Just Home Mortgages » Mortgage Articles

Rate record: reduced income

webmaster — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 23:18:03 +0000

The benchmark mortgage rate has fallen to a low last seen in the 1950s.

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The Fed’s quiet bailout

webmaster — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 23:18:04 +0000

You might expect rates to go down, but lenders are taking the Fed’s actions as an opportunity to grab profits.

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Rates remain becalmed

webmaster — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 23:18:04 +0000

Rates have held fairly steady today, despite the hubbub over Treasury’s new plan.

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Q&A about refi program

webmaster — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 23:18:04 +0000

A reader has a question about refinancing his home loan.

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Jumbos, mortgage insurance

webmaster — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 23:18:04 +0000

Bank of America says it’s pushing aggressively into the jumbo mortgage market.

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Why didn’t mortgage rates fall more?

webmaster — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 23:18:04 +0000

The Fed made a dramatic announcement yesterday that sent mortgage rates tumbling down. But they didn’t fall as far as you might think.

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Calling mortgage help lines

webmaster — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 23:18:03 +0000

Claes Bell, an editor at Bankrate, was given a task this week that no one envies — but someone has to do it. He reports.

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Pricey refis

webmaster — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 23:18:03 +0000

You’ll have to open your wallet wide to take advantage of the Obama administration’s refinancing program.

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Don’t wait for a 4.5 rate

webmaster — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 23:18:03 +0000

I don’t think the 30-year fixed is going to fall below 5 percent, and it’s foolish to delay a refinance on the theory that rates will drop that low.

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Have a Fannie or Freddie loan?

webmaster — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 23:18:03 +0000

Want one of the new government refi’s? First you have to find out who owns your loan.

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Housing plan details, schmetails

webmaster — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 00:18:03 +0000

Promises to have a housing plan by today are only partially fulfilled.

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Bum steer from Hope Now

webmaster — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 00:18:02 +0000

The Hope Now coalition is best known as the group of mortgage companies that urges homeowners to call their servicers before falling far behind on their monthly house payments.

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Flaws in housing rescue plan

webmaster — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 00:18:03 +0000

President Obama’s foreclosure prevention plan has a flaw that could leave it dead on arrival.

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House prices plunged in 2008

webmaster — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 00:18:04 +0000

According to a new study, house prices are back to their late 2003 levels nationally.

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Rant heard round the US

webmaster — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 00:18:04 +0000

Santelli’s rant doesn’t give the whole story, and some of the details are just wrong.

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More about jumbo conforming!

webmaster — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 00:18:04 +0000

This year’s new jumbo conforming limits have been released by the agency that runs Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The limits will be higher in about 200 counties.

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Obama plan and Santelli rant

webmaster — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 00:18:04 +0000

The Obama plan is good, but doesn’t look towards the future of this housing crisis.

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Old jumbo conforming returns

webmaster — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 00:18:03 +0000

The new stimulus bill brings the jumbo conforming limits back to 2008 levels.

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Homebuyer tax credit details

webmaster — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 00:18:03 +0000

In the stimulus bill that is likely to become law by early next week, there is an $8,000 tax credit for first-time homebuyers.

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Banks are stuck on the roof

webmaster — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 00:18:04 +0000

Bank stock holders will face huge losses when the Treasury’s plan takes effect.

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Welcome to Geektown, USA

webmaster — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 00:18:03 +0000

Are private investors joining the Fed in buying mortgage backed securities?

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Get out your pitchforks

webmaster — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 00:18:04 +0000

I have a modest proposal for reporters who ask stupid questions at press conferences.

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Too picky at 6 percent?

webmaster — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 00:18:04 +0000

A reader writes that “experts” don’t always know what consumers are doing.

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Jobs fall, mortgage rates rise

webmaster — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 00:18:03 +0000

Mortgage rates are going up, up and away.

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Lock at 5.25%? Sure

webmaster — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 00:18:03 +0000

Sorry optimists, but the national housing situation continues to get worse.

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Fed begins 2-day meeting

webmaster — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 00:18:03 +0000

The Federal Reserve’s rate-setting panel gathers today and tomorrow and it is expected that interest rates will remain the same.

