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☆ 3 ways real-estate investors can sidestep high mortgage rates when buying a new rental property, according to BiggerPockets' housing market expert
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( William Edwards | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

While 30-year mortgage rates have come down by more than a full percent to around 6.6%, they're still significantly more elevated than their 2021 low of less than 3%. Lower mortgage rates mean higher cash flows and a higher likelihood for appreciation, which is good for strategies like flipping. But there are ways for real-estate investors to get around higher rates, Meyer says. This means asking the seller if they can provide a cash payment that effectively lowers mortgage rates for the first few years of ownership. Given that rising mortgage rates have largely killed demand in the housing market, buyers have had more success recently getting deal-sweeteners like rate-buydowns, according to research from Redfin.

Persons: they're, Dave Meyer —, —, Molly Grace, Meyer, Welborn Organizations: Business

☆ 'Don't blame the Fed' for high mortgage rates, says Zillow chief economist—the real culprit and his predictions for 2024
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Ryan Ermey | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

At a Zillow-sponsored event in October, he said that the Fed's sway on mortgage rates was overstated. Divounguy: Mortgage rates tend to follow the 10-year Treasury yield. We also know that very often there's a spread between mortgage rates and the yield on the 10-year. So a decrease in the Fed policy rate may not cause mortgage rates to decrease that much further. Let's say I have the money for a house, and I expect mortgage rates to come down eventually, if not much this year.

Persons: We've, It's, That's, it's, ’, — Organizations: Federal Reserve, Divounguy, CNBC, Treasury, Fed Locations: U.S

Average 30-year mortgage rates are currently down compared to where they were a week ago, according to Zillow data. See more mortgage rates on Zillow Real Estate on ZillowMortgage CalculatorUse our free mortgage calculator to see how today's mortgage rates will affect your monthly and long-term payments. As inflation comes down and the Federal Reserve is able to start cutting the federal funds rate, mortgage rates should fall further as well. Now that the Fed has paused hiking rates, mortgage rates have come down a bit. Once the Fed starts cutting rates, which is likely to happen this year, mortgage rates should fall even further.

Persons: Jerome Powell, they're, Powell, Freddie Mac Organizations: Federal Reserve, Fed, Treasury, Zillow Locations: Chevron

As the Fed starts lowering the federal funds rate, mortgage rates are expected to go down throughout 2024. But the longer it takes for the Fed to cut, the longer we'll have to wait for lower mortgage rates. See more mortgage rates on Zillow Real Estate on ZillowMortgage Refinance Rates TodayMortgage type Average rate today This information has been provided by Zillow. See more mortgage rates on Zillow Real Estate on ZillowMortgage CalculatorUse our free mortgage calculator to see how today's mortgage rates will affect your monthly and long-term payments. This is good news for mortgage rates — as inflation slows and the Federal Reserve is able to start cutting the federal funds rate, mortgage rates are expected to trend down as well.

Persons: Jerome Powell, Powell, Fannie Mae Organizations: Federal, Fed, Zillow, Federal Reserve, Mortgage, Association, ARM Locations: Chevron

☆ Weekly mortgage demand drops as buyers struggle to find affordable homes
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Diana Olick | In Dianaolick | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

After rising for several weeks, mortgage demand fell last week as buyers faced increased competition for a limited supply of homes. Total mortgage application volume fell 7.2% compared with the previous week, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association's seasonally adjusted index. Lower mortgage rates are putting more pressure on home prices, and are bringing more buyers into the market, increasing competition. Mortgage rates have barely moved in the last two weeks, but that could soon change. Friday's monthly employment report could also impact markets and swing mortgage rates in either direction depending on what it says about the broader economy.

Persons: Joel Kan, Matthew Graham Organizations: Mortgage, Federal Reserve, Mortgage News Locations: Clarksburg , Maryland

So far this month, mortgage rates have been relatively steady. According to Zillow data, average 30-year mortgage rates have been around 6.34% in January, which is just slightly down from the previous month's average. The sooner the Fed cuts rates, the sooner mortgage rates can come down as well. See more mortgage rates on Zillow Real Estate on ZillowToday's refinance ratesMortgage type Average rate today This information has been provided by Zillow. This means your entire monthly mortgage payment, including taxes and insurance, shouldn't exceed 28% of your pre-tax monthly income.

