Feds leave rates unchanged

The Federal Reserve left borrowing costs unchanged, continuing to delay any rate moves amid persistently low inflation.

The U.S. central bank voted unanimously Wednesday to maintain its benchmark interest rate in a range of 2.25 percent and 2.5 percent, a move that many anticipated despite stronger-than-expected growth in the first quarter of 2019 and an unemployment rate near a half-century low.

“Economic activity rose at a solid rate,” while job growth continued to be “solid, on average, in recent months,” the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) said in its post-meeting statement released Wednesday in Washington. “Overall inflation and inflation for items other than food and energy have declined and are running below 2 percent.”

Inflation weakness driving Fed’s patience

Following their April 30-May 1 gathering, however, Fed officials signaled that the primary driver for holding the federal funds rate steady is now inflation – and specifically why it’s continued to register below the Fed’s target during an expansion set to become the longest on record. Fed Chairman Jerome Powell said during the press conference following the meeting that those global risks had “moderated” since officials last met.

The Fed in its post-meeting statement got rid of any language saying that the economy had “slowed” from its previous robust pace and that inflation remained “near” its 2 percent target. They also noted that household spending had “slowed.”

Prices excluding food and energy, as measured by the Fed’s preferred gauge, cooled in March to 1.6 percent, the slowest pace since January 2018, according to the Department of Commerce.

“Those aren’t conditions under which the Fed feels compelled to change interest rates in either direction,” says Greg McBride, CFA, Bankrate’s chief financial analyst. “The economy looks better than it did when the Fed last met in March, but with inflation readings continuing to decelerate, the Fed is no closer to resuming rate hikes.”

Pressure mounting for a rate cut

The Fed’s decision comes amid President Trump’s repeated calls for the U.S. central bank to cut interest rates. The chief executive on Tuesday renewed his requests in a tweet, urging the Fed to lower borrowing costs by one percentage point to send the economy “up like a rocket.”

The markets are also looking for signs of a cut. Fed watchers are betting there’s nearly a 30-percent chance that the U.S. central bank will cut rates at some point this year, according to CME Group’s FedWatch tool.

Officials, however, gave no indication of whether their next move could be a cut.  “We think our policy stance is appropriate, and we don’t see a strong reason for moving in one direction or the other,” Powell said.

information provided and written by:

SARAH FOSTER   @SARAHFFOSTER

MAY 1, 2019 in FEDERAL RESERVE

Bill Nickerson of Fidelity Cooperative Bank

Can I give you a Piggy Back?

Whether you call them Piggy Back Loans, Blended Mortgages, A first and second, 80-10-10, these loans are extremely helpful in avoiding Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI).

The Piggy Back

When you have less than 20% to put down on a home, you are charged Private Mortgage Insurance, this added cost is based on the actual down payment as well as your credit score and in some cases can be in the hundreds of dollars per month.   Several years ago, many banks, lenders and mortgage companies created a program that would allow having a first and second mortgage to avoid the high cost of mortgage insurance.  At the end of the Housing Bubble, many banks, lenders and mortgage companies went out of business, these second mortgage and lines of credit nearly disappeared.  They were still available, they were just really hard to find.

Based on your purchase price, you would take out a first mortgage in the amount of 80% of the price and a second loan in the amount of 10%.  You would still be borrowing 90% of the purchase price (10% down payment).  In doing so, you have lowered the loan-to-value ratio (LTV) of a first position mortgage to under 80%, thereby eliminating the need for private mortgage insurance (PMI).

Example: Here is a comparison of using the Piggy Back Mortgage versus a mortgage with PMI.  This is based on a purchase price of $400,000 with 10% down on a single family home and assuming a credit score of 740 or greater.

Without the Piggy-Back:  You would have a first mortgage of $360,000, using a mortgage rate of 4.5% on a 30 year fixed.  This would give you a mortgage payment with PMI in the amount of $1,980.07.  $156 of this payment would be PMI.  PMI payments do vary based on the actual down payment as well as the credit score of the borrower, but this will give you a good idea of what the payment would be.

With a Piggy-Back loan using the same purchase price.  In this example you would have a first mortgage in the amount of 80% of the purchase price, $320,000 and a second mortgage in the amount of $40,000.  The second mortgage can also be a line of credit and in both cases the second mortgage rates is typically higher.  Using a rate of 6.00% for the second, this gives you a total mortgage payment of $1,861.21.  This is a total savings of $118.86 per month.  This is a conservative estimate.

