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☆ I’ve Been Writing About Mortgages for 30 Years, but I Picked a 20-Year Loan
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( Michele Lerner | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +4 min

But I’ve been writing about real estate for more than three decades now, so I’ve benefited from interviewing hundreds of lenders. Along the way, I learned that technically you can get a loan term as short as five years and as long as 40. Back then, average mortgage rates were under 4%, well below what we’d been paying since buying our current home eight-years earlier. Plus, the 20-year refinance will ultimately save us over $100,000 in interest compared with a 30-year refinance (before factoring in our extra payments). Don’t let anyone talk you into a “standard” loan term until you’ve compared all your options.

Persons: Michele Lerner, I’ve, we’d, We’d, what’s, Don’t Locations: Virginia, Washington ,

☆ Japan will gain from ultra-cautious ratesetters
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-27 | by ( Una Galani | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

If monetary authorities declare victory too soon and tighten policy, they risk derailing a growth revival and triggering a debt crisis. But the longer the Land of the Rising Sun waits for the perfect moment to raise interest rates, the more market ructions it will face. That belief is a key reason to maintain short term interest rates at minus 0.1% and stick with a seven-year-old policy of yield curve control. Japan’s interest payments would balloon; gross government debt accelerated during the pandemic and stood at 261% of GDP at the end of last year, more than twice the United States’ ratio. Follow @ugalani on TwitterCONTEXT NEWSThe Bank of Japan’s two-day policy meeting concludes on July 28.

Persons: What’s, Kazuo Ueda, That’s, Francesco Guerrera, Thomas Shum Organizations: Reuters, Bank of Japan’s, United, P, of Japan’s, Thomson Locations: MUMBAI, Japan, United States

“Most of us have been wrong on the timing of things going bad, and right now there is really not much of a problem. That means it can be years before a company needs to refinance those bonds at higher interest rates. The longer inflation remains elevated, the longer interest rates will also stay high, meaning that an increasing number of companies could be forced to shoulder higher borrowing costs. Their latest economic projections suggested that interest rates could be hovering near 4.6 percent at the end of 2024. That would be lower than where they are now, but still a big change after years of near-zero interest rates.

Persons: “, ”, John McClain Organizations: Brandywine Global Investment Management

☆ Here’s why home prices stayed high in May
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( Anna Bahney | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

“The ongoing recovery in home prices is broadly based.”Before seasonal adjustment, prices rose in all 20 cities in May, as they had also done in March and April. Month over month, home prices rose in May for the fourth consecutive month. “Though home prices are likely to continue to cool slightly, limited inventory relative to buyer demand will likely keep prices somewhat afloat. By 1983, partly spurred by high inflation, the price rose to $75,500, and it continued rising to $126,100 by 1993. “It is worth noting that market data are coming up on last year’s record-high prices, notched during May and June,” he said.

Persons: “, ”, Craig Lazzara, “ It’s, Hannah Jones, Jones, George Ratiu, May’s, Ratiu, ” Ratiu Organizations: DC CNN, City Composites, Realtor.com, ”, National Association of Realtors, Federal Reserve Locations: Washington, Chicago, Cleveland, New York, Seattle, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Miami, Tampa , Florida, “, ’

I'm a freelancer, so when my husband and I bought our house, we did it with his income. We were lucky to be able to buy at a time when houses were affordable, and we refinanced last year. We could have had a bigger house, but I'm glad we're investing more and not having to make hard budget choices. I'm a freelancer, and my husband was starting a new corporate job, and we decided to purchase a house solely on his earnings. We didn't want to be 'house poor'While being "house poor" is a lot more common these days, I knew it wasn't the right choice for us.

Persons: I'm, I've, we're, spender I've, we've Organizations: Service Locations: Wall, Silicon, Florida

☆ Shopping for a home? There’s a lot working against you right now
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( Anna Bahney | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

In recent weeks, as mortgage rates closed in on 7%, affordability has worsened. Nationally, it takes about 36% of the median household income to make the average mortgage payment — more than the recommended 30% allowance for housing. The Mortgage Credit Availability Index fell by 3.1% to 96.5 in May, the lowest level since January 2013, and was essentially unchanged in June. The MBA index that tracks jumbo loans — loans that are larger than conforming loan limits — saw its second monthly contraction, as some financial institutions reduce their appetite for larger loans that aren’t backed by the government. Mortgage rates are expected to drop the second half of this year as inflation continues to cool, with economists and housing analysts forecasting rates to end the year around 6%.

