Bill Would Allow REO Purchases with Retirement Funds
A bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives would waive withdrawal penalties on certain retirement plans if the funds were used to buy a house that has been in foreclosure for a year or more, HousingWire reports.
The bill, introduced recently by congressman and real estate professional Bill Posey, R-Fla, is expected to apply to Roth IRAs, 401(k) plans, and company pension plans.
The legislation’s aim is to promote REO home purchases by owner occupants or second home owners rather than investors just looking to “flip” a foreclosure for fast money. According to the bill, purchasers must agree to hold the property for at least two years to be exempt from early retirement plan withdrawal penalties.
“It’s just another idea to help the housing market,” says press secretary George Cecala.
The bill has been sent to committee for further consideration.
Many Borrowers Lack Mortgage Knowledge
A recent survey by Zillow Mortgage Marketplace found that borrowers who received a home loan in the past five years spent, on average, five hours researching their options. That’s about half the amount of time borrowers spent researching a car purchase (10 hours). What’s more, nearly one-third spent two hours or less, according to Zillow.
While a home purchase is typically one of the largest investments people make, the lack of mortgage knowledge can be a costly mistake, experts say.
Here are a few basics about home loans that more customers need to know about.
1. What type of mortgage do you have?
Alarmingly, some people aren’t even aware if they have a fixed-rate mortgage or adjustable-rate mortgage. Unlike a fixed-rate mortgage, an ARM can have low rates early on that later rise significantly over time, which from a financial planning perspective can become a costly surprise if the borrower isn’t even aware they have one.
2. Do you have mortgage insurance?
Home owners who purchased a home with conventional financing and a down payment of less than 20 percent may not even realize that they likely are paying private mortgage insurance, which costs about $25-$100 extra a month. Once home owners have sufficient equity in their home (20 percent), they no longer need to pay mortgage insurance and should contact their lender for some savings.
3. Do you understand all of your loan options
Many borrowers don’t understand all of the loan options available to them — conventional loans, FHA, VA, USDA, etc. Experts recommend researching and comparing various mortgage rates and loan types to see what works best for their situation.
4. Is there a prepayment penalty?
Some loans have a prepayment penalty if a borrower pays off the loan earlier than intended. Typically, prepayment penalties are charged when borrowers sell or refinance their homes in the first few years of the mortgage. FHA, VA, and USDA loans do not have prepayment penalties. But it’s important home owners with other mortgages become aware whether their loan has a prepayment penalty and understand the pros and cons of accepting such a penalty, experts note.
Source: “5 Things to Understand About Your Home Loan,” Zillow.com (April 19, 2011)
FHA Delinquencies Decline for Third Month
For the third consecutive month, the number of delinquent home mortgages insured by the Federal Housing Administration has declined.
The delinquency rate is still high – 8.5 percent in April – but that is down from 9.4 percent in January.
The FHA was unwilling to applaud this as good news. “We’re not declaring victory by any stretch,” says David Stevens, the FHA’s commissioner. “There’s plenty of room for caution.”
But outside analysts were more positive. “It’s a very important trend to the extent that we’re not continuing to get worse,” says Thomas Lawler, an independent housing economist in Leesburg, Va.
NAR Praises House Passage of FHA Reform Bill
The National Association of REALTORS® applauded the House for overwhelming passage of FHA reform legislation that would allow the Federal Housing Administration to adjust monthly premiums on mortgage insurance.
This bill, H.R. 5072, FHA Reform Act of 2010, would strengthen the FHA loan insurance program while keeping it available and affordable to responsible home buyers. Allowing FHA to raise the monthly insurance premium would let FHA lower the up-front premium that places a burden on cash-strapped borrowers at closing.
“As the leading advocate for homeownership and housing issues, NAR is very pleased that FHA will be allowed to play its intended countercyclical role to provide qualified borrowers with access to prime credit. FHA is a critical part of our nation’s economic recovery,” said NAR President Vicki Cox Golder.
En route to passage, the House defeated an amendment that would have increased the FHA down payment from 3.5 percent to 5 percent, which would have disenfranchised more than 300,000 potential homeowners and would not have contributed significantly to FHA cash reserves.
“The current 3.5 percent down payment represents a significant financial commitment and sufficient investment to insure a borrower’s seriousness about homeownership,” said Golder. The proposed change could have an especially harsh impact on African American and Hispanic borrowers, who traditionally have much lower accumulated wealth and have benefited from the opportunities offered by fully documented, standard FHA loans with low down payments.
Post-Tax Credit Buyers May Save Money
Missing the tax credit deadline might have seemed like a big mistake to some home buyers, but waiting could have been the smartest thing to do.
Interest rates have fallen so dramatically since April 30th that the typical purchaser of a $350,000 home, financed with a $280,000 mortgage, would have saved a bundle by waiting until May.
At April’s average rate of 5.34 percent, a home buyer would have locked in a 30-year fixed rate loan with a monthly payment of $1,561.82.
The same borrower could have snagged a 30-year fixed rate loan at a rate of 4.625 percent in May and paid $1,439.59 per month.
That’s a $1,467 annual savings. Over 30 years, it’s a $44,003 savings, dwarfing the tax credit.
