ComeBuyAHouse.com

Buying Now VS Waiting ~ pro’s and con’s

The chart below may look foreign to you. PLEASE contact me if you don’t understand–you need to fully understand this graph. I will be glad to explain in person, by phone, by email. Below is based on $180,000 loan amount –

• If you bought today with a rate of 5% your payment would be $966 before taxes and insurance
• If house values went down 10% and rates go back up to 6% (the average for 30 year fixed loans) the payment would be $971 before taxes and insurance.
• If house values didn’t appreciate over next 12 months and rates go back up to 6%, the payment would be $1,079 before taxes and insurance.
• If house does appreciate (which it will, appears market is stabilizing, especially in price range below 400k) and values go up 5% and rates go back up to 6% which is 30 yr fix average the payment would be $1,079 before taxes and insurance.

Bottom line…Historically low rates, Home prices at 2004/2005 levels, now is the time to buy.
Other items to consider:

• $8,000 tax credit if you’re in contract by April 30th and closed by June 30th. You can amend your 2009 tax return and get an $8,000 check back.
• Standard interest write off – Check with your CPA for exact amount. It’s based on your income / estimated interest paid on the $180k loan amount you should receive $2,000 to $3,000 back at end of year.
• If you’re a 1st time buyer you qualify for an additional tax credit “MCC program“, this is offered through WSHFC – again, based on your income / sale price this will be $2,000 to $2,500
• Down payment assistance available up to $10,000
• No house payment for 30 to 59 days

Once you take into account the tax savings $4,000 to $5,500, your actual payment once you receive the refund is $333 to $458 less per month. Granted you don’t receive this until the beginning of next year, unless you amend your W4 withholding you can start receiving right away.

( *this is for illustrations purposes only, rates and payments subject to change…had to put the disclaimer in there;)
Kudos to K. Carlson of ARG for the compilation

When the Feds Stop Buying Mortgage Backed Securities

Why should you care about this?  Well, the fact is that the government has been buying these loans that were all bundled into investments that turned out to be poor risks. This influx of $1.25 trillion in government $$ has propped up the housing market, kept banks solvent and allowed market interest rates to remain low, between 5% and 5.25% for much of 2009. By about the second quarter of 2010, this activity is scheduled to discontinue.

So we do expect that the government will indeed close the program down in an attempt to return to more normal market conditions.  This is what they are telling us.  This will leave private investors to pick up the slack, which they may or may not do at a rate necessary to keep interest rates low.

Brian O’Connell of BankingMyWay.com says,

“If the economy doesn’t cooperate, and sends private investors into the mortgage marketplace to plug the gap (a good bet right now), then look for interest rates to rise next March. [2010]

The Fed may not do deadlines, but it’s not above firing a warning shot to the American consumer. If you want to buy a home, do it in the next three or four months. After all, the difference in monthly mortgage payments of 5% or 6% can be measured in tens of thousands of dollars over the life of the loan.”

Brian’s right. Every 1%  of interest rate increases your costs over the life of the loan, and it also reduces the price of the house you can qualify to buy. For instance if you qualify to buy a $400,000 home now at 5%, you will qualify for $358,000 at 6%.

Maximum buying power comes with low rates. We have the triple benefit of low interest rates and low prices right now, (some REO’s are ridiculously low) and government tax credits. It really is an incredibly inexpensive moment to buy.

Lynette Hensley
Associate Broker

Homebuyer Tax Credit

This is one of those things you should take advantage of if you were going to buy a house anyway sometime soon.

First time homebuyers:

• The $8000 tax credit is for first time homebuyers only. For the tax credit program, the IRS defines a first time home buyer as someone who has not owned a principal residence during the three-year period prior to the purchase.
• The tax credit does not have to be repaid.
• The tax credit is equal to 10 percent of the home’s purchase price up to a maximum of $8000.
• The tax credit applies only to homes priced at $800,000 or less.

Repeat Home Buyers:

• To be eligible to claim the tax credit, buyers must have owned and lived in their home for five consecutive years out of the last eight years.
• The tax credit does not have to be repaid.
• The tax credit is equal to 10 percent of the home’s purchase price up to a maximum of $6500.
• The tax credit applies only to homes priced $800,000 or less.