Persons: Nick Gaylord, “ I’ve, ” Gaylord, it’s, “ I’m, ”, Gaylord, “, Black Knight, Knight, ” Joel Kan, Department of Veterans Affairs —, — Organizations: DC CNN, CNN, Mortgage Bankers Association, ICE Mortgage Technology, Federal Housing Administration, US Department of Agriculture, Department of Veterans Affairs, National Association of Realtors Locations: Washington, Minneapolis

A year later, rates were down even further, and we realized we could save long-term by refinancing. We're coming up on the break-even point, and long-term, we'll save over $63,000. See Insider's picks for the best mortgage refinance lenders »We could break even on a refinance after 4 yearsWe moved in right before Thanksgiving and spent the next year making our house feel like a home. After this time, the savings on our mortgage going forward would outweigh what we would pay in refinancing closing costs. Although we didn't refinance to pay off debt, it still made sense to do it soon after purchasing our home.

Organizations: Service Locations: Wall, Silicon

☆ Mortgage rates drop, backing off 7%
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( Anna Bahney | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Washington, DC CNN —US mortgage rates dipped this week, backing off 7% as inflation slows ahead of the Federal Reserve’s rate decision meeting next week. The average mortgage rate is based on mortgage applications that Freddie Mac receives from thousands of lenders across the country. “As inflation slows, mortgage rates decreased this week,” said Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s chief economist. When Treasury yields go up, so do mortgage rates; when they go down, mortgage rates tend to follow. But as a result, Jones said, mortgage rates are likely to remain elevated for the time being.

Persons: Freddie Mac, ”, Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s, “, Hannah Jones, Jones, ‘ Organizations: DC CNN, ”, Treasury Locations: Washington, today’s, ’

☆ 'Something very strange' explains why a US recession has been delayed
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( Matthew Fox | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

"Something very strange has happened" in the economy that is preventing a recession, Societe Generale said. The bank highlighted that as the Fed raised interest rates over the past year, corporate net interest payments actually fell. According to Societe Generale, "something very strange has happened" that explains why a US recession has been delayed, and it has to do with some timely moves made by corporations. The bank highlighted that going back to at least 1975, corporate net interest payments would rise as the Fed raised interest rates. "Normally when interest rates rise, so too do net debt payments, squeezing profit margins and slowing the economy.

Persons: Societe Generale's Albert Edwards, SocGen's Edwards, Edwards Organizations: Societe Generale, Service, Federal Reserve, Societe Generale's, Bank of America, Companies Locations: Wall, Silicon

☆ US home prices stay near record high, even as sales drop in June
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( Anna Bahney | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Even after falling, June’s median price hit the second-highest monthly median price on record going back to 1999, according to a National Association of Realtors report released Thursday. The median existing home price was $410,200 last month, just 0.9% less than the all-time high from one year ago of $413,800. It marked the fifth month of year-over-year drops in median home sale prices. “Relatively high mortgage rates near 7% and historically low inventory of existing homes on market is hindering sales activity,” said Yun. The pent-up demand will surely be realized soon, especially if mortgage rates and inventory move favorably.”Home prices remain highOne of the reasons home prices remain high is because It’s summer.

Persons: ”, Lawrence Yun, —, Yun, “, “ It’s Organizations: DC CNN, National Association of Realtors, NAR, “, downer Locations: Washington

☆ I'm a first-time property investor who grew my portfolio to $5.5 million in 3 years. Here's how I did it with minimal savings.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Salina Jivani | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

He now has a portfolio worth $5.5 million that generates tens of thousands in rent a month. The course gave me the confidence and knowledge to eventually build a real-estate portfolio worth £4.2 million, or about $5.5 million, in three years. For example, if the equity on the property I was completing was £50,000 short of what I needed to purchase the next property, I'd reach out to my network and crowdsource it. My current portfolio's valuation is nearly £4.2 million, with £1.2 million of that comprising my equity and the rest belonging to the bank. Because of the desirable locations, generally when one tenant moves out of a property another moves in within a week.

