A real estate professional is an important go-to person for mortgage information, finds a new survey by TD Bank of about 1,500 homeowners.Here are some handouts to help arm your clients with more mortgage information:Questions to Ask When Choosing a LenderChecklist: Your Mortgage ApplicationWorksheet: Tracking Closing CostsVocabulary: Loans & Lending TermsFinance a Home, CreativelyForty-six percent of homeowners say they found information on
Home buyers may want to rush to lock in: The 30-year mortgage rate hit its lowest level in nearly seven months this week, Freddie Mac reports."The 10-year Treasury yield fell 3 basis points this week,” said Sean Becketti, Freddie Mac’s chief economist. “The 30-year mortgage rate moved in tandem with Treasury yields, falling 5 basis points to 3.89 percent. Mixed economic data and increasing uncertainty are continuing to push rates to the low
When people tell you they aren’t interested in your real estate services, they might just not be ready yet: They could be busy They might need to talk to someone else first You might not have shared enough interesting information The way you asked them may not have been compelling enoughGary Gold says you can steer the conversation in a different direction by asking: If you can check back with them in a couple days If you should call them shoul
Builders from across the country are teaming up this week for Habitat for Humanity’s Home Builders Blitz, an annual event where builders work on repairing or constructing homes for those in need. Hundreds of builders across 32 cities within 17 states are participating this year to deliver more affordable homes in their area during the week, BUILDER online reports.Habitat, partnering with Ply Gem, teamed with local builders, manufacturers, and
For the second consecutive year, Vermont was ranked as the safest state in the nation, according to a new report released by WalletHub. The Northeast dominated the list of safest places in the country, with six states in the region nabbing spots in the top 10.WalletHub factored in 37 safety indicators for each of the 50 states, including crime, unemployment, job security, road safety, emergency preparedness data, workplace safety, and more to ra
Selling is sounding more appealing. The percentage of Americans who reported now is a good time to sell zoomed to a record high in May, according to Fannie Mae’s latest Home Purchase Sentiment Index, based on a survey of about 1,000 Americans on their views about the housing market. Meanwhile, the net share of Americans who say now is a good time to buy fell 8 percentage points and reached a record low last month.“High home prices have led ma
Apple wants to help curtail distracted driving, which is what’s behind its latest feature that will block texts and other news alerts while you’re driving. The “Do Not Disturb While Driving” feature will be added to iPhones this fall as part of Apple’s iOS 11, the latest version of operating software for the company's mobile devices. Users can choose to disable the feature.Here’s how it works: When your phone is connected to a car u
Home buyers were in a rush to lock in low mortgage rates last week, sending total mortgage application volume soaring 7.1 percent, the Mortgage Bankers Association reported Wednesday.“Purchase application volume increased to its highest level since May 2010,” says Joel Kan, an MBA economist. “Refinance activity bumped up as well in response to moderating rates, but remained generally subdued.”Home purchase applications skyrocketed 10 perc
Home equity is an important part of the assets that families depend on later in life—in fact, it is one of the top two assets that households rely on in retirement, outside of a pension or Social Security benefits, according to a new report titled, “Importance of Individual Account Retirement Plans and Home Equity in Family Total Wealth.”Researchers at the Employee Benefit Research Institute compared assets in households headed by those bet
Government-sponsored financing giant Fannie Mae will ease its requirements next month, raising its debt-to-income ceiling from 45 percent to 50 percent on July 29. The move could pave the way for a larger number of new buyers to qualify for a mortgage, particularly millennials who may be saddled with student loan debt.The debt-to-income ratio compares a person’s gross monthly income with his or her monthly payment on all debt accounts, includin
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