0 Jumbo Loan Rates Never Lower As Government Loan Limits Drop

If you have been keeping up with the real estate news, you may know that the mortgage loan limits on jumbo mortgage loans set by Congress are about to change. A jumbo mortgage is one that must be eligible to sell to Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac and it exceeds the amount of a conventional conforming limit.  Depending on where you live, the upcoming lower loan limits could impact you. Beginning on October 1, 2011 the mortgage loan limits for homes across the entire country will be $625,500.

Currently, the maximum amount for jumbo mortgage loans is anywhere between $417,000 and $729,750. The maximum limit is determined by a couple factors, including the region of the country in which you live.  Major metropolitan areas, where home prices are higher, today have limits closer to $729,750.

There are many people who will be affected by the new limits. Any homeowner who owns a home valued between $417,000 and $729,750 and wants to refinance is going to be affected by these new limits. There will be tighter credit restrictions and possibly even higher mortgage rates for homes that are valued above the new $625,000 maximum.

Any home buyer who wants to buy a home priced above the new maximum is also definitely going to be affected. Currently, jumbo mortgage loan rates are often lower than traditional mortgage rates and qualified buyers can put as little as 3.25 percent down to purchase the home. But with the new caps, mortgage rates are going to increase and home buyers will need to put down a much larger payment for the home. The down payment requirements could be as high as 20 percent.

Some of the bigger cities with higher home prices will definitely feel the punch. Places like New York City, San Francisco, Miami and Los Angeles where homes are typically priced in the jumbo mortgage loan range will see some effect from the lowered maximums. According to the National Association of Home Builders, nearly 1.4 million owner-occupied homes in more than 200 counties across the county will be valued above the $625,500 jumbo loan limit.

BestJumboRate.Com said that they are reaching out to clients who will be affected to alert them of the new guidelines. Most people simply don’t know about the new limits or the October 1 deadline for imposing the new limits.

Before criticizing the reduction, though, consider this: The Federal Housing Administration, or FHA, raised the limits for a jumbo loan in 2008. This increase in limits was only supposed to be temporary. Since 2008, the higher limit caps have been renewed each year. As of right now, those limits are set to expire on September 30, 2011. It is not like the federal government with taking action to lower the limits; rather, legislative inaction would result in the current limits expiring and reversion to the old limits.

So what does this mean for you? If you are thinking of refinancing your jumbo mortgage loan or taking out a jumbo loan to purchase an upper-end home, now may be the best time to initiate the process. The opportunity to capture a government insured rate that is often .25-.50% lower than a traditional jumbo mortgage loan won't be able if you wait until after September 30. 

Detail: Jumbo Loan Rates Never Lower As Government Loan Limits Drop

0 Housing in For Long Road to Recovery

From San Francisco Fed President John Williams: The Outlook for the Economy and Monetary Policy

Some excerpts on housing: 

One of the most important currents holding back recovery has been housing. The collapse of the housing market touched off the financial crisis and recession. In most recessions, housing construction falls sharply, but then leads the economy back when growth resumes. As you well know, that snapback hasn’t occurred this time. Before the crisis, residential investment as a share of the economy was at its highest level since the Korean War. Today, housing construction remains moribund and residential investment as a share of the economy has fallen to its lowest level since World War II.

On one level, that’s not surprising. We simply built too many—in fact, millions too many—houses during the boom and we are still feeling the effects of this overhang. Consider housing prices. From their peak in 2006 until early 2009, home prices nationwide fell by nearly a third. When you exclude distressed sales, prices appeared to bottom out in 2009 and early 2010. New housing starts also appeared to stabilize in 2009, after plummeting some 75 percent during the housing crash. ...

The $64,000 question is when will the housing market finally recover? One daunting challenge for such a recovery is the huge number of homes in foreclosure. Almost 7 million homes have entered into foreclosure since the first quarter of 2008 and some 2 million are still in the foreclosure process. In addition, there is a shadow inventory of homes currently owned by delinquent borrowers. When you add up unsold new houses left over from the boom, homes for sale by owners, foreclosed residences for sale by lenders, and the shadow inventory of houses at risk of distressed sale, you come up with a massive supply overhang.