The savings can be in the hundreds, most of these piggy-backs are in the form of a Line of Credit (home equity line of credit) and are adjustable rate products.  This rate is tied to the Prime Rate that the Federal Reserve sets and can be adjusted a few times a year.   Even though the rates are still at all-time lows, these lines of credit will go up in the future.  When obtaining a piggy-back mortgage, you  need to have a strong financial plan of how you can either make additional payments to this loan or be in a position to pay it off within several years.

For more information in regards to Piggy Back mortgages and other programs that eliminate mortgage insurance, feel free to call or email me anytime.

Bill Nickerson -NMLS #4194  978-273-3227 cell

 Bill Nickerson 

Understanding how your Credit Works

Credit scores were developed by Fair Isaac and company (FICO). The models created using FICO take all the detailed information about your credit report and produce your credit score using different weights and factors contained in the FICO scoring models.

The purpose of a FICO score is to show how likely you are to become at least 90 days late in making payments in the next 24 months based on patterns in your credit history, compared with patterns of millions of past customers.

Fair Isaac divides the scoring range into five risk categories.

• 780-850 Low Risk
• 740-780 Medium, Low Risk
• 690-740 Medium Risk
• 620-690 Medium High Risk
• 620 and Below High Risk or “Non Prime”

Each of the three major credit bureaus uses their own version of the FICO scoring model. Factors influencing your credit score are:

• Current or late payments
• How late the payments are
• Number of open accounts you have
• How much credit you are using in relation to how much credit you have available
• If there are serious delinquencies on your file like bankruptcy, liens and charge off accounts

Your credit score is a snapshot, in that it is developed at the time of inquiry by a credit grantor pulling your credit file. Your credit score can change with the passage of time as well as with the addition of new information to your credit file. As delinquency information in your file ages, it’s negative affect on your credit score lessens.

Credit Scoring uses the following five areas of information to calculate the score:

• Payment history 35%
• Amounts owed 30%
• Length of credit history 15%
• New credit inquiries 10%
• Type of credit used 10%

It is best to keep balances low on credit cards and other revolving accounts – maintain balances below 50 of the available credit limit. 24 is optimal. The best way to improve your score is to pay down revolving debt.

An inquiry is defined as a request by a lender for a copy of an applicant’s credit report. Inquiries remain on a credit report for two years, but credit scores only look at inquiries in the last 12 months. Your own request for a credit report to review for accuracy is not considered in your credit score.

Apply for new credit accounts only when you need them. Remember that closing accounts does not make them go away. A closed account with a poor payment history may become a more recent account because the date of activity will change. An open account with a low or zero balance is better than a closed account.

HELPFUL WEBSITES FOR YOUR REFERENCE: You can obtain your free annual credit report, without a FICO score, at www.annualcreditreport.com

To contact the credit bureaus:

Experian  1-888-397-3742   www.experian.com

Equifax  1-800-846-5279 www.equifax.com

Transunion  1-800-916-8800  www.transunion.com

DID YOU KNOW??

1. FICO scores are used not only for a mortgage and credit cards, but for auto loans, insurance and utilities.
2. Credit reports reflect charge offs or collection accounts for up to 7 years, and bankruptcies for up to 10 years.
3. You can order a free credit report annually, at no charge, without impacting your credit score.
4. Having a minor balance without missing a payment is better than closing an account.
5. Paying off an old collection may result in a drop in your credit score.
6. Consolidating credit cards increases your ratio of debt to available credit and lowers your score.
7. Using the maximum amount on a credit line can drop your score by 100 points.

For more information regarding financing or the economy, please call or email me at any time.  I can be reached via email at Bill’s Email or call me at 978-273-3227.

Bill Nickerson Training for the Pan Mass Challenge

 

3.5% down on FHA Rehab Loans

Have you ever wanted to buy a fixer upper?  Did you know FHA offers a few different types of rehabilitation loans?  The Streamline FHA is one of the most common loans available.  This allows you to add an additional $35,000 to your base mortgage to improve or upgrade your home prior to moving in. The same low down payment of 3.5% is required and a minimum Credit score of 640.  Gifts are available as well as seller credits, go here to learn more about that. Seller Concessions and Gifts.

The list below is a general outline of all the items you are able to repair, fix and even replace. 