Persons: Jerome Powell, Powell, you'll, Fannie Mae Organizations: Federal, Zillow, Mortgage, Association, Sky Locations: Chevron

☆ Lenders are bailing out of commercial real estate as a wave of debt builds
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Daniel Geiger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Roughly $2.1 trillion of debt connected to commercial real estate assets, including office properties, apartment buildings, hotels, and retail spaces, will come due between now and the end of 2025 in the US, according to the real estate services firm JLL. The wave of maturities and the enormous equity shortfalls have raised concerns that a growing number of commercial real estate debts will fall into distress, forcing banks and other lenders to suffer losses. His group tracked about $15 billion of commercial property debt sales during the year, roughly three times the volume from 2022. Commercial real estate loans differ from residential mortgages taken by homeowners in that most are interest-only or pay down their principal balance minimally and span a decade or less. More banks are exploring loan salesBanks and other lenders generally aren't eager to seize the real estate assets that collateralize their debt.

Persons: Jerry, Stephen Scouten, Piper Sandler, it's, Kevin Aussef, Aussef, David Tobin, Marcus, Millichap, Synovus, Tobin, David Frosh, they're, Frosh, Fitch, David Blumberg, we'd, Blumberg, Daniel Geiger, Rob Verrone, Banks, You've, Bliss Morris, Morris Organizations: Amerant Bank, Business, Banking, CIBC, Mission, PacWest, HSBC, Fidelity, Funding Inc, Blackstone, Bloomberg, Broadway, Aon Center, 601W Companies, Iron Hound Management, First Financial Locations: Coral Gables , Florida, Houston, Canadian, Brookfield, Los Angeles, Columbus, Manhattan, Midland, Chicago, Oklahoma City, New York

☆ Real-estate investors on tight budgets are using a creative strategy to buy homes with zero money down and lock in low interest rates in high-rate environments
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Kathleen Elkins | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

One strategy, known as buying "subject-to," allowed her to bypass a down payment and inherit a relatively low interest rate for her second property. According to Casey, subject-to deals aren't all that common, mostly because of a lack of understanding about how they work, even among real estate professionals. He can take that money from the escrow if she misses a mortgage payment. "I don't necessarily care about the purchase price; I care about your interest rate. I care about not having to put down a down payment, Casey continued.

Persons: Casey, —, She's, that's, you've, Nyasia Casey, he's, Zeona McIntyre, Zeona McIntyre McIntyre, she's Organizations: Business Locations: New York City, Baltimore, Boulder

☆ Tech companies focused on enterprise customers are dominating the market, Cramer says
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( Julie Coleman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

CNBC's Jim Cramer on Monday said tech companies dominate the market because their primary customers are cash-rich businesses, not strapped consumers. "We have a market made of companies that sell into the enterprise and those stocks are doing fabulously," he said. "Then we have even more companies who serve the consumer, which is a much less attractive customer base right now, and their stocks, they're very tough to own." But Cramer conceded that Apple and Tesla differ slightly from the pack. "I don't worry about the concentration of winners in tech because, alas, the concentration makes sense," Cramer said.

Persons: CNBC's Jim Cramer, Cramer, they're Organizations: Nvidia, Microsoft, Tesla, Apple

See more mortgage rates on Zillow Real Estate on ZillowMortgage CalculatorUse our free mortgage calculator to see how today's mortgage rates would impact your monthly payments. Mortgage Rates for Buying a Home30-Year Fixed Mortgage Rates Flat From Last Week (No Change)The current average 30-year fixed mortgage rate is 6.36%, exactly where it was this time last week. 15-Year Fixed Mortgage Rates Inch Up (+0.07%)The average 15-year mortgage rate is 5.71%, up just seven points from last week. Mortgage rates started ticking up from historic lows in the second half of 2021 and increased over three percentage points in 2022. Mortgage rates also rose dramatically in 2023, though they started trending back down toward the end of the year.