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Bankers slam “cramdown.”

webmaster — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 00:18:03 +0000

It looks like the mortgage industry has accepted that mortgage cramdown is coming, and will lobby Congress to limit it.

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Refi problems top agenda

webmaster — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 00:18:04 +0000

I’m looking at whether people are having trouble refinancing because second lienholders are reluctant to resubordinate.

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Save money with the right gas

webmaster — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 21:15:19 +0000

Never buy a higher grade of gasoline than your engine needs.

If you think you're doing your engine a favor, or teasing it into making more power by filling up with premium fuel, you might as well be lighting your spark plugs with $20 bills.

Modern automotive engines are computer controlled to operate within a tight range of operating parameters, and that includes how much octane is in the gasoline you use.

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Inflation fears behind rate rise?

webmaster — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 21:15:03 +0000

Mortgage rates went up this week, with the average 30-year fixed rising 31 basis points, to 5.59 percent.

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Is the FHA a garbage can?

webmaster — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 21:15:04 +0000

A reader asks “What is the difference between FHA and Fannie Mae?”

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H4H lives — in theory

webmaster — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 21:15:04 +0000

The feds got rid of FHA Secure, and the Hope for Homeowners program still exists — in theory.

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WSJ profiles ex-NAR economist

webmaster — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 21:15:04 +0000

David Lereah says he was pressured by NAR bosses to put positive spin on the real estate market.

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Job losses and mortgage rates

webmaster — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 21:15:04 +0000

Mortgage rates rose slightly this morning after a worse-than-expected monthly employment report was released.

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Frank to bring H4H back to life?

webmaster — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 21:15:04 +0000

As the inventory of foreclosed houses continues to rise, lenders might conclude that the H4H program makes sense for them.

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Stop venting spew!

webmaster — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 21:15:04 +0000

Rates have fallen quite a bit today — roughly a quarter of a percentage point, it looks like. Credit the government (everybody else is), which has been buying mortgage-backed securities, causing yields to fall and thus, mortgage rates.

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Is the appraiser a blockhead?

webmaster — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 21:15:02 +0000

Rates dropped sharply in this week’s survey, as the average rate on the 30-year fixed fell 20 basis points, to 5.64 percent.

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2 tales of 4.5 percent

webmaster — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 21:15:02 +0000

Two readers contribute their thoughts on getting 4.5 percent rates for mortgages.

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Where’s my bailout?

webmaster — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 21:15:03 +0000

Let me give you all the reasons why I deserve a bailout.

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Stop kicking yourself

webmaster — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 21:15:03 +0000

Good luck and timing play a role in securing a low rate mortgage these days.

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Rates are really low

webmaster — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 21:15:04 +0000

The Fed rate cut yesterday resulted in low mortgage rates this morning.

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Rates near record lows

webmaster — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 21:15:04 +0000

Well-qualified borrowers can get mortgages at around 5 percent or even lower today, paying little, if any, in discount points.

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Hard to guess rate direction

webmaster — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 21:15:03 +0000

Rates are up and down, so it pays to shop around before settling on a mortgage.

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Mortgage FAQ

webmaster — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 21:15:03 +0000

Readers have several questions about mortgages.

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Agglomerations and rate news

webmaster — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 21:15:03 +0000

Nobel prize winner Paul Krugman defines agglomeration for you.

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Thumb sprain, 20/20 hindsight

webmaster — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 21:15:03 +0000

A reader wonders if he got a good deal on a mortgage.

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Do WHAT down their necks?

webmaster — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 21:15:03 +0000

More evidence that financial institutions still have consumers by the neck.

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What’s with jumbo conforming?

webmaster — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 21:15:03 +0000

A reader from the Bay area wonders why jumbo conforming rates have remained high.

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Will Treasury buy mortgages?

webmaster — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 21:15:03 +0000

Rumors are flying that the Treasury will buy up mortgages, and send rates down.

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Jobs for Realtors

webmaster — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 21:15:02 +0000

A strong Realtor lobby group wants the Treasury to act on its plan to boost home sales.

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Rates: Yadda Goolsbee: Wrong

webmaster — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 21:15:03 +0000

A University of Chicago economist has been proven wrong by the mortgage mess.