• Repair/replace roofs, gutters and downspouts
• Repair/replace/upgrade of existing HVAC systems
• Repair/replace/upgrade of plumbing and electrical systems
• Repair/replace existing flooring
• Minor remodeling, such as, kitchens, which does not involve structural repairs
• Exterior and interior painting
• Weatherization: including storm windows and doors, insulation, weather stripping, etc.
• Purchase and installation of appliances. Appliances may include free-standing ranges, refrigerators, washers, dryers, dishwashers and microwaves
• Improvements for accessibility for person with disabilities
• Lead based paint stabilization or abatement of lead based paint hazards
• Repair/replace exterior decks, patios, porches
• Basement refinishing and remodeling, which does not involve structural repairs
• Basement waterproofing
• Window and door replacements and exterior wall re-siding
• Septic system and or well repair or replacement
• 10% contingency reserve with a maximum of $2,500; 15% with no utilities on or foreclosed property

The FHA 203K Rehab loan is a great way to get into a home that may need a little work or a full transformation.  For more information about Rehab Loans, call or email me anytime.

Email me at Bill’s Email

call me on cell:978-273-3227

Lock your Rate up to 180 Days, then Re-Lock it!

What if I were to tell you that I have a special mortgage program??

What if I were to tell you I have some of the best mortgage rates??

What if I were to tell you I have very competitive closing costs??

Yup…ordinary, just like all the other mortgage companies, banks, credit unions etc!  Pretty dull and boring when it comes right down to it.

Relock Today!

But what if I were tell you that you could lock your mortgage rate in at todays rate and if the rate drops during the process of your mortgage, you could re-lock to the lower rate.  And…It’s FREE!!  Yes, FREE!  No additional premiums, no inflated start rate and it’s offered on fixed rate mortgages.

Buying new construction or Building a new home?  These homes can typically take 3 to 6 months to complete.  In this volatile market of rates changing daily, you can lock in your mortgage rate for 180 days and if the rates drop, you can take advantage of the lower rates.  This allows you the security locking and peace of mind knowing you can still float your mortgage rate down.

But Wait!!!  There’s more!!!  What if you don’t have a signed offer on hand or have even identified a home?  How about if I told you that you could LOCK into a mortgage rate while you were shopping for homes.  This allows you focus on your new home and not have to worry about the markets and at what point rates will move.

This is for fixed rates mortgages up to $417,000.  Don’t be fooled by other lenders that offer these programs and then require you to use an Adjustable Rate or charge you a premium.    I have attached a flyer so that you can share this great program with your friends, clients, builders and whom ever may be in the market.

Click here for your own Float Down Flyer: Float Down

You must have applied for a mortgage through Bill Nickerson and PrimeLending.  You must meet Fannie Mae guidelines and be approved for a mortgage. This article is not a commitment to lend nor does it guarantee the program without first verifying credit, income and all financial documents.  Please call me at 978-273-3227 or wnickerson@primelending.com to see if you qualify for a mortgage today.

The Good Faith Estimate

A good faith estimate (GFE) must be provided by a mortgage lender or broker in the United States to a customer.  The estimate must include an itemized list of fees and costs associated with the loan and must be provided within three business days of applying for a loan.  These mortgage fees, closing costs and pre-paid items cover every expense associated with a home loan from legal fees, recording fees, title insurance, taxes and other charges.  A good faith estimate is a standard form which is intended to be used to compare different offers (or quotes) from different lenders or brokers.

The good faith estimate is only an estimate. The final closing costs may be different; however the difference can only be 10% of the third party fees.  Once a good faith estimate is issued the lender/broker cannot change the fees in the origination box.

It is important to look at everything that is listed, but it is especially important to see if additional costs are being built in such as Points, Broker Fees or high Administrative fees.  In all, a consumer should look at the bottom line number of the cost;  one, to make sure it is affordable to them and two, to be sure the costs are accurate and not over inflated in any way.  Click for more details about closing costs.

For more information about the good faith estimates or if you have questions regarding other home financing, please email me at bill@billnickerson.com or call me at 978-273-3227

10 Tips for First Time Homebuyers

1.  Be picky, but don’t be unrealistic.  Your first home may need a little work, some paint, carpet and perhaps some other updates.  Remember, this is your first home and the first step in investing in your future. Don’t avoid a home because it has bright pink walls or ugly floors.  Do avoid a home that may have structural damage such as rotted sills.