Persons: There's, Jerome Powell, Powell, you'll, It's, refinance Organizations: Federal Reserve, Zillow, FHA Locations: Chevron

What next for Evergrande’s creditors? A Hong Kong court on Monday ordered the liquidation of Evergrande, the heavily indebted Chinese property giant. The company’s dissolution raises questions about fairness for overseas creditors — which could have wider implications for foreign businesses operating in China. But as the economy slowed, property sales plummeted, and Chinese regulators began clamping down on excessive leverage and speculation. The judge presiding over Evergrande’s bankruptcy case has now called time after two years of talks.

Persons: Evergrande Organizations: Hong, Monday Locations: Hong Kong, Evergrande, China

Though mortgage rates have ticked up a little bit in recent weeks, they're still well below the peaks reached in fall 2023, when 30-year mortgage rates neared 8%. Most major forecasts call for mortgage rates to go down further this year, which should help even more hopeful buyers afford homeownership. See more mortgage rates on Zillow Real Estate on ZillowMortgage CalculatorUse our free mortgage calculator to see how today's interest rates will affect your monthly payments. 30-Year Fixed Mortgage RatesThis week's average 30-year fixed mortgage rate is 6.69%, according to Freddie Mac. 15-Year Fixed Mortgage RatesAverage 15-year mortgage rates inched down to 5.96% last week, according to Freddie Mac data.

Persons: they're, Lawrence Yun, you'll, Freddie Mac, it's, they've Organizations: National Association of Realtors, Zillow, Federal Reserve Locations: Chevron

Mortgage rates ticked up a bit mid-week, but they're back down today. This means it's possible we'll have to wait until later in the year for mortgage rates to come down substantially. See more mortgage rates on Zillow Real Estate on ZillowMortgage CalculatorUse our free mortgage calculator to see how today's mortgage rates would impact your monthly payments. 15-year Fixed Mortgage RatesThis week, average 15-year mortgage rates were 5.96%, a 20-basis-point increase from the previous week, according to Freddie Mac data. Once the Fed cuts rates, mortgage rates should fall even further.

Persons: you'll, Freddie Mac, they've, it's Organizations: Federal Reserve, Economic, Fed, Zillow Locations: Chevron

NEW YORK (AP) — JetBlue Airways warned that it may end its bid to acquire low-cost carrier Spirit Airlines as soon as this weekend after a federal judge blocked the deal, sending Spirit shares sharply lower Friday. “Spirit believes there is no basis for terminating the Merger Agreement," Spirit wrote. Both JetBlue and Spirit have struggled financially and have been slower than some other airlines to recover from the pandemic. Since the start of 2020, JetBlue has lost $2.1 billion, and Spirit has lost $1.7 billion. Spirit tried to merge with Frontier Airlines, another low-cost carrier, in early 2022, but JetBlue won a bidding war to push Frontier aside.

Persons: JetBlue's, “, Spirit Organizations: — JetBlue Airways, Spirit Airlines, JetBlue, Justice Department, Justice, Spirit Airlines Inc, JetBlue Airways Corp, Spirit, Airbus, Pratt & Whitney, Frontier Airlines Locations: Miramar , Florida, New York, U.S, Delta, United

Average 30-year mortgage rates increased to 6.69% this week, according to Freddie Mac, a nine-point increase from the previous week's average. On a $250,000 mortgage, this would amount to a $1,798 monthly mortgage payment. See more mortgage rates on Zillow Real Estate on ZillowMortgage CalculatorUse our free mortgage calculator to see how today's mortgage rates will affect your monthly and long-term payments. 30-Year Fixed Mortgage RatesThe average 30-year fixed mortgage rate was 6.69% last week, according to Freddie Mac. Now that the Fed has paused hiking rates, mortgage rates have come down a bit.

Persons: Freddie Mac, Sam Khater, Freddie Mac's, Fannie Mae Organizations: Zillow, Federal Reserve, Fed Locations: Chevron

☆ BiggerPockets' housing guru shares his top 4 real-estate investing strategies for today's market — including why investors should seriously consider building a new property
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( William Edwards | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Home-price appreciation has also slowed — and in many cities turned negative — making strategies like flipping much less viable. 4 ways to build wealth in today's marketIn an interview with Business Insider on Wednesday, Meyer listed four strategies real-estate investors should consider at the moment. With rates high and deals harder to find in the market, investors could find returns by lending out their own money to other investors. "There's very little supply on the market right for existing homes. Rates on 30-year fixed-rate mortgages are around 7% right now, and Meyer expects rates to stay between 6-7% in the near-future.