Persons: Alfred Dzadey, I'd Organizations: Service, Jaguar, Rover, Investors Locations: Wall, Silicon, Coventry , England, Coventry , West Midlands, Coventry

Specialist asset managers minted CLOs worth more than half a trillion dollars in 2021, a year of heavy post-pandemic monetary stimulus. S&P Global estimates that more than one in 25 U.S. businesses and almost one in 25 European companies will default by March 2024. That has squeezed equity returns, and without equity investors, CLOs cannot be put together. S&P calculates that while CLO equity investors were able to get a 15% annual return before 2022, deals priced now would offer about 7%. "The (CLO) equity doesn't make enough money to justify buying it."

Persons: Florence Lo, CLOs, Morgan, Rob Shrekgast, KopenTech, Neha Khoda, It's, Marta Stojanova, You've, Aza Teeuwen, Laila Kollmorgen, Kollmorgen, tranches, BoFA, Naomi Rovnick, Chiara Elisei, Dhara Ranasinghe, Alexandra Hudson Organizations: REUTERS, Bank of America, Casino, Bed, TwentyFour, PineBridge Investments, Alexandra Hudson Our, Thomson Locations: CLOs, U.S

☆ Rolling recession to rolling recovery? Ed Yardeni says a unique factor has cushioned the economy
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( Ganesh Rao | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

The U.S. economy has shifted from a "rolling recession" to a "rolling recovery," according to market veteran Ed Yardeni. Instead, it has experienced what the head of Yardeni Research calls a "rolling recession" — various industries being hit at different times since early last year. In addition, one unique factor influencing the U.S. economy is the large-scale fiscal stimulus, like the Inflation Reduction Act, implemented before an actual recession, according to Yardeni. When questioned about the strength of this recovery, Yardeni confirmed that he'd doubled his growth forecast for the second quarter. Don Mason | Tetra Images | Getty ImagesThe U.S. economy has shifted from a "rolling recession" to a "rolling recovery," according to market veteran Ed Yardeni.

Persons: Ed Yardeni, Yardeni, CNBC's, he'd, Don Mason Organizations: Federal Reserve, Yardeni Research, Goods, Consumers, Deutsche Bank Locations: U.S

☆ Office landlords struggling for tenants are facing an even scarier predicament — zombie properties
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-03 | by ( Alex Nicoll | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

A zombie building is one that's too costly for a landlord to rent at prevailing rates. Office buildings purchased in the past five years could become zombies, a real-estate vet said. Like many New York office buildings, it's a dead man walking, similar to the hopelessly distressed shopping malls that have multiplied across the country over the past decade. One in four office buildings in Manhattan is valued at less than they last sold for, according to JLL. Bringing zombies back to lifeUnlike in the movies, zombie buildings don't remain undead forever.

Persons: Knotel, Michael Cohen, Cohen, —, haven't, RXR, Chetrit, HPS Organizations: New York, Macmillan Publishers, Manhattan, BNP, Real Estate, Green —, Blackstone, Chetrit, HPS Investment Partners Locations: New, New York City, New York, Manhattan, That's, HPS

Our experts answer readers' student loan questions and write unbiased product reviews (here's how we assess student loans). See Insider's picks for the best student loan refinance lenders>>Student loan refinancing is paying off your old loans with a new one. It's important to understand the long-term costs and ramifications of refinancing student loans, particularly federal student loans. Note which loans are federal and which are privateWhile going through your loan list, also note if they are federal student loans or private student loans. Check out refinance optionsPrivate lenders and loan companies offer loans to pay for your education as well as refinance student loans that can repackage existing student debt.

Persons: —, you'd Organizations: Service, Biden Locations: Federal

Our experts answer readers' student loan questions and write unbiased product reviews (here's how we assess student loans). Borrowers who have refinanced federal loans into private loans are ineligible for forgiveness. See Insider's picks for the best student loan refinance lenders >>What is Biden's student loan forgiveness plan? Federal student loans you've refinanced are not eligible for forgiveness under Biden's debt relief plan. Types of student loans that are eligible for forgivenessThe Education Department maintains a list of eligible student loans on its website, which includes the following:Federal Direct Loans — subsidized, unsubsidized, PLUS loans, and consolidation loansFederal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program loans (ended in 2010)Federal Perkins Loan Program loans (ended in 2017)Education Department-held defaulted loansAll loans funds must have been received on or before June 30, 2022.

