homeowners

What is Mortgage Insurance? Mortgage insurance is a specialized protection for the lender -not the buyer- if you are unable to make your mortgage payments, for any reason. If you fall behind, your credit score may suffer, and you could stand to foreclose on your home. How does it work? Mortgage insurance lowers the risk to the lender making the loan to you, that way you are eligible for a loan you might not otherwise get. This does increase the cost of the overall loan but if you are required to get it, it will either be included in your monthly payment, your costs at closing, or both. Who needs Mortgage Insurance? Typically, borrowers making a down payment of less than 20 % of the purchase price of the home also will need to pay for mortgage insurance. This insurance is also usually required on FHA and USDA loans. Are there different ways to pay for Mortgage Insurance? There are several different kinds of loans available to borrowers who have low down payments, and the resulting mortgage insurance can be paid for in a number of ways:

Conventional Loans - your lender may arrange for a private company to insure you. Private mortgage insurance (PMI) rates vary by the amount of the down payment amount and credit score, but are tend to be cheaper than FHA rates for good credit. Under certain circumstances, you may be able to cancel your PMI. (see last question)
FHA Loans - premiums from your insurance are paid to the Federal Housing Administration (FHA). This insurance is required on all FHA loans. FHA insurance is paid by both monthly payments and upfront costs included in closing. Loan amounts can increase if there is not enough cash on hand to pay upfront and the fee is rolled over to the mortgage.
USDA Loans - Similar to the FHA but typically cheaper. You will pay for insurance both upfront and monthly. You may choose to roll the upfront portion to the mortgage but again, this will increase overall loan cost.
VA Backed Loans - replaces mortgage insurance and functions similarly to it. There is no monthly premium with this loan but there is an upfront “funding fee”, which varies depending on the type of military service, the down payment amount, disability status, type of loan (buying or refinancing), and whether or not it is a first VA loan. You have the choice to roll the upfront fee with this as well.

Can you get rid of mortgage insurance? In order to remove private mortgage insurance (PMI), you must have at least 20% equity in your home. You may ask the lender to cancel PMI when you have paid down the mortgage balance to 80% of the home’s original appraised value. When the balance drops below 78%, the mortgage servicer is required to eliminate the PMI.

“The Struggle is Real…” Estate

For homes priced under $400,000, almost every property put up is going into a multiple offer situation. Home buyers are getting frustrated and feel like ripping out their hair when they finally find their perfect house, only to have some “punk” outbid them by $400. The reason being is the lack of listings to satisfy the high property demand. Too many buyers want to take advantage of today’s low rates before they inevitably change. Buyers are snatching up homes faster than agents can list them on MLS. There are also not enough owners wanting to sell, perhaps waiting for values to continue appreciating. Many people are simply staying put, remodeling what they already have, perhaps due to lower rates from years ago. Others are converting their current homes into rental properties. In addition, builders are not able to keep up with the high demand to build new homes, as dwindling options give rise to a need for greater diversity. Millennials are finally coming of age, buying homes unprecedentedly. Good paying jobs in Utah’s booming tech industry afford them the opportunity to be able to move into a starter home with a greater success rate than previously experienced. According to the Salt Lake Tribune, Utah has the nation’s third highest growth rate in the country. They cite the reasoning being a continuation of high birth-rate and big-family culture, which many millennials in Utah are compelled to maintain. In fact, Utah has been in the top 10 for its growth rate every year so far this decade. As the number of new families continues to grow, the demand for property will sustain, putting increasing pressure on an already pressurized market. The top 7 things you can do to get YOUR offer accepted:

Strong Pre-Approval Letter
Escalation Clause
Tighter Deadlines
Higher Earnest Money
Letter to seller from buyer
No Closing Costs
Shorten or drop due diligence

Having your documents in order for the lender, along with a specific, strong pre-approval letter goes a long way in getting an offer accepted. It lets the seller know that you are not flighty and are qualified to purchase the house in the first place. Escalation clauses tell a seller that you will pay x amount (i.e. $2,000) over any other offer in order to ensure that the offer closes on your bid over another’s. Many of our buyers are writing letters directly to the seller, saying how much they love the home and the neighborhood to help persuade the seller to choose their offer. The biggest help we have seen is not needing the seller to pay closing costs. One challenge with multiple offers is the property gets bid higher than what is actually worth. If the seller has to lower the purchase price to meet the appraised value, not needing the seller to pay closing costs is a huge help to seller to net the highest amount. Don’t lose your hair (or potential home) over the struggle of the current market! Our firm grasp on the buying process will give you peace of mind without losing pieces of your hair. But, let’s be honest; we all know you wear extensions anyway... ;)

Tag - homeowners

Mortgage Insurance : A Breakdown

“The Struggle is Real…” Estate