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Buying a Home? Prepare, Compare, Negotiate

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The U.S. Housing market has taken some heavy blows in the slowly mending recession, but it is not dead. People are buying and selling houses. But if you are in the buying mode, it is more important than ever that you be informed. A recent release by the Federal Reserve Board, titled “Looking for the Best Mortgage” has several key words: Prepare, Compare and Negotiate.

Determine Your Best Mortgage Payments

Start the process by an honest and realistic assessment of your ability to purchase a home. Be certain up front how much you can afford for a down payment and closing costs. Use a free mortgage calculator to determine your monthly payments. Start with your credit report. If it is less than perfect, due to illness or temporary loss of income, don’t just give up, assuming that you would be limited to high-cost lenders. If the information in the report is accurate but you have good reasons for the negatives, explain them to a potential lender or broker. If the less-than-perfect report can’t be explained, you probably will end up paying more. But don’t assume. Ask how a past credit history affects the price of a loan and what you would need to do to offset the current bad rating. You can obtain a current credit report by visiting www.annualcreditreport.com or calling 877-322-8228. Or go directly to the reporting agency. Equifax: (800) 685-1111; TransUnion: (800) 99196-8800; Experian: (888) 397-3742.

Mortgage Lending

Be ware of the types of lenders, including commercial banks, mortgage companies, thrift institutions and credit unions. Different lenders may quote you different prices. Contact several and compare. You may work through a mortgage broker, who would arrange a transaction rather than lending money directly. Remember that a broker is not obligated to find the best deal for you unless you have signed a contract. Consider contacting more than one broker, just as you do with the lending institutions. It may not be clear if you are dealing with a lender or a broker. Some institutions operate in both capacities and their advertisements likely do not use the word “broker.” Ask if a broker is involved in your potential purchase. A broker is usually paid a fee separate from and in addition to the lender’s origination and other fees. His compensation may be in the form of “points” paid at closing or as an add-on to your interest rate or both. Ask how your broker will be compensated so you can compared the various fees. Negotiate if it is appropriate.

Shop and Compare Mortgage Lenders

Be sure to get mortgage information from several lenders or brokers. Just the monthly payment or the interest rate is not enough. Seek information about the same loan amount, loan term and type of loan so you can compare the details. Interest rates fluctuate, sometimes several times in the same day. Even very small differences may make an impact on your payment. Ask if the rate is fixed or adjustable. If you choose an adjustable rate, keep in mind that when the rate goes up, so will your monthly payment. Get the details. Ask about the loan’s annual percentage rate, which takes into account not only the interest rate but points, broker fees and certain other credit charges, expressed as a yearly rate. Points are fees paid to the lender or broker and often are linked to the interest rate. Usually, the more points you pay, the lower the rate, to compensate for the larger amount. Your local newspaper has information about current rates and points. Ask that points be quoted as a dollar amount rather than as a number of points. A home loan is likely to involve several fees such as loan origination or underwriting, broker, transaction, settlement and closing costs. Some are negotiable. Ask. Application and appraisal fees often are required when you apply, others are paid at closing. You may be able to borrow the money to meet fees, but that will increase the loan amount and total costs. “No cost” loans may be available, bu they usually involve higher rates. Several items may be lumped into one fee. Ask questions until you understand what each fee is for.

Down Payment Requirements For Mortgages

Down payment requirements vary. They range from as little as 5 percent to 20 percent, depending on the lender’s policy. If a smaller down payment is involved, the lender may require the purchase of private mortgage insurance. Government-assisted programs such as FHA, VA or Rural Development Services generally require substantially smaller down payments. Don’t look just at the amount, be informed on all the variables.

Negotiating Your Mortgage Terms

Once you have the background information on what lenders offer, prepare to negotiate. Be aware that on any given day, lenders and brokers may offer different prices for the same loans to different customers, even if they have the same loan qualifications. Loan officers and brokers often are allowed to keep some or all of this difference as extra compensation. Such higher prices are termed ” overages.” When they occur, they are built into the prices quoted to consumers. Have the lender or broker write down all the loan’s associated costs and see if any of the elements can be waived or reduced. Be sure that one fee is not lowered while another is being raised through points. You may simply ask for better terms, quoting those more favorable that you have found elsewhere if that would be helpful. Once you feel you have done the best possible, you may want to lock in the loan. Be clear on the rate you have agreed on and how long the lock-in lasts. A fee, sometimes refundable at closing, may be charged for the lock-in. The arrangement also could backfire on you if interest rates go down while you’re waiting to close. Again, time to negotiate a compromise if possible.