Over time, more reasonable prices and an improving economy ought to bring buyers off the sidelines and set the stage for recovery. But high unemployment and anemic wage gains are leaving people worried about their income prospects and cautious about buying homes. Also, the dramatic plunge in home valuations since 2006 has made some first-time homebuyers wary about entering the market because of worries that prices might fall further.

These are key points: Usually housing is a key engine of recovery, but not this time because of the massive supply overhang. And looking forward: 

It’s only a matter of time before we work off the inventory overhang and construction picks up. How much time it takes will depend in part on what happens with foreclosed properties. If we begin making progress on working down the foreclosure inventory, then single-family housing starts could plausibly rise from their current level of about 400,000 per year to an average level of perhaps 1.1 million per year in three or four years, according to research at the San Francisco Fed.⁴ To put this in perspective, such an increase would boost real gross domestic product, or GDP, by at least 1 percent.

⁴ By contrast, if we can't work down the foreclosure inventory, then a return to normal construction levels could be delayed several more years. 

Detail: Housing in For Long Road to Recovery

0 Jumbo Loan Rates Continue Hovering Below 5%

Mortgage Delinquency continues to be a problem. It is our view that this could take several more years to run it's course. Average days till a home goes from first missed payment to getting listed as a foreclosure is roughly 1.5 to 2 full years in most states. The chart below is showing that over 10% of all mortgages are at least 60 days.

Here is your jumbo mortgage rate chart as well:

Detail: Jumbo Loan Rates Continue Hovering Below 5%

0 Show Me The Money

As we have previously discussed the current unemployment rate and poor GDP figures hide the enormous gains of the high net worth and high earners. Cap Gemini has all of the details.

Most of America may be treading water, but the High Net Worth Individuals are getting their piece of the pie.

Detail: Show Me The Money

0 Jumbo Loan Strategic Defaults on the Rise

When Tracy Bremmer, director of decision sciences at Experian, talks about mortgage defaults, she has more than reams of data behind her. She has personal experience. She tell a story, embellished slightly but still representative, of a "neighbor" who bought their house near the height of the boom only to see it lose 40% of its value, plunging their mortgage so far underwater it would take years to surface. Then they noticed the house across the street from them for sale for roughly half of what they paid for theirs. So they bought it, and just stopped paying their original mortgage.

This family is semi-fictitious but is not alone. Ethics, morality and possible straight-up savvy aside, we started thinking about these "strategic defaulters" as a newly trending consumer segment, as they tend to become a strange new class of renters:

Data being released later today from Experian will show that in the first half of 2010, an estimated 275,000 people just walked away from mortgages they could afford to keep paying because they had become such awful investments. That adds up to roughly 17% of defaulters. While that figure is down 35% from the first half of 2009, as evidence of a double-dip housing crash mounts, "we expect the incidence of strategic defaulting to go up," said Ms. Bremmer.

Estimates of the number of mortgages under water in the U.S. hover just over 1 in 4 but that could jump to half in the coming years. Recent data from Corelogic suggests that almost 10% of mortgages originated just last year are already in the negative equity range. The Federal Reserve shows average homeowner equity at just 38% down from 61% a decade ago. We could go on, but you get the idea. A lot of home owners are hosed.

These are no deadbeats in a traditional sense. The Experian data show that they are more likely to have had a jumbo loan mortgage, have had excellent credit scores, have had more than one house or investment property, and have a higher than average household income. They also stay current on all their other bills. If you look at the incidence in these charts, the proportion of strategic defaulters keeps going up.

They should be owning and spending like home owners. But they're not, and for up to the next seven years they might have a hard time finding a mortgage while their credit recovers. "As many strategic defaulters as there are," said Ms. Bremmer, "there are many more people who are short-selling. Those people are renting, too."

For more great information and to contact the team that created the report please visit Experian Decision Analytics

Detail: Jumbo Loan Strategic Defaults on the Rise

0 How Low Can Housing Prices Go?

As the bubble continues it's long grinding deflation we are seeing a classic 'buyers-strike', the spring buyers haven't appeared despite historically low interest rates and home prices continue to be discounted over asking prices of just 2-3 months ago.