Persons: Pell Grant, —, Biden, Pell, you've, doesn't, Andrew Latham, Biden's, Perkins, Latham Organizations: Service, —, Pell Grants, Education Department, US, of Education, Department, Federal, Family Education, Loan Program, Public

☆ Bank of England hikes interest rates to 5%, stoking fears of a ‘mortgage bomb’
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

London CNN —The Bank of England raised interest rates by half a percentage point Thursday, after data this week revealed surprisingly stubborn inflation. Many mortgage holders due to refinance their loans this year and next bought their homes when interest rates were much lower and mortgage rates were closer to 1% or 2%. Capital Economics is forecasting a 12% decline in house prices between their August 2022 peak and 2024. If interest rates must stay higher for longer to tame inflation, house prices could fall more sharply. “If mortgage rates were to stay at 6% for several years, a house price fall of 25% would be likely,” Wishart said.

Persons: we’ve, Andrew Bailey, ”, Jake Berry, Rishi Sunak, ” Simon Pittaway, Tom Bill, Knight Frank, Bill, Banks, ” Bill, “, There’s, Andrew Wishart, ” Wishart Organizations: London CNN —, Bank of England, ” Bank of England, ” Financial, “, Institute for Fiscal Studies, UK Finance, CNN, Savings, Capital Economics Locations: United Kingdom, United States, Europe, —

☆ The 8 stocks most favored by a fund manager who beat 93% of his peers last year, plus the 4 indicators that he says could signal a downward turn in 2023's stock market rally
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-21 | by ( Laila Maidan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Michael Cuggino, the president and portfolio manager of the Permanent Portfolio Family of Funds, says the current economic situation is a tale of two sides. The firm has two fixed-income funds, an aggressive growth equities fund, and a diversified fund known as the Permanent Portfolio that has been around since 1982. Last year, the permanent portfolio fund outperformed 93% of similar funds, according to Morningstar data. So far this year, it has been the growth stocks that are benefiting. The top four signals he's keeping an eye on are, first, a rapid increase in the unemployment rate, which would hit consumer spending and permeate other parts of the economy.

Persons: Michael Cuggino, Cuggino, It's, it's Charles Schwab Organizations: Federal, Morningstar, Companies, BHP Group, Exxon, Chevron, Nvidia, Broadcom, Apple Locations: Freeport, McMoRan, Australia

☆ Starter homes have become a 'fairy tale,' so Americans are finding other ways to own: 'My house has a license plate'
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-21 | by ( Mike Winters | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +10 min

Schneider and her roommates aren't alone in finding creative ways to finance their first home amid surging prices. To afford the monthly mortgage payment on a median-priced home, homebuyers need to earn more than $100,000, well above the U.S. median household income of $70,784, according to Census Bureau data. This brought monthly mortgage payments — which included property taxes and insurance — down from $1,329 to $1,217. Despite the income, there were downsides to renting out part of the property, Yuryev found. In 2021, Gressett, moved into a custom-made tiny house that runs her $725 per month.

Persons: Amanda Schneider, Schneider, aren't, Denis Smykalov, it's, Stephanie Vandergrift, Kathy Keel, we're, Kathy Keel's, Amanda Schneider It's, isn't, Vadim Yuryev, Annette, Vadim, Annette Yuryev, Yuryev, Jen Gressett, Gressett Locations: Nashville , Tennessee, ATTOM, Wolsen, Florida, Gallatin , Tennessee, Spokane , Washington, Spokane, Boulder , Colorado, Gressett

Lower your monthly paymentsWith a new mortgage refinance rate, you could potentially lower your monthly payments, too. AdvertisementKeep in mind, if you stretch your mortgage out across a longer term, you'll be paying your mortgage for longer. Pay off your home soonerMaybe your original mortgage term was 30 year mortgage, and you have 20 years left on your mortgage. Cons of refinancing your mortgagePay closing costsJust as with your original mortgage, you'll have to pay closing costs when you refinance. A cash-out refinance replaces your initial mortgage, but a home equity loan adds a second mortgage payment to your monthly expenses.

