more energy efficient and independent is by investing in technologies that save electricity. This could be as simple as adding more insulation to houses, installing energy efficient windows, or upgrading appliances.
To encourage…
Mortgage Delinquency Numbers Are Falling
At the beginning of the pandemic, millions of homeowners fell behind on their payments and enrolled in forbearance programs provided by the government. A year and a half later, most of the people who signed up for forbearance are now up to date on their mortgage. The delinquency rates…