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San Jose Mortgage Rates & Economy Weekly Update

Mortgage Rates update for San Jose and rest of California. The week that was: A bad one for the rate markets. Mortgage rates increased 12 basis points while the 10 yr note jumped 16 basis points. The chart below would tell you how volatile the mortgage rates were on Thursday and Friday. After weeks of being contained in a narrow choppy range the rate markets broke out to the upside in terms of yield. After nine months of very strong demand for US debt, investors are not as willing to buy unless US…
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It’s official – CA $10,000 Home Buyer Tax Credit has been extended

On March 25, 2010 Governor Schwarzenegger signed Assembly Bill 183 which provides $200 million for home buyer tax credits. The $200 million will be divided between first-time homebuyers and “move up homebuyers. The following a summary of the legislation: The Tax Credit: Eligible purchasers may qualify for a credit against their state income taxes in an amount equal to the lesser of 5% of the purchase price or $10,000. The credit will be applied over a three-year period. The credit may only be applied to the purchase of one qualified property. Property Eligibility:…
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$10,000 California First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit may be extended

As reported in my blog posted on Jan 14th the California governor is considering to extend the $10,000 First-Time Home buyer Tax Credit that expired last year. Here is the link to that blog post that gives you all the details - CA Proposes extension of $10,000 First-Time Home Buyer Tax Credit Download our FREE eBook "How to Buy Your First Home in the Bay Area - A Step-by-step guide to the Home ownership" by entering your information in the form below. Get the eBook NOW First Name: Last Name: Email: State: AL…
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Stimulus Deadlines Threaten Rates and Affordability; Act NOW!

The great author and speaker Og Mandino once said, "I will act now. I will act now. I will act now." This is great advice for prospective homebuyers over the next 45 days, as two key government programs that have kept home ownership more affordable than ever wind down to their completion. First, the Federal Reserve's Mortgage Backed Securities (MBS) purchase program will come to an end on March 31, just two weeks away! Without this program home loan rates could have been at least 1.00% higher...and potentially even higher...over the last year.…
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Overview of the Appraisal Process On A California Mortgage

One of the most critical parts of getting a California mortgage is Appraisal. The purpose of an appraisal is to confirm the sales price for the lender. What is an Appraisal? An appraisal is a professional estimate of the value of the property that you are planning to purchase. The person who does the appraisal is called an appraiser. Why do we need appraisal? Lenders always require a home appraisal before they will issue a mortgage. They do this to protect their investment: if the actual market value of the property is lower…
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9 Benefits of Home-Ownership

Home ownership is the greatest American Dream, is it not? Even in this era of record foreclosures, the percentage of U.S. households that now own, rather than rent, is an all time high. It's not a surprise given several benefits of homeownership. Rent vs. Buy No Matter what you are currently paying for rent, your total cash outlay over a period of several years will probably add up to a much higher total than you may have realized. Compare a renter who pays $1800/month with 5% increase in rent every year and a…
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Documents needed for San Jose First-Time Home Buyer Mortgage Pre-Approval

As a San Jose First-Time Home Buyer you should get a mortgage pre-approval done before you start looking for a house. Pre-approval helps you in 3 ways: It lets you know how much mortgage you can qualify for. This will help you search for homes in the same price range It gives you an estimate of what your total housing payment would be, and If you like a house and would like to make an offer; a "Pre-approval" letter makes your offer stronger. You start the process by completing a loan application. You…
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San Jose Mortgage Rate Weekly Update

Weekly update on San Jose Mortgage Rates and economy news. The Week That Was: Freddie Mac in its Primary Mortgage Market Survey reported that 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 4.97 percent with an average 0.7 point for the week ending March 4, 2010. Last year at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 5.15 percent. The 5-year adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) averaged 4.11 percent this week, with an average 0.6 point, down from last week when it averaged 4.16 percent. A year ago, the 5-year ARM averaged 5.08 percent. Jan personal income was less than expected,…
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A Video on How Mortgage Interest Rates Move

If you have kept an eye on the mortgage rates recently, you'll know that they have been very volatile. Sometimes, they go up and down several times a day. Have you ever wondered what makes mortgage rates go up and down? Watch this clip which explains the dynamic between bonds and mortgage rates - in simple terms. (Video created by Dustin Hughes and Nick Mallory, www.edgevolution.com and www.thelendingjournal.com) I subscribe to live bond market movements and tweet about it. If you would like to be updated about live mortgage rates follow me on…
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