Archive for January, 2014
What’s in store for Orange County Real Estate in 2014?
What’s in store for 2-0-1-4?
Today we had the pleasure of attending a lunch & learn by The Real Estate Focus Group and Steven Thomas, one of Orange County’s best real estate forecasters. Steven’s reports have been published in Forbes, USA today, NY Times, and especially the OC Register because he’s constantly pulling tons of valuable data about what’s going on with the OC housing market.
2013 Real Estate Review
In 2013, short sale volume dropped by 61%, (holla:) we experienced a hot hot hot market with 18% appreciation and then the unrealistic sellers entered the market after June. We saw many more move up sellers, which is a great sign. There was a significant lack of inventory at the beginning of the year, followed by a spike and overpriced inventory in the fall. We also had a refinance bonanza, so hopefully you took advantage of that! Interest rates are still historically low, but tapering is looming, so 2014 is a year to get your financing while financing is still good.
2014 Real Estate Ramp Up
We currently have 5000 homes on the Orange County market, and we have a 49% increase in inventory since this time last year. Our market is healthy because interest rates are still low (but expected to go up), and we are currently at 90% equity (standard) sales.
Only 5% of the mortgaged homes in Orange County are currently underwater. That means 95% of you are back to even or have (gasp!) equity – FABULOUS NEWS – and this makes the perfect formula for a continued move up market. If you’d like to get the house with the yard or the pool, this year is opportunity time for you.
First time buyers who have been squeezed out of the market the last 12 months will come back, even though their rates are a little higher and FHA guidelines have changed. In addition, more luxury buyers are expected to enter the market this year.
Sellers, our expected time for a properly priced home on the market in Orange County is 93 days. Our median sales price is 610K, and buyers, your monthly payment for a 4.5% loan at this price is approximately $2500. Still affordable. Unless you like paying off your landlord’s mortgage instead.
New home construction is going up: Rancho Mission Viejo, Great Park Irvine, and Baker’s Ranch in Foothill Ranch are all big developments underway. Remember it’s still a good idea to have a Realtor represent you even in a new build situation, so be sure to call us if you would like to check out any of the inventory out there.
Some concerns for 2014….. uncertainty, lack of fair market value homes, interest rates, and the circus in Washington DC.
Some expectations for 2014…… buyers will insist on fair market value vs. paying over appraisal, active inventory will continue to rise, interest rates will continue to rise, and we should have a mild appreciation of 0-5%.
If you are interested in MORE geeky data, we have it at our fingertips! Just email angie@askangie.com, tweet @angieweeks or @weeksteam, or call 877-230-3211 to request a copy of this month’s Orange County housing report.
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )Is it Mortgage D-Day? Qualifying for a Home Loan in CA Gets Harder
2014 Loan Guidelines are changing!
What’s New & Different for 2014 Home Loans in California
Today’s been coined in the real estate industry as “Mortgage D-day”; new Qualifying Mortgage regulations are rolled out and they are changing the way your mortgage can be structured. We recently had the pleasure of attending a Lunch & Learn hosted by Brian Kimball, loan officer with Summit Funding. Brian went over a few of these changes in the lending industry so we figured we would share! A word of warning….lending land is confusing with a ton of acronyms! If you have questions or clarifications about this information, feel free to reach out to Brian or your preferred lender to help clarify and explain.
Some improvements and changes for California home loans starting next week:
– license required for all team members
– dual compensation is now prohibited (no more point in the front and point in the back)
– geographical standardization of commission percentage (no more getting different loan origination quotes from different lenders at the same company!)
Home Owner Equity Protection Act (HOEPA)
– 1st time buyers are now required pre-loan counseling. This education can be done online. It will hold up your closing if you do not complete this education so if you’re buying your first home or condo be sure to address this with your lender EARLY and get your certificate 🙂 PS. A 1st time buyer is defined as someone who has not owned a home in 3 years.
Higher Price Mortgage Loan (HPML)
– Lenders must require 5 yr escrow payments (impound account) REGARDLESS of your loan to value ratio. Borrower must meet residual income requirements, so this means that many lenders are not going to be willing to offer and provide these higher price mortgage loans 
General Qualified Mortgage (QM)
– Points and fees are less than or equal to 3% of the LOAN amount (not purchase price..cool!)
– No ‘risky’ features. This includes negative-am, interest only, or balloon payments
– Maximum loan term is 30 years. Darn, the young buyers really liked the 40 year option 😦
– Maximum total Debt to Income (DTI) ratio is 43%
Temporary Qualified Mortgage (TQM)
– Meets product requirements of Qualified mortgage and is available to GSE direct lenders only
– Available until 2021: This creates some “breathing room” for lenders and buyers to settle into the new QM.
Ability to Repay (ATR)
– Lenders currently look at your big deposits, and NOW they are going to be looking into your big withdrawls too. If you have a personal loan from someone that does not show up on your credit report they will be looking into your regular payments.
– Lenders can be liable for deficiencies over the lifetime of the loan.
– Underwriting will now be based on 8 federally mandated criteria.
– All lenders must standardize underwriting practices. This means there will be less ‘exceptions’ during the underwriting process.
– Buyers must qualifiy based on fully amortizing payment and maximum payment in the first 5 years. This means buyers cannot use ARMs to qualify for more $$, simply to lower monthly payments.
Points and Fees Limits
– 100K or more -> limit is 3% max of the total loan amount
– 60-99K -> limit is $3000
What points and fees are always included in the 3% max?
– loan origination fee, rate lock and discount points
– prepaid interest
– application, processing, and underwriting
– admin fee and commitment fee
– conventional up front mortgage insurance cost
– all compensation to mortgage broker
– ‘junk fees’
What is never included in the 3% max?
– FHA MIP and VA funding fee
– Hazard insurance and property taxes
– Appraisal fee, credit report, and tax service
– notary fee and courier fee
– title insurance, flood cert
– seller paid fees and points. Sellers, think EARLY about what you are willing to add to the pot to keep a deal together.
On the 2015 horizon:
– Loan Estimate may replace the Good Faith Estimate
– Closing disclosure will replace the HUD1
Both of these things will standardize the format so buyers can easier compare lender to lender.
Wow – lots of changes to California Home Loans but many are good ones to protect consumers. Getting a loan is complicated and it’s very important to your financial future. We always encourage you to talk to a couple lenders so you can find who offers the best programs, payments, and education. If you select the wrong lender, you very well may select the wrong loan, and this could cost you thousands of dollars and big headaches in the future. DO YOUR DUE DILIGENCE and research so you don’t get burned. The Weeks Team is here to help you every step of the way with your Orange County real estate needs – call us at 877-230-3211 or tweet @AngieWeeks or @WeeksTeam with your questions!
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Orange County Real Estate Success 