Here is the national home purchase application index. It measures the applications in process to buy a new home. The survey is pretty solid in that about 50% of large lenders are surveyed every week. If this was an EKG, the patient is dying, get the paddles stat!

The spike you see in Q1 2010 is the end of the home buyer tax credits and a major push by the FED to push mortgage rates down. As the tax credits expired on a Federal and state level the number of new buyers started to disappear. Then during Q3 2010 and Q4 2010 we had excellent fixed mortgage interest rates

This prompted another group of buyers to get an application in and start the home buying process. Then because of inflation, Federal government budget issues, and prospects for a better national economic environment(b.s.), mortgage rates moved back up again from the best levels in history. The amount of inventory that will be coming onto the local real estate market is huge:

These are foreclosed homes currently owned by Fannie, Freddie and FHA. They may or may not be on the market yet. Some are in need of repair, some are listed etc. As with all goods/services, supply and demand will lead the market to adjust prices. I fully expect much lower(10-25%) prices in some former bubble states. If people are concerned about jobs and unemployment is around 9-10% you can't expect any stability in housing, in the golden state unemployment is 12.3%, ouch.

Now with the recent wallet shock of $4 gas on the household and business budget it's going to be a tough spring selling season. Blockbuster closing hundreds of stores, Borders doing the same it doesn't broadcast confidence to people as they go about their daily lives.

Buyers... remember it's an asking price. Bargain accordingly. Here is your jumbo mortgage rate chart as well:

Detail: How Low Can Housing Prices Go?

0 Paying More For Most Everything

Today’s must read piece is the WSJ discussion of Inflation:

“The pace of consumer price increases in the U.S. is quickening after being dormant for months. But a tug of war between the prices of goods and the prices of services, playing out beneath the surface, could keep inflation from becoming the worry it is in China, Europe and many emerging markets.”

Prices rose 1.6% in January 2011 vs 2010 — the biggest increase in eight months. The key has been commodities — gasoline, cotton, wheat, coffee, and oil are all higher.

Labor, on the other hand is not. Wages are flat, unemployment is stubbornly high, and hence, prices for Services are flat to lower. That is keeping a lid on inflation.

Hence, the dueling deflation versus hyper-inflation commentaries:

“Soaring commodities costs world-wide are pushing up prices for many goods, while a slowly recuperating U.S. economy, soft housing market and a persistently high unemployment rate are holding down prices for U.S. services.
Goods prices were up 2.2% from a year earlier, paced by jumps in food and energy prices, according to the Labor Department’s January consumer-price index, and are rising faster than they did before the recession. But services prices were up only 1.2% from a year earlier, far below the 3.4% inflation rate registered for services between 2000 and 2008.
The opposing pull of prices for goods and services could have a big effect on the course of U.S. inflation. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke is betting that rising prices for goods like gas and food will not spread into the broader economy. He and many private forecasters do not expect the U.S. to see the kind of rising inflation now plaguing China, India and other parts of the world.
Goods inflation has outstripped services inflation for long stretches since mid-2007, something that hadn’t happened since the 1970s. For most of the last 30 years, goods prices had been held down, in part, by cheap imports from low-wage countries like China. But recently, China and other developing markets have become huge consumers of commodities, which is putting upward pressure on American prices for many globally traded goods.”

Well worth reading in its entirety. Inflation must be managed carefully by governments and central banks. I fully expect this will continue to impact mortgage rates especially long term fixed jumbo loans. We have seen them move from 4.875%(best level ever) in the summer to about 5.50% now. 

Detail: Paying More For Most Everything

0 Housing Bubble: Winners, Losers and the Aftermath

http://marketplace.publicradio.org/features/anatomy/foreclosure/

Marketplace has a special report on the housing crisis through the lens of one house that fell into foreclosure. There is an interactive version of the story, and links to audio version and the companion 30-min documentary:

SoCal Connected and the acclaimed public radio show Marketplace have teamed up to take a tough look at the housing market crisis through one Los Angeles home. This special, reported by Marketplace’s Kai Ryssdal, traces the property from savvy investment boom to foreclosure bust and back again. We’ll meet the couple who bought the home low in 2002, improved it, and sold it four years later at almost triple the price; the couple who bought high and lost the home to foreclosure; and the couple who bought it this year at a fraction of the price it sold for in 2006.
The story of Lot 354 reflects the lending practices that contributed to the crisis in America’s housing market, how economic forces led to the housing crisis and what the future may hold for both buyers and sellers.

