Did you know Pending Home Sales At The Highest Levels Since April 2010?

Pending Home Sales At The Highest Levels Since April 2010

WOW Another day, another strong report for housing. I sense a TREND!
The Pending Home Sales Index climbed just better than 2 percent in December, according to the National Association of REALTORS®. A "pending home sale" is an existing home under contract to sell, but not yet closed.
Pending Home Sales are up for the fifth time in 6 months. The December reading is now its highest since the federal home buyer tax credit's April 2010 contract deadline, and the figure is well north of the Pending Home Sales Index 3-year average.
Coupling this data with December's strong Existing Homes Sales report (+12%) and its strong New Home Sales report (+17%), it's clear that the housing market has past its trough and is in Recovery Mode.
Even consumer confidence is at an 8-month high.
On a regional basis, December's Pending Home Sales Index varied as compared against November. The South region led the way, and the West region lagged.

• Northeast Region: +1.8%
• Midwest Region : +8.0%
• South Region : +11.5%
• West Region : -13.2%

Home buyers in areas across Georgia and the rest of the county would do well to study last month's Pending Home Sales Index. It offers clues of what to expect during the spring buying season. For example, according to the National Association of REALTORS®, 80 percent of homes under contract close within 60 days.
Therefore, we can look at the December Pending Home Sales Index and project, with a high level of confidence, that home sales will be higher throughout February and March on a units-basis.
Furthermore, because the Existing Home Sales and New Home Sales reports show that housing stock is falling nationwide, spring buyers in Georgia will notice find more competition for the available housing stock. As the Supply-and-Demand curve shifts towards sellers, home prices rise.
In other words, there's no rush to buy a home, but as the year progresses, home prices are expected to rise, as are mortgage rates. This one-two combination will impact home affordability negatively. And the higher that mortgage rates go, the worse the damage.
Your home-buying dollar won't go as far in 2011's second half as it will go right now.  SO If you have plans to buy a home in 2011, consider moving up your time-frame.

Thanks,
Peter


404-643-4793


Providing financing for cities across Georgia counties including: Acworth, Albany, Alpharetta, Athens, Atlanta, Augusta, Austell, Avondale Estates, Blairsville, Bloomingdale, Blue Ridge, Bogart, Brunswick, Buckhead, Buford, Canton, Carrollton, Cartersville, Chatsworth, Clayton, College Park, Columbus, Commerce, Conyers, Covington, Cumming, Dahlonega,  Dacula, Dalton, Dawsonville, Decatur, Doraville, Douglasville, Duluth, Dunwoody, East Point, Fayetteville, Flowery Branch, Gainesville, Greensboro, Hampton,  Hapeville, Hinesville, Hiram, Jackson, Jefferson, Jonesboro, Kennesaw, Lagrange, Lawrenceville, Lilburn, Lithia Springs, Macon, Madison, Metter, Morganton, Morrow, Newnan, Norcross, Oakwood, Peachtree City, Pooler, Richmond Hill, Riverdale, Rome, Roswell, Sandy Springs, Savannah, Scottdale, Statesboro, Stockbridge, Stone Mountain, St Marys, Sugar Hill, Suwanee, Thomasville, Thunderbolt, Tucker, Tybee Island, Valdosta, Waleska, Warner Robins, Waycross, Wilmington Island, Winder, Woodstock, and many more.

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FHA Mortgage Insurance Premiums Approved To Triple In Cost

Starting sometime later this year, the monthly cost to carry an FHA-insured mortgage is expected to rise.

In a near-unanimous vote, the House of Representatives gave the FHA power to raise the monthly mortgage insurance premiums it charges to its borrowers.

Currently, monthly mortgage insurance premiums are 0.55% of the unpaid loan balance, divided by 12.  The recently approved Federal Housing Administration Reform Act provides for an increase in monthly premium of up to 1.55 percent, among other details of the bill.

Despite the ability to charge 1.55 percent, FHA officials say an increase to 0.90 percent would be sufficient to self-insure its loans.

In everyday terms, assuming a $200,000 mortgage, the math to a homeowner looks as follows:

• Current Premium (0.55%) : $91.67 monthly mortgage insurance premium
• Expected Increase (0.90%) : $150.00 monthly mortgage insurance premium
• Maximum Increase (1.55%) : $258.33 monthly mortgage insurance premium

A increase in monthly mortgage insurance premiums will reduce home affordability for buyers in Marietta and strain household budgets. 

The news isn't all terrible, however.

Because higher monthly insurance premiums are expected to pad the FHA coffers sufficiently, the FHA has said it plans to reduce its upfront mortgage insurance premium paid at closing from 2.25 percent down to 1.000 percent. 

On the same $200,000 mortgage, a move like that would reduces closing costs by $2,500.

The bill awaits companion legislation in Senate and final approval into law, but considering the House's lopsided vote Thursday, it could happen rather quickly.  If you're planning to buy or refinance a home using an FHA mortgage, you may find that waiting to take the next step could be a costly one, long-term.

The FHA insured close to a quarter of all mortgages made in the first three months of 2010.