Navy Fellas Realty Group

Real Estate, Residential sales and purchase

How Your Home Equity Can Help You Reach Your Retirement Goals

by

How Your Home Equity Can Help You Reach Your Retirement GoalsIf you plan on retiring soon, you are probably looking at a few options that can get you over the hump. You are probably excited to start a new phase of life. With a record number of people closing in on their retirement age, many are starting to assess their resources to make sure they have enough money to last them for the rest of their lives. If you already own a home, you might be able to tap into your home equity to help you fuel your retirement.

Your Home Has Probably Gone Up In Value

Your house is an investment and now is your opportunity to capitalize on that investment. There is a great chance that the value of your home has significantly increased since you first bought it. Furthermore, if you have been in your house for a long time, your mortgage may have been completely paid off. This means that just about all of your home’s value could be yours to keep. Your house could be worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, which you can put towards your retirement.

How To Use Your Home Equity For Your Retirement

Of course, you still need a place to live, but there are ways for you to tap into your home equity for your retirement. If you have children who have already moved out, you might be ready to downsize. As a result, you could sell your house and use the cash from the sale of your house to purchase a smaller home. Then, you can use the money left over to fund your retirement. It might not be enough to cover your retirement completely, but it could be enough to get you over the hump if you are wondering when you can retire.

Consider The Implications Of Selling Your Home

When you sell your home, there is a chance that you may have to pay taxes on the capital gains stemming from the value of your home. On the other hand, you might be able to shield some of those gains if you use the money to buy another house quickly. You should reach out to a professional who can help you understand the tax implications of selling your home.

 

What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week – September 12, 2022

by

What's Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week - September 12, 2022Last week’s economic reporting was minimal due to the Labor Day Holiday. Fed Chair Jerome Powell Weekly readings on mortgage rates and jobless claims were also released.

Fed Chair: Rates Expected to Remain Higher

Chair Powell said that interest rates will remain high for a longer than expected time as “history cautions against prematurely loosening [monetary] policy.” The Federal Reserve has a legislative mandate to maintain its target interest rate range at or near 2 percent, During a discussion at the Cato Institute, Chair Powell said that the longer inflation remains above the target rate range the more likely the public will view high inflation as normal.

Chair Powell addressed concerns about political influence on Fed policy. “ I can assure you that we never take into consideration external political considerations.” While President Biden supports the Fed’s policies,  Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren expressed concern that too many rate hikes could raise unemployment. Chairman Powell would not indicate how much the Fed may raise rates at its next monetary policy meeting on September 21 but analysts said the rate hike would likely be 0.75 percent or 0.50 percent at the least.

Mortgage Rates Rise, Jobless Claims Mixed

Freddie Mac reported higher mortgage rates last week as the average rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages rose by 23 basis points to 5.89 percent. Rates for 15-year fixed-rate mortgages averaged 5.16 percent and were 18 basis points higher than in the previous week. Rates for 5/1 adjustable rate mortgages averaged 4.64 percent and were 13 basis points higher on average. Discount points averaged 0.70 percent for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages and 0.80 percent for 15-year fixed-rate mortgages. Discount points for 5/1 adjustable rate mortgages averaged 0.40 percent.

New jobless claims fell to 222,000 initial claims filed last week as compared to the previous week’s reading of 228,000 new jobless claims filed.  1.45 million continuing jobless claims were filed last week as compared to the previous week’s 1.44 million ongoing claims filed.

What’s Ahead

This week’s scheduled economic reporting includes readings on month-to-month and annual inflation, retail sales, and consumer sentiment. Weekly readings on mortgage rates and jobless claims will also be released.

Consider A Home Renovation Loan To Navigate A Challenging Housing Market

by

Consider A Home Renovation Loan To Navigate A Challenging Housing MarketToday, there are many people who are having a difficult time purchasing a house. Even though interest rates have gone up, sales are still happening quickly. Therefore, it can be difficult for people to qualify for a mortgage, purchase a house, and get to the closing table before the property is sold. One potential way to get around the hot housing market is to consider a home renovation mortgage. How can a home renovation mortgage help you? 

A Renovation Loan Can Help People Buy A Less Desirable Home

If you want to close on a home, you might be interested in a house that is not as desirable as some of the others. That way, you don’t have to worry about a bidding war. A renovation loan can help you purchase a less desirable home. If you are interested in buying a home that requires some repairs, but you do not have a lot of cash available for repairs, a renovation mortgage is a special loan that gives you the money you need to repair the house.

How Does A Renovation Loan Work?

Typically, the amount of money you can borrow for a renovation loan will depend on the value of the home after the renovations are completed. Therefore, the appraisal process is a bit different. This is the only type of mortgage that will give a homeowner credit for the future value of the property. Therefore, you can borrow more than you would be able to with a traditional mortgage. You can use the extra cash to perform repairs, which can increase the value of the home.

How Many Renovation Loans Are There?

Just as there are different types of conventional loans, there are different types of renovation loans as well. Each has a different set of requirements, but all of them require you to use the extra money to repair the home. Furthermore, all the work you do on the house has to add to the value of the property. If you have questions about how you can use the money that comes with a renovation loan, you should reach out to a professional who can help you. 

 

What To Consider When Shopping For Interior Paint

by

What To Consider When Shopping For Interior PaintIf you are looking for a way to increase the value of your home, you may have thought about putting a fresh coat of paint on it. If you have beautiful paint throughout your home, you can increase the value of your home. Even though you are probably focused on the color, you need to think carefully about several other factors. What do you need to consider when looking for interior paint for your home?