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Fed wants house prices to rise

webmaster — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 21:15:03 +0000

Fed actions have caused mortgage rates to fall, and will lead to a rise in housing prices.

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Sad news about Tanta

webmaster — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 21:15:03 +0000

Tanta, who blogged at Calculated Risk, died Sunday.

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Fed steps in, rates fall

webmaster — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 21:15:03 +0000

The Fed just announced a $600 billion bailout of mortgages.

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Bond market says: Spread ‘em

webmaster — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 21:15:03 +0000

The spread is widening between Treasuries and mortgages. What a bummer.

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Jumbo conforming, pig feeding

webmaster — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 21:15:02 +0000

The jumbo conforming is a hybrid mortgage available in more than 220 high-cost counties.

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Get moving, jumbo conformers

webmaster — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 21:15:04 +0000

If you find the right lender, you might still have time to get your jumbo conforming paperwork moving through the pipeline.

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Uncle Sam knows best?

webmaster — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 21:15:03 +0000

HUD has rejected paternalism, at a time when even some conservatives would like to see some paternalism.

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Urgent jumbo conforming news

webmaster — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 21:15:03 +0000

A reduction in the jumbo conforming loan size could harm some borrowers as early as this week.

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Fairness is overrated

webmaster — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 21:15:03 +0000

The people who are in charge of fixing the mortgage mess are well-meaning, but they don’t have an ear for politics.

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Citi fights foreclosures

webmaster — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 21:15:03 +0000

Citi Mortgage says it’s doing a couple of things to reduce foreclosures on the mortgages.

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Mortgages, morality, reputation

webmaster — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 21:15:04 +0000

Bloomberg News filed a federal lawsuit to force the Federal Reserve to disclose details about $2 trillion in emergency loans and the troubled assets that the central bank is accepting as collateral.

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A horrible jobs report

webmaster — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 21:15:02 +0000

Unemployment numbers were worse than expected. And the bad news didn’t stop there.

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The new party line

webmaster — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 21:15:02 +0000

Economist Lawrence Yun of NAR says the federal government should step in to stablize house prices.

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Why don’t lenders cut rates?

webmaster — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 21:15:02 +0000

A company’s first duty is to make a profit, and mortgage lenders won’t make a profit by dropping their rates to the basement.

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Avoid foreclosure: Right move?

webmaster — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 20:15:03 +0000

In my opinion the best solution to hasten the decline in house prices is to get out of the way and allow foreclosures to happen.

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Ominous rise in mortgages

webmaster — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 20:15:04 +0000

Something ominous is happening with bond yields, which is bad news for mortgage rates.

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Rates continue to slide

webmaster — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 20:15:03 +0000

It appears that the average rate on a 30-year fixed has fallen about three-quarters of a percentage point in the last week.

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Keep on payin’!

webmaster — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 20:15:03 +0000

You may already own some mortgage-backed securities in your 401(k), so keep up your payments!

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Buy your own mortgage bond?

webmaster — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 20:15:03 +0000

When you own a mortgage-backed security, you don’t own any mortgages. You own the right to receive the principal and interest payments.

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Mortgage banker questions

webmaster — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 20:15:02 +0000

What will the mortgage industry look like in a few years?

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Wading through mortgage mire

webmaster — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 20:15:02 +0000

In the last week, the average rate on a 30-year fixed has gone up about three-quarters of a percentage point.

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Obama talks foreclosure freeze

webmaster — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 20:15:02 +0000

Today, Barack Obama discussed details of his economic plan, including a partial foreclosure moratorium.

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McCain plan, before and after

webmaster — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 20:15:02 +0000

First John McCain wanted lenders to pay for their mistakes, and now he wants taxpayers to pick up the tab.

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Rates have wild swings

webmaster — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 20:15:04 +0000

Jaw-dropping gyrations in rates continue. Today we got a surprise Fed rate cut. And guess what? Mortgage rates went up.

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Bernanke talks, rates tank

webmaster — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 20:15:04 +0000

Mortgage rates were heading up — and then Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke talked about the economy.