Listen to the radio program

Detail: Housing Bubble: Winners, Losers and the Aftermath

0 Home Values Continue To Decline

Data through November 2010 shows negative annual growth rates in 17 of the 20 MSAs and the 10- and 20-City Composites compared to what was reported for October 2010.

The 10-City Composite was down 0.4% and the 20-City Composite fell 1.6% from their November 2009 levels. Home prices fell in 19 of 20 MSAs and both Composites in November from their October levels.

Only four regions – Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco and Washington DC – showed year-over-year gains. Eight markets – Atlanta, Charlotte, Detroit, Las Vegas, Miami, Portland (OR), Seattle and Tampa – hit their lowest levels since home prices peaked in 2006 and 2007, meaning that average home prices in those markets have fallen even further than the lows set in the spring of 2009.

Your CS Housing chart round up, click for even larger graph:

Detail: Home Values Continue To Decline

0 Mortgage Rates Rise Across the Board

Word of the Week:

hesitates3rd person singular present of hes·i·tate (Verb)

1. Pause before saying or doing something, esp. through uncertainty.

2. Be reluctant to do something.  More »

Merriam-Webster

Seems a lot of conforming mortgage folks missed the low 4% rates and never locked. He who hesitates loses. The price of borrowed mortgage money has risen about .50% in the last few weeks. We have seen increases especially on fixed jumbo loan products and fixed conforming government backed(taxpayer). This is pressuring home shoppers especially. We have heard from a lot of realtors that the recent rapid rate increases has resulted in clients waiting or being forced to downgrade or offer less on the property. It really is about the payment for all but the top 1-2% of earners. 

For a client borrowing a cool million on a jumbo mortgage, a .50% rate move is not insignificant. From 5% on a 30Y Fixed Jumbo Loan in late November to the first week of the new decade at 5.50% for a very well qualified borrower, moves the payment from $5368 to $5677. Long run that is over 100k in additional interest cost. Higher or lower from here? Biased higher. Nothing more concrete as Mr Jumbo Mortgage's crystal ball is in for warranty repair in a small Turkish village. Great Charts Below:

Detail: Mortgage Rates Rise Across the Board

0 Job Market Improvement Boosts Jumbo Loan Rates

ADP reports:

Private-sector employment increased by 297,000 from November to December on a seasonally adjusted basis, according to the latest ADP National Employment Report® released today. The estimated change of employment from October to November was revised down but only slightly, from the previously reported increase of 93,000 to an increase of 92,000.

This month’s ADP National Employment Report suggests nonfarm private employment grew very strongly in December, at a pace well above what is usually associated with a declining unemployment rate. After a mid-year pause, employment seems to have accelerated as indicated by September’s employment gain of 29,000, October’s gain of 79,000, November’s gain of 92,000 and December’s gain of 297,000. Strength was also evident within all major industries and every size business tracked in the ADP Report.

This latest report came in very strong vs estimates of about 100k new jobs added in this period. This has resulted in an small early morning rally on Wall St. Stocks  are slightly higher but the biggest change is a rise in the 10Y Treasury from 3.33% to 3.45% as of 12:11 EST. We have seen a boost in mortgage rates across the board. Market based jumbo loan programs are up about .125%-.25% from yesterdays best levels. The plane is boarding don't be late before the captain shuts the door on 5% fixed jumbo loan rates.  

Detail: Job Market Improvement Boosts Jumbo Loan Rates

0 Jumbo Loan Rates: Was 2010 the Lowest?

Well, the final figures for 2010 are in and we may very likely have seen the best jumbo loan rates ever. But time will tell. If the economy double dips into a recession or the moon falls to earth causing epic panic then we may go back down to the sub 5% range for very well qualified clients. But the strong winds are blowing the sails of global economic recovery with the US projected to grow 2-3% in 2011. A rising economy will continue to push jumbo mortgage rates up. Mr Jumbo Mortgage advises to lock anything in the low to mid 5% range given the current environment. As in all things this could change in a minute. Contact our office anytime we can be of service here.

www.thegreatloan.com

Detail: Jumbo Loan Rates: Was 2010 the Lowest?

