Fannie Mae Survey Reveals Consumers Unaware of Requirements to Qualify for Mortgage

A recent survey performed by Fannie Mae on a significant number of consumers revealed there is large gap in consumer knowledge when it comes to qualifying for a mortgage loan. Of the consumers interviewed, 40% did not know the minimum down payment required to qualify for a loan, 54% did not know the minimum credit score required and 59% didn’t know the maximum back-end debt to income ratio. “There is a significant lack of understanding about minimum mortgage qualification criteria not only among consumers in general but, more importantly, among renters who plan to purchase a home within the next five years” according to Fannie Mae. It is extremely important to know the guidelines and requirements when looking to get financing, or are working towards improving your situation for financing in the future. If you don’t know the correct guidelines today, how can you know how to prepare for the future? Call us today so we can answer any questions you may have about the mortgage loan process and help you get on the right track.

Market Recovery Double-Edged Sword

Most real estate and mortgage professionals realize that the housing recovery has been extremely good since the low in 2012.

In November the Fannie Mae Home Purchase Sentiment Index indicated that consumers aren’t as optimistic about housing prospects for the future.

Fannie Mae concludes that the decrease in the sentiment index was mainly due to two things; Expected decrease in supply and  affordability.

With current interest rates near an all-time low affordability is still high, but higher interest rates could derail consumer sentiment.

NAR 2013 Existing Home Sales Report

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The National Association of Realtors recently came out with the 2013 existing home sales report and the statistics are promising. Total sales are up 9.1% in 2013 compared to 2012 and the 5.09 million sales of existing homes were the most since 2006. Even better news for sellers is that prices were up 11.5% from last year. This is the largest price increase since 2005. The real estate market is definitely getting healthier and this trend should continue throughout 2014.