Persons: —, you'll, refinance, it's, you've Organizations: Service, PMI, Federal Reserve

☆ A former waitress who lived paycheck-to-paycheck bought her first home in Detroit for $6,300 using her tax return. She explains how she scaled up to 35 units and achieved financial independence before
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( Kathleen Elkins | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Ashley Hamilton was living paycheck-to-paycheck when she decided she wanted to buy real estate. In 2009, she used her $7,000 tax return to purchase a $6,300 foreclosure in Detroit. Since, she's scaled up to 35 units and is financially independent thanks to rental income. Hamilton didn't have the cash at the time, but was anticipating a big tax return later that year. Hamilton, 36, owns 35 units in Detroit, Michigan and is financially independent from her rental income.

Persons: Ashley Hamilton, Hamilton, didn't, you'd, Hamilton didn't, I'm, she's, you've, they've Organizations: Detroit, MLS, Bank of America Locations: Detroit, Detroit , Michigan, Zillow

☆ Mortgage rates fall for the first time in three weeks
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( Anna Bahney | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Washington, DC CNN —Mortgage rates dropped this week after a three-week climb, as rates remain volatile amid conflicting economic indicators. Mortgage rates topped 5% for the first time since 2011 a little more than a year ago and have remained over 5% for all but one week during the past year. The average mortgage rate is based on mortgage applications that Freddie Mac receives from thousands of lenders across the country. Mortgage rates tend to track the yield on 10-year US Treasuries, which move based on a combination of anticipation about the Fed’s actions, what the Fed actually does and investors’ reactions. When Treasury yields go up, so do mortgage rates; when they go down, mortgage rates tend to follow.

Persons: Freddie Mac, ”, Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s, Jiayi Xu, Xu, ” Xu, Bob Broeksmit, “ Organizations: DC CNN —, Fed, Federal, Treasury, ”, Mortgage, Association Locations: Washington

Brookfield and DigitalBridge are leading opposing bidding consortia in the auction for privately held DigitalBridge, the sources said, adding an outcome is expected by next month. The terms of Compass' debt allow for it to be taken over by a new owner without it being refinanced, one of the sources said. The Deal reported in February that Compass Datacenters was exploring a sale. Compass Datacenters, Brookfield Infrastructure Partners and DigitalBridge declined to comment. During the same month, Brookfield Infrastructure also acquired freight container lessor Triton International Ltd (TRTN.N) for about $4.7 billion.

Persons: Dealmaking, Brookfield, Milana Vinn, Anirban Sen, Daniel Wallis Organizations: Brookfield Infrastructure Partners, DigitalBridge, RedBird Capital Partners, Ontario, Azrieli, Brookfield Infrastructure, Reuters, Triton International, Boca, Thomson Locations: Brookfield, Dallas , Texas, Data4, Boca Raton , Florida, New York

☆ Big landlords are barreling towards a 'reckoning.' But smaller ones are doing just fine.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-25 | by ( Kathleen Elkins | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Some big landlords are starting to feel the squeeze of stalled rents and increased operating expenses. The main difference between 'big' and 'small' landlords: the financingA key difference between smaller, mom-and-pop landlords and larger landlords is how they're financing deals. While small landlords are typically purchasing single-family homes or multi-family properties like duplexes and triplexes, which you can finance with residential debt, big landlords are buying apartment buildings and have to use commercial debt. With a residential loan, you can typically get a fixed interest rate, which will not change over the lifetime of the loan. "One of the reasons I invest in four units or less is you get 30-year fixed rate debt," he said.

AdvertisementAdvertisementThere's no limit on the number of times you can refinance your mortgage. If you have a government-backed mortgage, you may need to wait up to a year before you can refinance. Depending on your mortgage refinance lender and the type of refinance you're looking to do, you might need to wait between six months to a year to refinance. Average refinance closing costs in 2021 were $2,375, according to ClosingCorp. But if your mortgage refinance rate will only be lower by a tiny fraction of a percentage point, then refinancing could actually cost you money.

Persons: refinance, you'll, It's, isn't Organizations: Service Locations: Wall, Silicon

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