0 Impounds: Savvy Jumbo Loan Trick

Many aspects of a jumbo loan are confusing to borrowers, and impound (escrow) accounts rank high on the list. It’s the responsibility of the banker to educate borrowers on impounds, so the borrower can make the right decision based on his individual needs. But, the real trick is knowing that in general the rate discount for having impounds is about 0.125 up to 0.25% annually. As jumbo loans with impounds have the lowest rate of default so the saving is passed on. Borrrowers who lack the discipline to save money and end up scrambling to write those big checks for property taxes and hazard insurance premiums may want to consider an impound account. The chart below shows some of the pros and cons of having an impound account. Borrowers who are more disciplined and can better manage money on their own may choose to not open an impound account.

PROS CONS Borrower convenience Less control Ensures payment Homeowner is still responsible Protects the home Funds tied up Earns interest (see below) Earns little or no interest

Lender-Required Impounds Lenders and investors are very risk-averse in today’s mortgage environment, and may require an impound account. Impounds are mandatory for all FHA loans, regardless of the loan-to-value (LTV). High LTV and high-balance loans are riskier for all lenders, and individual lenders may impose their own impound requirements. Even if a lender does not require impounds, there may be a fee to waive them. Unless impounds are required by a lender, the borrower should be educated and have the right to choose.

Many States Require Interest on Impounds to be Paid

		STATE	CURRENT INTEREST
		California	2% annually
		Connecticut	1.5% annually
		Maine	0.205% quarterly
		Massachusetts	2% annually
		Minnesota	3% annually
		New York	2% quarterly
		Rhode Island	0.225% annually
		Utah	0.594% annually
		Vermont	0.25% quarterly
		Wisconsin	0.46% annually

Detail: Impounds: Savvy Jumbo Loan Trick

0 5 Sec Summary of This Years Posts

Detail: 5 Sec Summary of This Years Posts

0 Bond Market Doesn't Like Tax Cuts: Mortgage Rates Spike

Bond Market Revolt

The US Treasury bond market reaction to the Fed’s QE policies and to this disgrace of a budget proposal was swift and severe. I have a picture of it for you right here.



That is what the bond market thinks of Ben Bernanke’s plan to spur inflation but hold down treasury yields.

The ovals show today’s bond-market reaction to the budget deficit that Bernanke will no doubt monetize as part of QE III and QE IV when this round of “quantitative easing” blows up in his face.


Conforming Mortgages Went From 4.00% to 4.50% in the last few weeks. This is not helping housing or the economy at all.

Jumbo Mortgage Rates have moved from 5.00% to 5.375% in the last two weeks in particular.

Interest rates are ultra-low by historical standards by any measure but we can clearly see what will happen if enormous deficits, high unemployment and a weak dollar are not addressed soon by the FED, Congress and ultimately by the american people.

Detail: Bond Market Doesn't Like Tax Cuts: Mortgage Rates Spike

0 Rainy Day Savers Rewarded With Lowest Jumbo Mortgage Rates In History

It has been a tough couple of years — almost the proverbial perfect storm — for clients needing to refinance a jumbo loan.

The Great Recession(depression?) has cut home values, turning some jumbo loans upside down for borrowers. Falling values and tighter credit have made refinancing difficult and qualifying new borrowers even tougher unless they were very prudent over the last few years. Socking away money for the proverbial rainy day.

Low and no down payment and adjustable rate schemes are history. ARMs are available but clients want fixed. Why gamble with future rates when fixed is at historic lows?

But the storm may have completely passed. Across several states luxury home values have stabilized and insanely tough credit standards are being moved down to the 700 FICO score level or better, interest rates are at historic lows again, new creative loan plans are emerging and pent-up demand for high-end housing is eager to enter the market.

