Mortgage Report / Crystal Ball Anyone? by: Saeed Ghaffari

Get Lucky today! Apply for a loan through our Find a Lender Page on moreandmorenetwork.com or reach out to Saeed to be connected with a lenderand if the loan amount you obtain is within $3000 of the loans on this table, More & More will credit you $300 towards your closing costs.

Above rates are courtesy of Loan America at 0 points. For APR and qualification criteria, you may connect with Loan America on moreandmorenetwork.com

 Crystal Ball Anyone?

Who knows how the mortgage rates will be impacted by new administration? Only the ones with a crystal ball. And that’s not us. We may not have the crystal ball, but we can pick and choose and bring you relevant speculations and predictions from around the internet, so you don’t have to get lost in the overflow of information on the cyberspace.  Below is an article we found interesting on foxbusiness.com. 

Between a down payment, closing costs, and monthly mortgage payments, the costs of owning a home can easily add up. One of the most talked-about Biden proposals involves the introduction of a $15,000 first-time homebuyer tax credit.

The credit would be aimed at helping young, first-time homebuyers and minorities. Qualified applicants could claim up to a $15,000 tax credit, similar to the $7,500 first-time homebuyer credit established under the Obama administration through the Housing and Economic Recovery Act.

The Mortgage Bankers Association forecasts mortgage originations will total $2.49 trillion in 2021, down from the $3.18 trillion estimated for 2020. Low mortgage interest rates were a significant driver of demand for real estate in 2020, even as home values increased 7.5%.

Walkup said the pandemic had a whipsaw effect on prices in many locations, as fear and uncertainty spiked. As buyer confidence gradually returned, more Americans entered the market. Looking ahead to 2021, it’s important to be mindful of the market’s temperature.

“Buyers should be aware that they’re in an increasingly competitive environment,” said Walkup. Zillow forecasts a 10.5% increase in home values next year while buyers may be faced with a narrower selection of properties. According to Realtor.com, national home inventory in 2020 declined by 39.2% over 2019’s numbers.

Refinance rates followed home purchase mortgage rates, achieving near historic low levels in 2020. Demand for mortgage refinance loans jumped 105% in 2020, as homeowners scrambled to take advantage of low mortgage rates.

Part of the demand for mortgage refinancing could also be attributed to the adverse market refinance fee, which took effect December 1. The 0.5% fee, which applies to new refinance loans, is expected to cost homeowners $500 for every $100,000 borrowed while helping Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac offset pandemic-related financial losses.

The Biden administration hasn’t said specifically how the adverse market refinance fee would be handled, as other housing issues may take precedence. That includes the millions of homeowners who have fallen behind on mortgage payments as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

Reversing the fee may be easier said than done, considering how it may impact Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, as well as the mortgage market in general. Walkup said that similar to taxes, measures like the adverse market fee are easy to start but hard to stop. 

If you own a home and are wondering whether it’s a good time to refinance, it’s helpful to compare rates and run the numbers.  Reach out to us on moreandmorenetwork.com and us connect you with the right lender based on your needs and qualification.

Source: foxbusiness.com

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