2.  Do your homework before you start looking.  Look online, work with a Real Estate Agent and begin the process of what style homes you like, neighborhoods and most important, the price range.

3.  Get your finances in order. Organize your bank accounts by having all of your funds in one or two different accounts.  Review your credit to make sure any and all accounts are up to date.

4.  Don’t wait to get a loan; Get pre-approved.  Call me today, 978-273-3227, get approved ahead of time to make sure you are properly prepared and you are realistically looking in the right price range. This is a free service!

5.  Don’t ask too many people for opinions.  Just because your best friend bought and sold 3 houses, does not make them an expert.  Ask the professionals that do this everyday.

6.  Decide when you could move. Set realistic time frames of how quickly you could move into your new home.  In the case of home purchases, some transactions can happen in as little as 30 days and some can take up to 6 months, you need to be prepared.

7.  Think long-term. Where do you see yourself in 10 years? Are you buying to be in a good school system? Closer to work? Close to the City?  Figure out what is important to you today, will these wants/needs still be important in 10 years?  It’s ok to buy a starter home and then re-evaluate in 5 or so years.  This is an investment and it’s your future.

8.  Don’t let yourself be “House Poor”.  Don’t over buy, your first home does not have to be 5000 square feet. You want to make sure you can still live your life and afford to go out to dinner.

9.  Don’t be naive. If you have never swung a hammer, don’t by a fixer upper. Do your homework on what updates to a home cost before purchasing a home that may need TLC.

10.  Get help from a real estate agent. This is your best resource for your home purchase. To be properly “matched” up, call me as I work with real estate agents all over and can refer you to one that best suits your needs.

Bottom Line:  Being a first time home buyer can be a scary uncertain time in your life, seek help from trained professionals to get the best most up-to-date information.

At Merrimack Mortgage, our mortgage programs are designed to assist the many different needs of each unique individual’s needs.

Call or email me today to find out how I can assist you in financing a new home or refinancing your current one. 

Bill Nickerson NMLS#4194   179 Great Road, Acton MA 01720

Phone: 978-273-3227     Bill’s Email       Bill’s Website

As the Dust settles…mortgage rates improve!!

As I spoke a little the other day in the midst of the mortgage rate meltdown, many of us suspected that this was Wall Street overreacting to the Fed’s comments.  Now, before I say I told you so, we have to analyze what Ben Bernanke said last week.  It was clear and there were two parts to the story.

Not so easy it is Ben??
Alan Greenspan having a chuckle…

The first, Mr. Bernanke stated how the economy was heading in the right direction, things were getting better and it some point in the future the Fed would begin to start “tapering” its bond buying program that it has done for a few years now.

It would appear, the children running Wall Street only heard one thing….”There is Cake and Ice Cream in the break room!!”  What they missed was, “You can’t have any until you clean your room.”  Now, isn’t that much clearer to put it this way??

The Fed Chairman then followed his positive outlook comments by saying he was not altering its primary stimulus program, its stated intention to hold short-term interest rates near zero at least as long as unemployment remains above 6.5 percent and inflation stays under control.  This would be the cleaning the room part.

Mr. Bernanke said that the Fed intended to reduce the volume of its monthly bond buying later this year.  The Feds are currently buying $85 billion a month in Treasury securities and mortgage-backed securities to keep rates as low as possible.  What caught investors ear was “Later this year” he would start cutting his treasury buying program…this was sooner than originally planned.  Thus causing a panic in Wall Street and around the world where mortgage rates went up and the stock market tumbled.  Very rare to have both of these markets take a dive as they did. The Feds are now doing damage control and trying to put out a clear statement, which is working to some degree.

Now, back to the part of where “I told you so”, today’s headlines in several of the Mortgage News updates, “Mortgage Rates Fall at Fastest Pace in June”.  We are seeing a some improvement!  I don’t thing we will get back to the lows of earlier in the year, but we should see this calm down a bit and settle in to the low 4’s.  This is my opinion and anything can happen with the economy.  Mr. Bernanke is a few pay-grades above me and he did not see this coming!!

Bottom line: If you are looking to buy a home or possibly refinance, the current rates are still at their lowest they have been since the 1960’s!!!  To give you an idea of what this may cost you if you were to borrower $100,000 at today’s rate of 4.50%, it would be $507 per month compared to $450 at 3.5% that we were quoting in April. This is only an increase of $57 per month.  This is based on a 30 year fixed rate with 0 points.