Cloud Computing Technology specialist David Sparks was surprised when we informed him he would be able to refinance his $1.5 million post modern-style house in Santa Monica and tap into the equity for an additional $75,000 so he could remodel his kitchen.

Sparks, refinanced his expensive adjustable-rate mortgage into a 30-year fixed jumbo mortgage at 5.125 percent.

In 2009, the average rate on a 30-year jumbo mortgage was 6.86 percent compared to 5.25 percent in November, the lowest in history. That represents a significant savings for borrowers.

For example, a homeowner with a 30-year fixed jumbo mortgage balance of $900,000 at 6.25 percent pays $5,541 a month. The same balance refinanced into a 5.00 percent jumbo loan reduces the monthly figure by $710.

The jumbo mortgage market is alive and well for well-qualified borrowers, with well-qualified being the key word if you are still paying close attention. And creditworthy consumers are waiting much longer to close their jumbo mortgages while banks pore over financial documents and complete due diligence. 

Borrowers face considerably more scrutiny than they did before the epic financial meltdown that started in 2008. With 10% of jumbo mortgages at least 60 days late the focus of underwriting is finding and lending to rock solid borrowers who have survived the financial storm by being prudent with their finances.

It used to be that high-earning borrowers with excellent credit and ample cash reserves could sign a new multi-million dollar jumbo mortgage or refinance an existing loan on their posh digs with no questions asked.

Of course, that was before the economy tanked and the housing market went belly-up, making lenders skittish about financing any type of mortgage, especially since they had to hold the loans they made on their balance sheets. Return of capital became the most important element of any loan. Those that qualify are being rewarded for their prudence.

Most client’s refinancing are saving 1-2 thousand dollars a month because they are dropping their interest rates over 1%. The majority of jumbo mortgage loans funded over the last quarter were 30Y fixed. Maybe running with the herd is right once in awhile. The latest chart should really demonstrate how much money is on sale for SOLID borrowers.

And above all please get a jumbo loan that makes sense for your short and long term financial plans. If your ready to start the conversation, contact one of our seasoned advisors by visiting our main site here. As always, have a prosperous day. 

Detail: Rainy Day Savers Rewarded With Lowest Jumbo Mortgage Rates In History

0 Jumbo Mortgage: Prudent Borrowers Rewarded By Lowest Jumbo Rates Ever

Solid, ultra low interest rate jumbo mortgage loans are being actively funded by remembering the lending philosophy we relied on before the risk could be passed onto some unsuspecting pension fund via a CDO created by a trader at a Wall St Bank. With trillions in mortgage loan losses across the nation, major changes were needed. Regulatory reform passed Congress last week, but it wasn’t hard for the jumbo mortgage market to fix our own problems.

Normalcy has returned. The jumbo loan environment has settled into a prove it, we double verify it, and we fund it environment for well qualified borrowers. The recent national statistics show about 14% loans with a principal balance of 1m+ are at least 60 days late. This is up sharply in the last six months from the 9.78% figure that we ended 2009. Hopefully these default figures will flatten out and fall as the better jumbo loans of 09-10 perform much better than the loans closed in 04-08.

Against this backdrop jumbo loans are being funded only on a portfolio basis (Wall ST jumbo loan packaging is dead) to solid clients under the philosophy that the borrower and the amount of equity in the property should have an ample margin for the known/unknown risks a borrower/lender may face down the road. With regulators, taxpayers, shareholders and all stakeholders demanding sound lending the industry has delivered. I believe this only benefits the luxury market although it pushes out the marginal borrower and may result in some property value declines as the available buyers have thinned out a bit.

Sound lending has returned and borrowers are being ‘rewarded’ for their financial strength and prudence. Remember it’s a ‘prove it’ to us world now.

First and foremost, lenders are pulling copies of your tax returns directly from Uncle Sam. The idea here is to make sure that you haven't altered the copy of your last two years' tax returns that you provided when you signed your loan application. Lenders want to know if you might have exaggerated how much you earned.

Lenders also are going to great lengths to verify employment and liquid assets. We are seeking confirmation in writing from your H.R. department about what you earn, your position and how long you've worked there.


