Mortgage Rates Updated

I submitted a post in 2009 regarding mortgage rates and I'm updating it again now.  You'll hear all kinds of different perspectives from financial advisors; mortgage gurus; industry groups, etc, but in my opinion rates may have some ebbs and flows as major institutions involved in the MBS market modify their portfolios, but but we've gone past the point of no return.

The Fed is stuck in QE infinite.  In other words.... rates are on lockdown and they can't let up on the gas now baby.  How can they?

Can you see what would happen if they do let rates rise? Ummm - market chaos.  Some are going to read this and say I'm crazy; I'm a conspiracy theorist; I say bull and open your eyes to what is going on.

$16 Trillion in debt; foreign governments defaulting on sovereign debt obligations; war all over; they can't stop the pumping the cash now baby it's all in,  all or nothing.  Trillions have been spent and trillions more will continue to be spent. 

The housing market is a huge part of our economy and they keep stimulating it through controlling the interest rates and driving demand. Stimulus galore!

You want a stimulus package, in my opinion, I would use renovation financing as this is a viable way to keep goods and services flowing through the economy.  See my previous post - The New Real Estate Trend. I'm going to do a series of posts on this subject but in short; you can finance the cost of the purchase of the home and the cost of upgrades and/or needed or desired improvements to the property all in one loan with one payment.

You'll hire a contractor to do the work after closing and you can include (depending on the program) anything from light to moderate repairs to major renovations such as additions and foundational work; and even luxury improvements like swimming pools. 

Through this loan you're purchasing materials, improving the property you're buying (not to mention turning the home into one you love and not just one you like) and putting people to work, ie contractor and their subs.  This is a stimulus package with a private sector approach that really isn't rate sensitive. 

Think about it; most improvement loans you get are tied to high interest credit cards or you already own the home and you secure a second mortgage fixed rate loan or what is called a HELOC (home equity line of credit). The difference is these options look at current equity while the renovation loan uses post-renovation value (future equity). More on these differences in my series of posts to come.

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Does that mean you should buy now or wait? I can't answer that, only you can assess your financial situation and make that decision.  They call owning a home the American Dream but the American Dream is what your make it.  Not everyone is ready, equipped, or can afford to buy right now and that's okay.  When the time is right for you you'll know it.

For right now I think the low rate environment isn't going away.  Aside for some market adjustments I don't think interest rates are going anywhere - I don't see how they can.  The Fed knows this and you can tell when every time ole Benny Bernanke gets in front of Congress and testifies, this guy will not say the pump will stop.  He always makes some comment regarding more tools at their disposal and are ready to provide more stimulus if the need is warranted. 

Yeah buddy! That means it isn't stopping any time soon. 

Until next time, God Bless