Is it the right time to buy?  Of course, if you are looking for a new home, it has never been a better time.  Ok, perhaps last month would have been better, but this still pretty darn good!!!

Do you have questions about buying a home? Do you have questions about what is the right program?  This is what I am here for, to help guide you through the process, to make it easy, affordable and most of all, get you and your family in to the home of your dreams.

Email me anytime with any questions you may have about the home buying process.

Bill Nickerson NMLS #4194

Merrimack Mortgage Company179 Great Road Acton MA 01720

Bill’s Email

So…What happend to Mortgage Rates??

As we have learned…The Fed, The Economy and Wall Street are very similar to the weather here in New England, just wait 5 minutes and it will be different. In this case it was a True Nor’ Eastah!!

Oops…was I not clear enough??

The Fed, which can be a love hate relationship, has a strategy that has been open-ended, it just pumped money into the economy, hoping things got better and for the most part, the economy is heading in the right direction.   Now, Fed Chairman Bernanke says he has a more definitive game plan or at least as definitive as the Fed can be!!  Mr. Bernanke will continue to buy Treasuries and bonds to stimulate the economy until unemployment falls to at least 6.5 percent — and as long as inflation stays low.   Overall, this has been his plan and he is announcing that if we keep this pace, he is going to back off on pumping these funds into the markets or increase as needed.  As we saw last month, Unemployment creeped up to 7.6% indicating the economy slowed.

Because of the comments and the timing of The Fed’s message this past week,  Investors on Wall Street ignored the details of Ben’s plans, even know they really have not changed that much.  The idea is to inject enough money into bonds and treasuries to keep long and short term rates low which will allow slow and steady growth in all sectors with Housing being the main focus.

“I think Wall Street overreacted,” said Bloomberg Government’s Nela Richardson. “It was almost as if Bernanke punched Wall Street in the collective gut, and that’s not what his intention was. He said — very clearly, I thought — that the Fed would begin to taper if — and only if — the fundamentals looked good. Not good enough, ‘good.'”

The markets are misreading the Federal Reserve’s messages as Investors reacted in a big way; the Dow Jones Industrial Average suffered its worst loss of the year. In the two days since Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke said the central bank expects to curb its big bond-buying program later this year, stocks tumbled, long-term interest rates rose and interest-rate futures contracts fell, meaning investors bet the Fed would raise short-term interest rates sooner than previously expected.

What investors did not hear was his second point: If the Economy does not meet the Fed’s expectations,  Ben Bernanke is then willing to adjust the pace to keep interest rates low.  Investors, the Markets, Wall Street and many others ignored this statement!  Again, causing the Dow to have it’s largest drop in over a year and mortgage rates to surge to their highest point in over 2 years.

So, where are rates today?  Just over a month ago, the 30 Year Fixed Conforming Mortgage rate was trading at 3.5% (plus or minus an 1/8^th).  Today, we are seeing this same rate trade at 4.375%-4.625%.  A full point higher than just a month ago. On a $100,000, this is an increase of $105 per month and on a Loan amount of $417,000, this is an increase of $240 per month.

In my opinion as well as a few others, we should see some type of correction in the Markets.  As these rates have moved so fast, it is possible this slows down the economy even more. It has brought refinancing of homes to a complete stand still.  Purchases should still move forward, but it will cause buyers to rethink the amount they are borrower in some cases.

For more information about mortgage rates, programs and the economy, feel free to email me at Bill@billnickerson.com

National Open House Weekend April 20 and April 21, 2013

Did you know it is National Open House Weekend?  The National Association of Realtors is expecting to sell almost 10% of the current inventory. With lots of homes on the market and great low rates, this spring market is turning out to be fantastic!  This weekend real estate agents from around the area will be hosting open houses as part of the national Open House Weekend.  The Open House Weekend provides a great opportunity to visit some of the many homes in your local area while learning more about homeownership from a professional real estate agent.  Be sure to take advantage of this weekend and attend some of the open houses in your area!

Call me today to see the closing cost credits you are eligible for!!   

Need a realtor? Call me.  Need a real estate attorney?  Call me.  Need a mortgage or pre-approval?  Call me.  Have financing questions?  Call me.  Bill Nickerson 978-273-3227

Or send me an email at bill@billnickerson.com  If you need to apply online, visit my website at www.billnickerson.net