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Countrywide loan mods

webmaster — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 20:15:03 +0000

The owner of Countrywide promises to modify hundreds of thousands of mortgages to settle a lawsuit.

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The odd case of S&P, Georgia

webmaster — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 20:15:03 +0000

Six years ago, Georgia enacted the Georgia Fair Lending Act, which made lenders and mortgage investors legally liable for any predatory loans that they underwrote or bought. Standard & Poor’s objected.

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Now for the Swedish Plan

webmaster — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 20:15:04 +0000

The government should invest in the major banks of New York and elsewhere and essentially take them over and run them for a few years, and then sell off its stake to private investors, an economist says.

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Buy a short sale? Get a refi?

webmaster — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 20:15:04 +0000

Buyers usually are unpleasantly surprised by how long it takes to process a short sale.

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Lenders scared of lump of coal

webmaster — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 20:15:04 +0000

Two years from now, house prices are almost certain to be lower in Florida, California, Phoenix and Las Vegas.

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Bailout defeat and mortgages

webmaster — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 20:15:04 +0000

The $700 billion bailout package was defeated today in the House.

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A vague debate

webmaster — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 20:15:03 +0000

At last night’s vice-presidential debate, moderator Gwen Ifill asked a wrong-headed question about the mortgage crisis.

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WaMu mortgage Q&A

webmaster — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 20:15:02 +0000

What’s gonna happen to people with mortgages from Washington Mutual?

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A bailout on the layaway plan

webmaster — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 20:15:03 +0000

It looks like the Brobdingnagian Bailout will work the same way as buying a pair of pants on a department store layaway plan.

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Get in the ring again, boys

webmaster — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 20:15:03 +0000

Bernanke and Paulson have been invited to get in the ring against members of the House Financial Services Committee at 2:30 p.m. today, Eastern time.

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Feds to pay top dollar

webmaster — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 20:15:03 +0000

The government is asking for $700 billion so it can pay top dollar for junk mortgage bonds, Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke says.

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Feds discuss bailout

webmaster — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 20:15:03 +0000

This morning the heads of the Treasury Department and the Federal Reserve will ask the Senate Banking Committee to act with haste on the mortgage bailout.

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The bailout and the clawback

webmaster — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 20:15:02 +0000

The Bush administration’s mortgage bailout plan is brief, and is designed not to be punitive to the executives who made the poor decisions that brought us this mess.

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Wielder of the mighty pen

webmaster — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 20:15:03 +0000

Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson said today that he will meet with members of Congress over the weekend to discuss the outlines of a legislative package to stabilize the financial markets.

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A wild ride for rates

webmaster — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 20:15:03 +0000

Bankrate’s weekly survey of rates is good for historical perspective, but it masks day-to-day and even hour-to-hour fluctuations.

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Should you float? Probably

webmaster — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 20:15:03 +0000

My advice — and I am unsure about this, and I beseech you to seek other viewpoints in addition to mine — is to float instead of locking a rate.

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Volatile market, rates

webmaster — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 20:15:03 +0000

Rates on 30-year, fixed-rate mortgages are down this morning. I wouldn’t bet the house on rates staying down.

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Chat at noon on Boston.com

webmaster — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 20:15:04 +0000

Join me at noon Eastern time today for an online chat about mortgages on Boston.com, the Globe’s Web site.

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Fannie: The political angle

webmaster — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 20:15:03 +0000

The takeover of Fannie and Freddie is ultimately a political act.

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Float the mortgage rate

webmaster — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 20:15:02 +0000

News about Fannie and Freddie means you can expect mortgage rates to fall.

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Jobs, mortgage rates fall

webmaster — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 20:15:02 +0000

Today’s awful employment report is nice news for mortgage shoppers.

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1 in 11 owners in dire straits

webmaster — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 20:15:02 +0000

People are falling behind on mortgage payments and losing their houses in ever-increasing numbers.

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Who are the price gougers?

webmaster — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 20:15:03 +0000

The duopoly of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have imposed fees and restrictions to boost their top lines.

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Why spreads are widening

webmaster — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 20:15:03 +0000

One spread that I pay attention to is the spread between the 30-year fixed and the 10-year Treasury. That spread has widened considerably.

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