It's the same for your bank or brokerage accounts. Rather than being satisfied solely with the copies of the statements you provided, lenders are going directly to your financial services company to secure another set of those statements to make sure the numbers line up or that you just lost 200k betting that the latest iPhone signal problem would crush Apple’s stock price.

Lenders are no longer taking the appraiser's word for how much the property you want to buy or refinance is worth, either. Now, we are employing automated valuation models as well as an additional appraisal from a separate vendor to be certain the value estimate is on the money. This is especially true in highly distress markets or for very unique custom homes. After all, the bank is ‘buying’ the home and the borrower is signing to pay it back over 15-30 years.

Next in the line of close scrutiny is your credit score, but not just the score pulled when you applied for the loan. Now, our industry is pulling a second score shortly before closing to make sure that you haven't taken out a luxury car lease/loan, bought a houseful of furniture on credit or done something else that might change your ability to make your house payments.

Having passed all these double checks, a well qualified client with 20%+ equity, a 740 FICO or better, borrowing $1m on a primary residence could lock in the following jumbo loan rates in the majority of states:

5/1 ARM 3.625%
7/1 ARM 4.50%
10/1 ARM 4.90%
15Y Fixed 4.50%
30Y Fixed 5.125%

With a bit more equity and a higher FICO score these jumbo loan rates are even lower. I think people need to strongly consider locking in the lowest fixed jumbo mortgage rates we have ever seen. Most client’s refinancing are saving 1-2 thousand dollars a month because they are dropping their interest rates over 1%. The majority of jumbo mortgage loans funded over the last quarter were 30Y fixed. Maybe running with the herd is right once in awhile. The latest chart should really demonstrate how much money is on sale for SOLID borrowers.

And above all please get a jumbo loan that makes sense for your short and long term financial plans. As always, have a prosperous day.

Detail: Jumbo Mortgage: Prudent Borrowers Rewarded By Lowest Jumbo Rates Ever

0 Millions Of Luxury Homeowners Gambling With Their Jumbo Loan

Ten's of millions of luxury homeowners have adjusted from an ARM with a fixed rate period into a fully adjustable jumbo loan. Following the large drop in LIBOR rates since 2007, floating with the 6-month or 1 year LIBOR index has been an excellent risk homeowners took the last few years. Even if they were not aware of the relationship of their mortgage payment and the workings of the global short-term money market.

In the last few weeks it has become crystal clear that Europe is having a massive government debt crisis which started in Greece and is spreading throughout the European Union. This crisis is causing major moves in all the various LIBOR indexes and the action in Europe will translate into higher mortgage payments in the US whenever someone reaches their semi-annual adjustment period.


The underlying rate trend in these indexes in the last few weeks is a steady march higher as governments, banks and corporations are going to market to borrow hundred of billions of Euros. This is pushing LIBOR rates up for the 6- month and 1 year about .25% within the last two weeks. All the LIBOR indexes are at the highest levels in over a year despite massive liquidity being pumped into the system by the EU Central Bank and the FED.

Now we aren’t in the danger zone yet for US based jumbo mortgage loans that are floating considering that the average margin to the 1Y LIBOR is 2.50% arriving at a current floating rate of 3.25%. But a plausible scenario of a consistent flow of gov/corp borrowers, an improving global economy over the next year could push LIBOR rates consistently higher. Any real growth in the economy will be meet with higher interest rates and this will be reflected on the hundreds of billions of dollars worth of jumbo loan mortgages that are sitting with rates of about 3.25-4% now.

We think homeowners that are floating against the LIBOR indexes without a plan to sell soon or get another ARM this year or a fixed jumbo mortgage are gambling with their mortgage payment. Not having a solid plan is a very dangerous proposition given the huge debt crisis that continues to unfold around the world. I am a firm believer in having full coverage auto insurance given the cost of coverage vs the financial risk of an accident. Millions of American’s are just waiting for a financial accident when they get their new rate increase notice. Most ARMs adjust every six months with a 30-60 day notice of the new interest rate and payment. The jumbo loan trend has only been down for the last few years as the world almost fell into a financial black hole during the 07-08 meltdown.

