While all home buyers and sellers are affected by economic uncertainty, its most debilitating effects are likely with “move-up buyers “who have the need, wherewithal and desire to buy a bigger home. Powerful motivators notwithstanding, these buyers find themselves lacking not only the confidence to make a decision, but, perhaps more importantly, the basic framework for identifying and evaluating the relevant factors. Now you can eliminate the guess work with the Move-Up Evaluator. Read the rest of this entry »

How do mortgage companies set daily pricing for the interest rates available for various loan programs? There's much disinformation on the subject. For starters, there is a common misconception that mortgage rates are somehow tied to the Federal Funds rate, which is completely inaccurate. It is the daily price fluctuations in the forward mortgage-backed security market that cause mortgage companies to change pricing daily. Read the rest of this entry »