Where The Paint Is Going

You can start by thinking about where the paint is going. Some people like to use the same color throughout the entire house. On the other hand, you may have different colors in mind for different rooms in your home. For example, you may choose a different color for your bathroom than you do for the living room. You might choose a different color for a child’s bedroom when compared to the master bedroom. Always think about where the paint is going before you make a final decision.

How Far The Paint Will Go

Even though you are probably focused on the price tag, you also have to think about how much paint you need to use to cover the room completely. For example, if you are painting a dark surface, you should be able to use less paint to finish the job. Even though a premium product may have a higher price tag, it might go further. Therefore, you might not need to purchase as much to finish the job. 

The Finish

The finish is just as important as the color when you choose a product. The finish determines how much light reflects off the surface. Do you want the pain to stand out? If so, you might want a glossy finish. Do you want the pain to fade into the background? If so, you may be interested in a flat finish.

Choose The Right Paint For The Job

Clearly, there is a lot to think about if you want to paint the interior of your home. You may want to contact an interior paint professional to help you select the right paint for your house. 

Getting Tired of Renting? Here Are the Top 5 Reasons Why Young People Prefer Owning a Home

by

Getting Tired of Renting? Here Are the Top 5 Reasons Why Young People Prefer Owning a HomeAt some point in their lives, every renter thinks about home ownership and whether or not it’s worth it. Let’s explore the top 5 reasons why young individuals prefer the idea of owning a home over renting.

It’s All About Control

It’s unlikely to come as a surprise that having control over their living space is the number one reason that younger buyers prefer owning over renting. Living in a home owned by someone else limits your ability to customize your home. Want to expand a room or rip out the kitchen cabinets? Good luck with getting your landlord to pay for that!

Privacy And Security Are Key

More than 90 percent of millennials reported that having a sense of privacy is an important factor when choosing between buying and renting. And this makes a lot of sense, especially in areas where a landlord has the right to enter the premises on short notice. It’s tough to imagine feeling secure when a landlord can demand access to their home for whatever reason they so choose.

Your Own Space Is Just Nicer

Take a look around your home. Is it as luxurious as you’d like it to be? While you can furnish a rented apartment or house however you want, in many cases, renters just don’t put the same amount of effort into it. 81% of young renters shared that one reason they want to buy is so that they can live in a nicer place.

You’ll Be More Engaged In The Community

If you want to feel more engaged in your local community, buying a home is an excellent idea. More than 75 percent of young and first-time buyers reported that community engagement is a key reason that they want to be a home owner. Not only are you more likely to care about the area around your home if you’re responsible for its upkeep. But as the value of your home is influenced by the surrounding area, you also have a financial incentive to staying engaged in the health of your community.

Owning Gives You Flexibility

Finally, consider that owning your own home will offer flexibility that you can’t get from renting. Not only will you be able to customize your home the way you want, but you’ll also have a productive financial asset. And that can be a huge help in securing additional credit if you want to make significant investments or other financial moves.

When you’re ready to expand your freedom by purchasing your own home, contact your trusted mortgage professional. We’re happy to help.

What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week – September 6, 2022

by

What's Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week - September 6, 2022Last week’s economic reporting included readings on home price growth, federal data on public and private sector job growth, the national unemployment rate, and data on consumer sentiment. Weekly readings on mortgage rates and jobless claims were also released.

S&P Case Shiller: Home Price Growth Slows in June

The S&P Case-Shiller National Home Price Index reported slower home price growth in June as home price growth slowed to a year-over-year pace of 18.0 percent as compared to May’s reading of 19.9 percent. The 20-City Home Price Index posted 18.6  percent growth in June as compared to May’s reading of 20.50 percent year-over-year growth in May.

The top three cities in June’s 20-City Home Price Index were Tampa, Florida, which posted the fastest year-over-year home price growth rate for the fourth consecutive month with a reading of 35.00 percent,  and Miami. Florida with a year-over-year home price growth rate of 33.00 percent. Dallas, Texas completed the top three cities with year-over-year home price growth of 28.20 percent.

While all 20 cities reported double-digit percentages for year-over-year home price growth, 19 of 20 cities reported slower rates of home price appreciation in June. Craig J. Lazzara, Managing Director of S&P Dow Jones Indices, explained the difference between the deceleration of home price growth and home price decline. A deceleration in home price growth indicates that while home prices continue to increase, they’re doing so at a slower pace. A decline in home prices means that home prices are falling.

Analysts expect rising mortgage rates to negatively impact home sales as affordability issues increase. As demand for homes falls, home prices may also fall as the housing market cools.

Mortgage Rates Rise, Jobless Claims Fall

Freddie Mac reported higher average mortgage rates last week as rates for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages rose by 11 basis points to 5.66 percent. Rates for 15-year fixed-rate mortgages averaged 4.98 percent and 13 basis points higher. Rates for 5/1 adjustable rate mortgages averaged 4.51 percent and 15 basis points higher than in the previous week.

Initial jobless claims fell last week with 232,000 initial claims filed as compared to the previous week’s reading of 237,000 first-time claims filed. Analysts expected 245,000 new jobless claim filings last week. Job growth reports from ADP and the government’s Non-Farm Payrolls report showed sharp drops in job growth; ADP, which reports on private-sector payrolls, reported 132,000 jobs added in August as compared to July’s reading of 268,000 private-sector jobs added in July. The Non-Farm Payrolls report

The national unemployment report rose to 3.70 percent in August from July’s reading of 3.50 percent. Analysts expected a reading of 3.50 percent unemployment for August.

What’s Ahead

This week’s scheduled economic reporting is spare due to the Labor Day Holiday. Fed Chair Jerome Powell will give a speech and weekly readings on mortgage rates and jobless claims will be released.