The Latest News
Get caught up with the latest mortgage news from the Whitener Team!
Get caught up with the latest mortgage news from the Whitener Team!
Homeowners who are thinking about listing their home for sale in the coming weeks or months may be focused on improving their home to help it sell more quickly, but there also may be a focus on adding value to the home in the process. While each home is unique, there are a few projects that most homeowners would benefit from. In fact, these are a few simple and easy projects that can typically be completed over the course of a weekend; that can add value and desirability to the home.
Replace The Front Door
The front door has an impact on curb appeal, and it also is one of the primary features that buyers will see when they approach your home to take a tour. Replacing an older door that lacks style or that is plagued with signs of wear and tear can improve property value and curb appeal alike. Many homeowners who have basic tools and some do-it-yourself experience with other projects will be able to replace the front door without additional help from a contractor.
Update The Kitchen Back Splash
A kitchen is a key selling point in a home, and the back splash is among the most visible features in this space. Replacing the back splash with stylish tile can improve the look and can instantly make the home more desirable. This can be a relatively simple type of home renovation project, if you have experience with tile work, that may be completed within just a few hours.
Repaint The Walls And Baseboards
Few things can improve the look of a home more easily than a fresh coat of paint. If the walls are showing signs of wear or the colors do not have modern or universal appeal, applying a fresh coat of paint to walls and baseboards is a simple enough project to tackle. For the best results, focus on the rooms with the most undesirable paint colors, in the most visible rooms of the home or in areas where the paint is in generally poor condition.
Each of these projects can have a dramatic impact on the homes appeal and can influence the value of the home itself. Each of these projects under most circumstances can be completed with minimal time and cost to the homeowner. Those who are ready to improve their home in a short period of time can consider which of these projects will yield the most significant results in their home. Consulting with a real estate professional about improvements that may be desirable in a specific home can help the homeowner in choosing what to tackle first.
Now is a great time to take out a new home loan because mortgage rates continue to hover near historic lows. As a result, many homeowners are refinancing to a lower rate. This is also the perfect time to move because homeowners can take out a new home loan with a lower interest rate. Mortgage rates will not remain at historic lows forever and have already begun to rise slowly this year. Homeowners should sell now and take out a new home loan before they rise too much.
Homeowners Can Take Advantage Of A Bidding War
Because the real estate market is so competitive right now, homeowners might be able to take advantage of a bidding war. With surveys showing that homeowners are getting more offers on their homes than ever before, this is an opportunity for homeowners to drive up the sale price.
Homeowners Can Speed Through The Closing Process
While many homeowners get frustrated about the time it takes to close a sale, home sales are closing faster than they ever have in the past. The number of all-cash sales is going up as well, which is also an opportunity for homeowners to close quickly. Anyone who is looking for a quick closing process should consider selling in the current market.
Homeowners Can Sell Without Updating The Home
Finally, this is also a great time for homeowners to sell because they might be able to sell their homes without updating anything. Instead of having to worry about home upgrades and cosmetic changes, homeowners might be able to get great value for the home as-is. This opportunity might not come along again for decades, so now is a great time to sell.
Now is a great time to take out a new home loan because mortgage rates continue to hover near historic lows. As a result, many homeowners are refinancing to a lower rate. This is also the perfect time to move because homeowners can take out a new home loan with a lower interest rate. Mortgage rates will not remain at historic lows forever and have already begun to rise slowly this year. Homeowners should sell now and take out a new home loan before they rise too much.
Homeowners Can Take Advantage Of A Bidding War
Because the real estate market is so competitive right now, homeowners might be able to take advantage of a bidding war. With surveys showing that homeowners are getting more offers on their homes than ever before, this is an opportunity for homeowners to drive up the sale price.
Homeowners Can Speed Through The Closing Process
While many homeowners get frustrated about the time it takes to close a sale, home sales are closing faster than they ever have in the past. The number of all-cash sales is going up as well, which is also an opportunity for homeowners to close quickly. Anyone who is looking for a quick closing process should consider selling in the current market.
Homeowners Can Sell Without Updating The Home
Finally, this is also a great time for homeowners to sell because they might be able to sell their homes without updating anything. Instead of having to worry about home upgrades and cosmetic changes, homeowners might be able to get great value for the home as-is. This opportunity might not come along again for decades, so now is a great time to sell.
A mortgage application is typically several pages in length, and it requires you to provide a considerable amount of information about your personal, professional and financial life. Some mortgage applicants may not have access to all of the information when completing the application, and others may simply skim over the form and provide incomplete answers. These are only a few of the reasons why information on the mortgage application may not be accurate, but there are several key reasons why applicants should avoid giving inaccurate information.
Loan Approval is Based on It
The initial loan application will usualy serve as a basis for the pre-qualification of the mortgage request. The applicant may make a decision to move forward with an offer to purchase a home based on this pre-qualification, but the pre-qualification is based on the accuracy of the information that is initially provided to the lender in the loan application. If the information is incorrect then an applicant may not be able to qualify for the loan and the deal could fall through.
Information Will Be Verified
The majority of the information that is provided by the applicant in the loan application will be verified at various points throughout the loan process. For example, a credit report may be pulled very early on in the loan process, and it may be used to document the accuracy of the debts and monthly payments that the applicant wrote on the loan application. Tax returns, pay stubs and other related documentation may also be required. Essentially, the lender will eventually have access the accurate data, so there is little benefit to provide inaccurate information up-front on the loan application.