This info is not intended as legal or tax advice. I just wanted you to know the basics to see if you might be qualified and to find out more. Here is a link to the current info: Tax Credit

Let me know if I can help in any way!

Lynette Hensley
Associate Broker

Homebuyer Credit Extended

Tax Credit extended and expanded for first time home buyer and existing home owner tax credit through April 30, 2010 

 Friday, November 6th President Obama signed the legislation.   

 The bill passed the house on a 403-0 vote and the senate on a 98-0 vote on Wednesday.

 KEY CHANGES

~   Written binding contract signed by April 30, 2010 / Close by July 1, 2010
~   Income limit increase:  Single $125,000 / Married $225,000
~   Cost of home cannot exceed $800,000

~   Existing homeowner credit eligibility of $6,500 tax credit.  Must have owned principal home for 5 of the last 8 years  (& be purchasing a new home).    

Link to Chart for more detailed information and  FAQ’s .  Great info. 

Multiple Offers–In THIS Market?

Multiple offers?  

In the current market houses that range from $425-500K are getting multiple offers. 

If you are pre-approved and ready to make offers, and are just waiting for the one house that tells you “I’m the one you want”, there are currently lots of houses on the market in this range, and many have been sitting there for months.  You may have been through dozens of houses, or just a few, but none of them has been quite the right thing. Today your realtor has taken you to one house that just had a dramatic price drop.  It just went from $450K to $399K or in some cases even $350K.  Why?  You may wonder why–has it finally come down to it’s real value?

This may be a marketing strategy that allows this home to stand out from the relative abundance of homes available in this price range.

So you go– and it’s a great house, in fact, it’s prettier and shinier than many of the houses you’ve been to over the last few weeks. Clean, charming, just the right layout, very cool!  But WHY is it $399k?  There’s a window of pricing that causes buyers to line up for affordable housing and these homes often receive multiple offers.

Here’s what’s happening out there now in Seattle and some other markets.  There are some listing agents who along with their sellers are willing to take a risk.  They know that the house they are selling is worth $450k, in fact they have an appraisal from the end of 2008 showing a value over $450k.  And they are gambling that if they drop the price under the $400K threshhold, that they could very well stir up a bit of a feeding frenzy, multiple offers and a sale over the asking price.  It’s happening all over Seattle.  Many of the homes priced this aggressively are bank owned homes, and we’ve seen a high percentage priced at, say $250K end up selling for $10K-$100K over the list price.

Naturally there will be some fallout, some buyers will be disgusted with this strategy and tell their agent, “Pay over list in THIS market, NO way!” But we see it every day, that this market is in flux, changing all the time. It’s a fascinating and sometimes frustrating time. You may experience it as frustrating, and while we understand your frustration, we also find it fascinating.  In this way listing agents open the door to a great or at least better-than-average deal on a home a buyer might not otherwise be able to afford.  The trick for the buyer is not to fall in love with the home and cut bait if the seller/seller’s agent are unreasonable. 

We may or may not have reached the bottom of the housing market.  Realtors as a class can be very creative in their marketing, and Realtors and sellers are getting hungry and savvy enough to find ways to pique people’s interest.

Most of this kind of multiple offer situation is in the bank-owned arena.  But sellers are catching on, realize that they are in competition with the bank owned homes too, and the ones that get tired of sitting or simply need a quick sale may want to employ this kind of strategy.  Buyers need to be aware that just because it’s priced at $225k doesn’t mean that’s where it will sell.  And if you want to be the buyer of such a property and you want to win, well, money does talk.  You need someone that can negotiate hard among an array of sometimes dozens of other agents/buyers.

Buyers need to think about the price vs. the value as they decide what to offer, and also need to understand that there may only be one chance at it.  Consider the other homes you have been looking at.  This is the one that stood out to you–is it only because of price, or is it because it’s the right house, well kept, move in ready, in a great location.  There’s value in that!  Others see the value as well, and even with lots of houses on the market, in our experience, the number of well-kept homes for sale right now is lower in proportion.  People sell in the low ebb of a market when they have to, and lots of folks are in financial stress, which means that many homes for sale at what seems to be a relative bargain have not been kept up very well.

Most of this article has been about multiple offers and buying over the list price.  There are plenty of sales where the final selling price is under list–the majority in fact.  Statistics show that homes in the greater Seattle area sell on average at 3% under list price. 