Persons: Dave Meyer, Meyer, Redfin Organizations: Business, Rocket Mortgage, Builders, Federal Locations: BiggerPockets

But barring any surprises in the latest economic data, mortgage rates shouldn't spike back up too high. This would remove a lot of upward pressure off of mortgage rates and finally allow them to fall. If the Fed suggests a cut is coming sooner rather than later, mortgage rates could trend back down a bit. See more mortgage rates on Zillow Real Estate on ZillowMortgage CalculatorUse our free mortgage calculator to see how today's mortgage rates will affect your monthly and long-term payments. This is good news for mortgage rates — as inflation slows and the Federal Reserve is able to start cutting the federal funds rate, mortgage rates are expected to trend down as well.

Persons: We'll, we'll, Fannie Mae Organizations: Federal Reserve, Fed, Zillow, Mortgage, Association, ARM Locations: Chevron

☆ The real estate market is a 'slow moving train wreck' as experts warn of a looming $700 billion default
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( Aruni Soni | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Read previewThe US economy may be going strong, but the commercial property market is still in trouble. AdvertisementA $2.2 trillion mountain of commercial real estate debt is expected to mature by 2027, bringing a wave of potential distress as landlords refinance buildings at much higher rates. According to McDonald, the trillions in real estate debt barreling toward maturity, along with a $1.9 trillion pile of corporate debt, will force the Fed to cut rates this year. "Covid changed how people work [...] and then interest rates ran up very rapidly. Lower interest rates will save some buildings, some property owners, but not a majority of them.

Persons: —, Larry McDonald, McDonald, Don Peebles, Peebles, Covid Organizations: Service, Business, Fox Business, Washington D.C, Peebles Corporation Locations: Washington, New York City

☆ Homebuyer demand pushes mortgage applications higher, even as interest rates inch up again
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-24 | by ( Diana Olick | In Dianaolick | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Mortgage rates rose slightly last week, but that did not seem to deter homebuyers who have come back after the holidays. Mortgage applications to purchase a home rose 8% last week compared with the previous week, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association's seasonally adjusted index. Demand, however, was still 18% lower than the same week one year ago, when rates were lower. "Mortgage rates increased slightly last week, but there continues to be an upward trend in purchase activity," said Joel Kan, an MBA economist, in a release. Mortgage rates moved higher at the start of this week, although there appears to be no particular reason for the increase.

Persons: homebuyers, Joel Kan Organizations: Mortgage, Mortgage News, CNBC PRO Locations: Alhambra , California

☆ This year could be the breaking point for commercial real estate distress, research firm says
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-23 | by ( Jennifer Sor | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewThis year will be when the distress brewing in commercial real estate finally reaches its breaking point, according to Capital Economics. The research firm pointed to pessimism that has clouded the commercial real estate sector for the past year. Around $541 billion of commercial real estate debt officially matured in 2023, though fallout was muted as many loans were granted extensions, the firm said. Meanwhile, property investors like Brookfield are raising cash to potentially buy cheap commercial real estate properties that hit the market. AdvertisementSome commentators have warned of an even more severe crash coming for commercial real estate.

Persons: —, Kiran Raichura, Raichura, Kyle Bass Organizations: Service, Capital Economics, Business, Fed, International Monetary Fund Locations: Brookfield

☆ A real-estate investor explains how she used 'subject-to financing' to buy a property with zero money down while also securing a lower interest rate
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-23 | by ( Kathleen Elkins | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewNyasia Casey drained nearly all her savings to acquire her first property in 2021: a $105,000 single-family home in Baltimore. AdvertisementUsing 'subject-to' financing to bypass a down payment and inherit a low interest rateWhile researching creative financing, Casey learned more and more about "subject-to loans," when the buyer takes over the existing financing. This was a major advantage for Casey, who didn't have much cash on hand when she was looking to buy her second property. Another benefit of subject-to for the buyer, especially in a high-interest-rate environment, is that they could inherit a low interest rate. In Casey's case, she inherited the seller's 4.5% rate when rates were hovering around 8%, she said.

