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St Louis Real Estate-Mortgage Rates Hold Steady-FHA Makes Changes

FHA loans gained in popularity for borrowers as applications for FHA-guaranteed mortgages exceeded an annual rate of 3 million in October; nearly triple the level in 2007.  In 2006, when subprime and other Wall Street programs were at full speed, the annual rate for applications was less than 600,000. 

As a result the Federal Housing Administration [...]

FHA Announces Tougher Guidelines for Loans

Dennis Norman

FHA Announces Policy Changes to Address Risk and Strengthen Finances

This week FHA announced policy changes that are going to help them shore up their finances but will make it more difficult and/or costly for your clients to purchase a home.

The FHA policy changes include:

Mortgage insurance premium (MIP) will be increased to build up [...]

Most recent homebuyers are first-time buyers

According to NAR 51 percent of recent homebuyers are first-time buyers and 39 percent of recent home sales have relied on an FHA loan

Dennis Norman

The National Association of REALTORS just released a report showing that 51 percent of the homes sold recently have been to first-time home buyers and that 39 percent [...]

Setting Up the Next Leg Down in Housing

Loose lending standards in government-backed mortgages is setting up the next wave of defaults and sharp declines in housing prices.

 

 

 

Charles Hugh Smith, Of Two Minds

Beneath the hype that housing has bottomed is an ugly little scenario: lending standards are still loose and the low-down payment, high-risk loans being guaranteed by government agencies are setting [...]