These are exciting times for real estate buyers.

Save Money on Your Water Bill

Water saving measures you can take:

• soaker hoses instead of sprinklers
• don’t pre-rinse dishes
• do laundry only with full loads
• shower instead of taking baths
• turn off the faucet when brushing teeth or shaving
• change to an efficient shower head
• check for leaks at sinks and toilets
• Save the water that runs while waiting for hot water. Use to wash produce, cleaning, watering plants.
• for warm water, turn hot water on first, then add cold water as needed.
• don’t use the garbage disposal, compost.

This info compiled from SavingWater.org

Lynette Hensley
Associate Broker

Title Shows an Unpaid Tax Balance

Question:

Schedule B in the special exceptions section B paragraph 2, where it says General & Special Taxes there shows an unpaid balance of $1345.09.  Is that something we have to pay?  Do we have to pay for it on or before closing?

Answer:

Property taxes are paid 1/2 at a time, in April and October.  The October payment hasn’t been made yet, which is what’s showing. The taxes are prorated between the buyer and the seller as of closing day.  That’s what pre-paids are for–to have enough $ on hand for your mortgage servicer to pay your taxes when they come due.  So you will only pay for taxes during the period of time you own the house, not for the seller’s taxes.

Good question!

Lynette Hensley
Associate Broker

Other Tax Exemptions I Should Know About?

Question:
I’m about to buy my first house and all I hear about is what a good time it is to buy… I know that you can get the 8k credit or do the 0% down FHA loan, but are there any tax exemptions or any grants that I should be trying to apply for?

Just wondering if anyone has stumbled across anything? Are there any other Government handouts for first time home buyers besides FHA?

(We answered on Zillow)

Answer:
Hi, As a first time home buyer you will qualify for the $8000 credit, and could get an FHA loan. Most loans will require the borrower to have a small down payment, FHA is now 3.5%. There are programs available, state by state, that are supported by state bonds or non-profit groups that offer down payment assistance or low rates or special financing programs. Your best bet would be to look for a loan officer that specializes in first time home buyers and knows about such programs. I’m in Washington State where there is a program called the “House Key”. You attend a class for home buyers, which will fill you in on all the requirements of receiving the assistance. Often the loan program will also require you to stay in the home for a specific length of time, presumably so that you will have built some equity. Also the lender doesn’t make money as fast with the lower rate or the longer term that is offered. I put this search statement into Leapfish.com search engine, “[your state] first time home buyer programs” and came up with some good results. That will give you some programs to ask loan officers about.

Good luck!
Lynette Hensley — Associate Broker

How can I understand the sales history of a foreclosed home?

Question:
I’m looking at the sales history of a foreclosed home that has been in the market for quite some time. It shows 6 different file dates –one in 2004 another in 2005, 2 in 2006 and the last one in 2008. What do the abbreviations under “Instr Type” mean–TRD, D/T, WD, and SWD? What do these all mean?

Answer:
Your Question:”Instr Type” mean–TRD, D/T, WD, and SWD?

Instrument type–the type of deed that conveys ownership

The types of deeds available and their means of conveyance vary from state to state.
TRD = Trustee Deed or Deed of Trust A trustee’s deed is often used in bankruptcy
D/T = Deed of Trust — this is the deed that allows the lender to have an interest in the property
WD = Warranty Deed — this is the deed that is most often used to convey property from seller
to buyer in a purchase transaction
SWD = Special warranty Deed — this is used in REO/bank owned/Repo or foreclosure sales where the property is held for a very short time, and not occupied by the seller. It’s warranty only warrants the period of time that the seller has owned the property.

Caveat: This is general information only, when dealing with deeds and foreclosures, it’s wise to have legal assistance beyond your real estate professional.

Lynette Hensley — Associate Broker

(Asked and answered on Zillow)

Contingency with no Bump Clause

Question:
I am looking at a home in [state], and it is contingent with no bump clause. If I were to make a second offer how long does the contingent buyer usually have under contract to come up with the money?

Answer
Have your agent call the seller’s agent and ask how long the contingent period is. It totally depends on what the buyer and seller have agreed to.

Lynette Hensley–Associate Broker

(Asked and answered on Zillow)