Persons: —, Casey, It's, doesn't, Nyasia Casey, he's, that's, you've Organizations: Service, Business, Housing Authority, Baltimore City, YouTube Locations: Baltimore, New York City

If the economic data shows that inflation is continuing to come down in 2024 and the Fed remains open to cutting rates this year, mortgage rates should start to trend down. See more mortgage rates on Zillow Real Estate on ZillowMortgage CalculatorUse our free mortgage calculator to see how today's mortgage rates would impact your monthly payments. Mortgage Rates for Buying a Home30-Year Fixed Mortgage Rates Increase (+0.20%)The current average 30-year fixed mortgage rate is 6.38%, up 20 basis points since this time last week. 20-Year Fixed Mortgage Rates Higher This Week (+0.30%)The average 20-year fixed mortgage rate is up somewhat from last week, and is sitting at 5.99%. 15-Year Fixed Mortgage Rates Rise (+0.34%)The average 15-year mortgage rate is 5.73%, up 34 points from last week.

Persons: Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, you'll, It's, refinance Organizations: Federal Reserve, Zillow, FHA Locations: Chevron

☆ Commercial mortgage lending to jump 29% in 2024 after slowest year in a decade, Mortgage Bankers Association says
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-23 | by ( Filip De Mott | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Commercial mortgage borrowing will rise 29% this year, the Mortgage Bankers Association estimates. AdvertisementCommercial and multifamily mortgage borrowing and lending is forecast to surge 29% from last year's estimated total of $444 billion, the Mortgage Bankers Association estimates. "2023 is likely to go into the record books as the slowest year for commercial real estate borrowing and lending in roughly a decade," MBA Head of Commercial Real Estate Research Jamie Woodwell said in the report. AdvertisementTighter monetary policy since 2022 has pushed up borrowing costs across the commercial real estate market, and resulted in stricter lending standards among mortgage originators. Raichura expects prices to drop off another 10% this year, while a December outlook from NBER outlined that total commercial real estate losses could amount to $160 billion.

Persons: —, Jamie Woodwell, Kiran Raichura, Woodwell Organizations: Mortgage, Association, Service, Real, Federal Reserve

☆ Spirit Airlines shares extend rebound after it appeals ruling blocking JetBlue merger
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-22 | by ( Ryan Anastasio | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Spirit and JetBlue planes at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, US, on Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2023. "Our merger agreement with Spirit remains in effect and we still have obligations under the agreement. This is a standard procedure, required under the merger agreement," JetBlue General Counsel Brandon Nelson said in a note to staff Friday. The stock had dropped more than 60% after the ruling but has rebounded slightly following the appeal and after Spirit raised raised its financial forecast for the fourth quarter of 2023. JetBlue shares rose about 1% on Monday and have climbed more than 3% since its merger with Sprit was blocked.

Persons: Brandon Nelson, William Young, Young, Spirit, Sprit Organizations: JetBlue, Hollywood International, Spirit Airlines, Spirit, U.S, CNBC PRO Locations: Fort Lauderdale, Fort Lauderdale , Florida

High mortgage rates had a huge impact on the housing market last year, but we'll likely see conditions improve in 2024. Mortgage rates rose to a more than two-decade high last year, and homebuying demand all but disappeared as a result. "Mortgage rates are meaningfully lower compared to just two months ago, and more inventory is expected to appear on the market in upcoming months." See more mortgage rates on Zillow Real Estate on ZillowMortgage CalculatorUse our free mortgage calculator to see how today's interest rates will affect your monthly payments. 15-Year Fixed Mortgage RatesAverage 15-year mortgage rates inched down to 5.76% last week, according to Freddie Mac data.

Persons: Lawrence Yun, you'll, Freddie Mac, it's, they've Organizations: Mortgage, National Association of Realtors, NAR, Zillow, Federal Reserve Locations: Chevron

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