I think with the economic recovery gaining speed that it is only prudent to lock in another ARM or a fixed jumbo mortgage while we are at the lowest rates in history. Avoiding an interest rate increase that for millions would come as a nasty surprise. If you need to refinance your jumbo mortgage within the next few years it’s prudent to explore your jumbo loan options now. As always, have a prosperous day.

Detail: Millions Of Luxury Homeowners Gambling With Their Jumbo Loan

0 Jumbo Loan Borrowers: How to Think About Buying Your Dream Home.

The enormous social pressure and the expectations that come with it lead to misunderstandings and confusion. Here's my advice to someone in the market:

• In an era where house prices rise reliably (which was 1963 to 2007), it was almost impossible to overpay for a house. It was an efficient market, and rising prices cover many mistakes. Investing in houses in the USA was a no-brainer. More leverage and more at stake just paid off more in the end. In 2006 many subprime and ALT-A lenders would allow nothing down up to a 1m jumbo loan with a 720 FICO score. Needless to say these loans defaulted at a 40%+ rate as people walked away when values dropped. The old mantra of buying as much house as possible with as little down payment as you could doesn’t work if values fall in the future.
• A house is not just an investment, it's a place to live. This is the only significant financial investment that has two functions.
• The psychology of down markets is irrational. Rising house prices might be efficient (many bidders for a single item lead to higher prices), but when there aren't so many bidders, irrational sellers (see #2) don't lower their prices accordingly. So, inventories get longer and it's easy for the prospective buyer to think that a certain price is the 'right' price because so many people are offering houses at that price. Just because someone offers a price, though, doesn't mean it's fair in a given market.
• Along the same lines, anchoring has a huge impact on housing prices. If someone offers a house for $1.7m and you think it's worth $1.2m, you don't offer that. No, of course not. The price is a mental and emotional anchor, and you're likely to offer far more because you are falling in love with a view, a certain floor plan or a special neighborhood.
• The social power of a luxury home is huge. When you buy a luxury home or a country estate, you are making a statement to your in-laws, your family, your neighbors and your business/social contacts. Nothing wrong with that, but the question you must ask yourself is, "how big a statement can I afford?" How much are you willing to spend on personal marketing and temporary self-esteem? This is a big social pressure faced by newly-wed couples, lawyers and doctors as they come out of school landing that deep six figure position.
• If buying a bigger house (or even a house with an extra living room or a 4 car garage) is going to keep you in stuck in the office 90 hours a week till the end of time, is it really worth it?
• By the time you buy a house, you probably have a family or have plans to bring some little owns into your life. Which means that this is a joint decision, a group decision, a decision made under stress by at least two people, probably people that don't have a lot of practice talking rationally about significant financial decisions that also have emotional and social underpinnings.
• If you have a steady career, matching your mortgage to your income isn't dumb. Given the recent environment with bonus money being cut and profit sharing taking a dip having a jumbo mortgage payment that is less than ¼ to 1/3 of take home pay can bring about a lot of piece of mind.
• Real estate brokers, by law, work for the seller (unless otherwise noted). And yet buyers often try to please the broker. You'll never see her again, don't worry about it. [Let me be really clear about what I wrote here, just in case you'd like to misinterpret it: When a prospect sees an ad or goes to an open house, she is about to interact with a broker. That broker, in almost every case, is hired by the seller and has a fiduciary responsibility to the seller to get the very best price for the house. There are exceptions, like buyer's brokers, but those brokers, as I said, note that they are representing the buyer--how can you represent someone without telling them? Many brokers like to pretend to themselves that they are representing both sides, and while that's a nice concept, that's not the law.
• You're probably not going to be able to flip your house in two years for a big profit. Maybe not even ten years. So revisit #2 and imagine that there is no financial investment, just a house you love. And spend accordingly.

I'm optimistic about the power of a house to change your finances, increase your net worth, to provide a foundation for a family and our communities. I'm just not sure you should buy more house than you can COMFORTABLY afford merely because houses have such good marketing.

And above all please get a jumbo loan that makes sense for your short and long term financial plans. As always, have a prosperous day.

Detail: Jumbo Loan Borrowers: How to Think About Buying Your Dream Home.