Mortgage Rates & Trends

There are a few options if you owe more than your home is worth although not all may be preferred options.   1. Find out if Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac own your mortgage.  Both of these agencies allow for refinancing your current 1st mortgage up to 125% of the value of your home.    Fannie Mae has...

Although current mortgage rates are increasing, a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage is still available below the 5% threshold. The same 30-year fixed-rate mortgage was available between 4.5% and 4.625% less than two weeks ago. Since the end of November, mortgage rates began to rise rather steadily. Ho...

What exactly is house flipping? House flipping is when a buyer purchases a house that is in need of some work, renovates it, then turns around and sells it - or flips it - quickly for a profit. The flipping process can be applied to any asset, but is most commonly utilized in reference to real e...

Although they do not constitute closed deals, the impressive 3.7% increase in signed contracts to purchase homes in October certainly indicates the housing market is on the mend. If this increase is not enough proof the housing market is rebounding, then the National Association of Realtors' rep...

The United States Department of the Treasury announced yesterday their latest effort to help struggling homeowners pay their monthly mortgage payments. The federal government had been urging mortgage lenders to modify mortgages on a temporary basis for homeowners on the verge of default. Now, ho...

Currently, borrowers of FHA mortgages are required to have a down payment of just 3.5%. This is the main reason why FHA mortgages have surged in popularity since the housing crisis began, which now constitutes approximately 30% of all mortgage originations nationwide. However, the housing crisis...

The United States Department of the Treasury announced yesterday their latest effort to help struggling homeowners pay their monthly mortgage payments. The federal government had been urging mortgage lenders to modify mortgages on a temporary basis for homeowners on the verge of default. Now, ho...

For the fourth consecutive week, current mortgage rates on 30-year fixed-rate mortgages dipped. The current mortgage rate on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage is currently 4.78%, matching a record low set in April, while the average mortgage rate on a 15-year fixed-rate mortgage is 4.29%. As the hou...

San Francisco-based Wells Fargo Home Mortgage is offering a current mortgage rate of 4.875% on a 30-year fixed, with borrowers paying a 1-point Origination Fee. When Total Mortgage Services rolled out their rate sheets this morning, their current mortgage rate on the same 30-year fixed was 4.750%...

There's no question the recent extension to the $8,000 first-time homebuyer tax credit will continue to greatly facilitate a rebound in the housing market. However, exactly how much of an impact the newly implemented $6,500 "move up" homebuyer tax credit will have remains to be seen. Although, t...