Higher Mortgage Rates?

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Higher Mortgage Rates In 2013?

The news that renters and home buyers do not want to hear is that 2013 will almost certainly see higher housing costs, higher rents and various mortgage fees.

This year also sees the introduction of several new mortgage regulations, and anyone applying for a mortgage will potentially be affected by these.

English: Sign of the times - Foreclosure
English: Sign of the times – Foreclosure (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

If you apply for a FHA mortgage and have a lower down payment, you will have higher rates for your mortgage insurance.

In an ongoing effort to add to its reserves, the FHA (Federal Housing Administration) has implemented various raises to insurance premium costs since 2008, and analysts seem to think that trend will continue. One such increase will be a 0.1 percent increase in the yearly insurance premium that is added to the monthly mortgage payment of borrowers. Currently, the charge for FHA borrowers is about 1.25 percent.

Janneke Ratcliffe of UNC Chapel Hill in North Carolina points out that once rates rise, this seemingly small increase will be noticeable.

Rental prices are rising due to a poor job market, a high number of foreclosures and tight mortgage lending, and in addition, the supply of rentals is low in many areas. Real estate firm Reis pointed out that in the 4th quarter of 2012, apartment vacancies stood at 4.5 percent, an 11 year low.

Whereas earlier refinancing options have not worked effectively, President Obama is likely to push for more effective legislation to help owners with an ‘underwater’ property, predict some analysts, including Julia Gordon of the Center for American Progress.

Consumers could be affected for better or worse when a series of new mortgage regulations are introduced early this year. One of the most important is a rule stipulating that a borrower must prove to a lender that they are financially able to pay back the loan.

Mortgage rates usually go up when investors move from Treasury bonds and mortgages to stocks, and this week was no exception. A 30 year fixed mortgage increased to 3.77 percent, while a 15 year fixed increased to 3.03 percent and a 5/1 adjustable rate mortgage increased to 2.78 percent.

A Reverse Mortgage Loan Is a Major Decision That Might Involve Family

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Did you ever get the feeling that maybe you should rethink your position just before a deal is closed, then later regret not acting on the feeling?  If you have, you experienced what people in sales refer to as a “moment of objective clarity.”  You are referred to as a mook once you leave and your money is securely in their hands.  A mook is a person who subconsciously knows that they are being taken for a ride but cannot pinpoint why and therefore sign the deal and leave happy on the outside and wondering on the inside.  Being a mook is caused by a lack of complete research on the buyer’s part and can be avoided.

Prepare a Contrasting List

If you are considering a reverse mortgage loan, you might want to stop and take a good long look at the reverse mortgages pros and cons before you proceed.  Pros and cons refers to a list that you could make that has the positive and negative sides to each point of anything, whether it be the advantages or reverse mortgage disadvantages.  This type of life changing decision warrants a good long look.

Getting What We Wish For

A reverse mortgage is an important step in your retired life that could be the answer to a prayer.  We all wish that we will have a comfortable retirement t look forward to but sometimes, you get what you wish for and that could come back and bite you or your heirs if you do not have a firm understanding of the reverse mortgages disadvantages.  Understanding what is good about a reverse mortgage is easy.

Avoid Being a Mook

The Internet is the perfect place to start your search into a reverse mortgages pros and cons.  Have a pencil and paper at the ready when you conduct your search and dust off that printer.  Knowing all the facts is what it is all about.  Discuss your pros and cons list with any family that has a stake in your decision and be especially prepared with the reverse mortgage disadvantages.  You know that they will want to know about that.  Don’t be a mook.  Do your research.

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