It Is Against the Law
A final reason why it is not advisable to provide inaccurate information on the application is because this is illegal. There is a disclaimer on the standard mortgage application that goes into detail about the law regarding providing false information on a loan application. There are also disclosures that are signed before and during closing that relate to this.
Completing a loan application is among the first steps mortgage applicants take when applying for a loan, and it is easy to overlook the importance of providing accurate and detailed information at this stage in the process. It is best to take time complete the loan application as thoroughly and accurately as possible since it is a legal requirement and because of many other negative consequences. Those who have questions about how a loan application works or who would like to begin the loan application process can reach out to their trusted mortgage professional for assistance.
Before you let a potential buyer see your home, take the following steps to ensure a great showing. These surprising secrets of successful home staging will help.
Maximize Horizontal Space
Horizontal space gives the illusion of spaciousness. Nearly every homebuyer wants to buy a home with lots of living space. The horizontal space you create doesn’t even need to be utilized. You can create the horizontal space by:
Invest In Fresh Flowers And Plants
Fresh flowers and plants evoke feelings of vitality and health. Homebuyers will respond positively when you use this tip. Place arrangements of fresh flowers and plants at strategic locations throughout the home. Be sure to avoid undoing your horizontal space clearing. Instead, consider placing fresh flowers and plants atop corner occasional tables, on outdoor decking, on each side of the front door, etc.
Stick To Neutral Paint Colors
Your bold tastes in color might not appeal to homebuyers. If you do need to paint a room to make it show-ready, stick to neutral colors. If your teen has painted their room black or some gaudy or bright color, it’s worth it to paint over it with a neutral tone. Otherwise, colors may be all your prospective homebuyers will remember about your home.
Rent A Storage Unit
Decluttering is a necessary step in staging. Buyers don’t want to see your assortment of desk accessories, perfume bottles, or family photo walls. Less is more. Gather all the excess clutter you can and box it up or hide it in drawers. Takedown wall decor, fold-up sofa throws, and corral kitchen appliances. Put all the clutter into boxes and bring it to a storage unit. Afterward, your home will look more airy and spacious.
Hire Professional Cleaners
Hire professional cleaners to come in and get everything sparkling clean. Every home looks better when it’s clean. Even though you could do this yourself, professional cleaners will do a better job. This will save you the stress and still get your home in picture-perfect condition.
These home staging secrets will enable you to ensure that your home looks its best during showings. Remember, you have only one chance to make your home shine for buyers.
Last week’s economic reports included readings on sales of new and previously-owned homes. Weekly readings on mortgage rates and jobless claims were also released.
New Home Sales Fall in May
New home sales dropped to their lowest reading in a year in May with 769,000 new single-family homes sold on a seasonally adjusted annual basis. May’s reading was 5.90 percent lower than April’s reading of 817,000 sales but was 9.20 percent higher year-over-year.
May’s decline in new home sales was caused by a 14.50 percent decrease in sales in the South; Sales rose by 33 percent in the Northeast and 4.80 percent in the West. The sales pace for new homes in the Midwest was unchanged.
Multiple factors caused fewer new home sales during what is typically a busy home-buying season. Rising costs of lumber, along with high demand for homes and affordability challenges presented obstacles to first-time and moderate-income buyers in recent months, but lumber prices fell in May. High demand for homes created opportunities for cash buyers who sidestepped making purchase offers contingent on mortgage approvals.
Analysts said that falling lumber prices will eventually provide relief for homebuyers, but short inventories of available homes coupled with high home prices continued to sideline first-time and moderate-income buyers. The median price for new homes rose to $374,000 as compared to $369,000 in April. Real estate pros reported a 5.1 month supply of available homes in May, which was the highest reading in a year.
Existing Home Sales Lower in May as Market Slows
Sales of previously-owned homes also fell in May; this was likely due to low inventories of available homes and the covid induced home-buying frenzy easing. Would-be home buyers have also left the market due to affordability challenges.
Lawrence Yun, chief economist for the National Association of Realtors® said: “Home sales fell moderately in May and are now approaching pre-pandemic activity.” Mr. Yun identified low inventories of available homes and affordability as the main obstacles facing prospective home buyers.
Mortgage Rates Rise; Jobless Claims Fall
Freddie Mac reported higher mortgage rates last week; average mortgage rates surpassed three percent for the first time in 10 weeks. Rates for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages rose nine basis points to 3.02 percent; the average rate for 15-year fixed-rate mortgages rose 10 basis points to 2.34 percent. Rates for 5/1 adjustable rate mortgages averaged 2.53 percent and were one basis point higher. Discount points averaged 0.70 percent for fixed-rate mortgages and 0.30 percent for 5/1 adjustable rate mortgages.
New jobless claims fell to 411,000 claims filed last week as compared to the prior week’s reading of 418,000 first-time claims filed. Continuing jobless claims also fell with 3.39 million ongoing claims filed as compared to the prior week’s reading of 3.53 million continuing claims filed.
What’s Ahead
This week’s scheduled economic news includes readings from Case-Shiller Home Price Indices, and reports on pending home sales, construction spending, and consumer confidence. Weekly readings on mortgage rates and jobless claims will also be published.
James Whitener – Loan Officer
20359 N. 59th Ave, Suite 100
Glendale, AZ 85308
602-622-6514
James.Whitener@FairwayMC.com
The content on this website is written by James and reflects his opinion, and not the opinion of Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation.