Getting the "Right" Home

Finding the right home is still the biggest challenge buyers are faced with in today's market as is shown in the latest Confidence Index Survey. Assuming the buyers find the "right" home with determination, perseverance and the help of a real estate professional, 88% of all transactions last year required financing to get the buyer's address on the home. 93% of first-time buyers needed financing.

Pre-approval is an essential step that needs to be handled before buyers begin searching for a home. The benefits to the buyer fall into the category of confidence.

PRE-APPROVAL GIVES YOU CONFIDENCE

Knowing the amount you can borrow
the mortgage amount decreases as interest rates rise
Looking at the right priced homes
price, size, amenities, location
Comparing and identifying the best loan
rate, term, type
Uncover issues early that could affect the most favorable loan terms
time to cure possible problems
Bargaining power to negotiate with the seller and possibly, competing buyers
price, terms, & timing
Settlement can occur sooner after contact is accepted
verifications have already been made

Items Needed for Pre-Approval

Photo ID
Two months current pay stubs
Last two year's W2s
Complete copies of checking and savings statements for last three months
Copies of statements for IRAs, 401k, savings, CDs, money market funds, etc.
Employment history for last two years with addresses and contacts
Proof of commissioned or bonus income
Residency history for last two years with addresses and contacts
Assets for down payment, closing costs, and reserves; must provide paper trail
If self-employed, last two years tax returns, current profit and loss statement and balance sheet; copy of partnership/corporate tax returns for last two years if owning more than 25% of company
FHA requires driver's license and social security card
VA requires original certificate of eligibility and DD214
Other things may be required such as previous bankruptcy, divorce decree

Comments

Make Your Home Offer the Most Appealing

Sales in February 2023 were up 14.5% month over month and still down 22.6% year over year according to the NAR Housing Snapshot. The median sales price dipped 0.2% to $363,000 and there are 2.6 months supply of homes on the market compared to 1.7 months a year ago. "Inventory levels are still at historic lows, and consequently, multiple offers are returning on a good number of properties." According to Lawrence Yun, Chief Economist for the National Association of REALTORS�. It is still important to have a strategy for potentially competing with other buyers on the house you want to buy. The plan should include several available provisions and options, so that at the time of drafting the sales offer, you can consider exactly what to include based on the situation. Unless a person is paying cash, you need to be pre-approved by a trusted mortgage professional long before you start looking at homes. Include the written pre-approval letter along with the offer

Rethinking Backup Offers

Like with any professional, there are tools and techniques available to help with particular situations. They might be more popular at certain times and might even be put aside or forgotten at others. For real estate professionals, one of those is the backup offer. In a situation where there are multiple offers, the seller can accept any offer for whatever reasons are important to them, leaving the makers of the other offers disappointed. There is always some uncertainty that the buyers on a contract will close accordingly. To hedge on that possibility, the seller may choose to make a counteroffer to one or more of the other offers to be a backup should the primary contract not close. From a buyer's perspective, the purpose of a backup offer is to be next in line to have the chance to purchase the property should the first contract fall through. The benefit is that you'll be next in line to purchase the home without having to submit another offer and possi

Getting Comfortable with the New Normal Mortgage Rates

The biggest shock to homebuyers is the soaring mortgage rates of 2022 that doubled in one year resulting in approximately 15 million mortgage ready buyers displaced from the market due to affordability issues. As of February 23, 2023, the 30-year fixed rate mortgage was at 6.5%. While that is twice as high as it was on January 6, 2022, it is still lower than the 7.75% average rate since April 2, 1971, according to the Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey. When rates increase at a rapid pace like this, it takes time for the public to adjust and begin to accept it as the new normal. Prior to the housing bust that led to the Great Recession, the normal for mortgage rates was in the 6% range and existing home sales were over 6.5 million for three years. From 2007 to 2014, home sales were closer to 5 million with 2008-2011 at just above 4 million annually. From January 17, 2008 to March 5, 2020, mortgage rates averaged 4.32%. In this 12-year period, buyers exper

Welcome to Chapin Real Estate Blog

Search This Blog