Legal Protection For Home Buyers

Remember that there are laws that protect you as a potential home buyer. The Equal Credit Opportunity Act prevents discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, marital status or age or whether any part of your income comes from a public assistance program The Fair Housing Act provides the same protections, adding handicapping conditions and familial status to the conditions that cannot be used as determinants for loans. A consumer cannot be refused a loan or charged more or offered less favorable terms because of any of the listed conditions.

For most Americans, a home is the most significant purchase they make. It is a process that should involve your best effort. Take your time. Prepare. Compare. Negotiate.

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Switching banks? Take your time

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If you’re one of those who are determined to switch banks, beware. Breaking up can be hard to do.

Since the call went out recently from people involved in the Occupy Wall Street movement and other efforts to rein in the country’s big banks, thousands have shifted their funds into alternative financial mangers, including credit unions, community banks, saving and loans and others. There is some indication that the big banks are paying attention to the unrest spreading through the country. Some have backed away from announced fee increases. Even so, the momentum for expressing disfavor with one’s bank by marching to another is under way. The date set by the Occupy group is Nov. 5, but don’t hurry just to meet that arbitrary date.

A spokesman for Institutional Risk Analytics reported that banks in more than 16,000 American zip codes — more than half of those in the country have been subject to recent online searches. That could be bad news for the largest banks, but is it enough to spur real changes in how they treat customers? Time will tell. As of 2009, four banks — Citigroup, JPMorganChase, Bank of America and Wells Fargo — held 39 percent of all deposits in FDIC-insured banks, according to Reuters. The options for getting out of one of those monsters into something more user-friendly are many. American Bankers Association reports more than 8,000 other banks and 7,600 federally insured credit unions to choose among.

But move cautiously. In 2008 the Federal Reserve published a study that indicated that trying to leave one bank and go to another may be a mere exercise in “switching costs.” The researchers found it was incredibly difficult for consumers to get reliable information about the costs charged by the new bank. They described a “bargains-then-rip-off strategy” in which the free toaster offered for enrolling is followed by an avalanche of previously unspecified fees. Often, the report says, the prospective bank will not even make information about fees available to new customers. The data is not listed on Web sites and comparison shopping is almost impossible. Some credit unions are providing “switch kits” to help in those considering a change, but in general the kits can do little more than identify differences in payments and deposits. In the end, switching banks means swimming through the red tape.

In some instances, credit unions charge fees that compare with those charged by the bigger banks. But they tend to have credit card rates that are lower — one full percentage point lower on average. Their car loans carry lower interest, but one-year CD rates and mortgage rates tend to be higher than at banks. Community banks tout community ownership as one of their pluses. A familiar face across the counter counts, they say.

Regardless of the direction your own study takes you, reduce the potential trauma of a switch by following these tips from Consumer Action:

Expect the switch to take some time. Initially, keep your original account open while setting up the new account, putting only as much into the new account as required to maintain it. If you have paperless banking, print or save statements and digital copies of canceled checks as PDFs or it may become difficult to access those documents after the fact. Order new checks (they’re cheaper from outside sources than through the bank itself) deposit slips and ATM cards from the new institution being aware they make take some time to arrive. Only when the new account is established should you transfer automatic or recurring payments from the old account. Don’t overlap. Be sure all outstanding items are cleared before closing the old account. Keep your user names and passwords on hand to smooth any sticky spots. Review several months of statements from the old bank to be be certain you haven’t missed anything such as utility or insurance payments that are authorized for automatic withdrawal bimonthly or quarterly. Be certain your old bank has your current contact information to facilitate any loose ends or slip-ups that occur in the transfer.

The Future Of Apple Without Steve Jobs

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Apple Stock Prices from 1984 - 2011
The Rise Of Apple Stock Prices

What does the future of Apple look like without Steve Jobs? Analysts are predicting a very bright future.

Today, Apple is worth $377.83 billion dollars. Share prices are fluctuating between $401 – $409.  It is the largest company in the world and new products are in development.  The iTV, which is currently in the prototype stage, could revolutionize the television industry and it could add billions of dollars to the worth of Apple.

Gene Munster, analyst for Piper Jaffray, a $400 million dollar investment company, says “We believe that of the estimated 220 million flat panel TVs sold in 2012, 48% or 106 million units will be internet-connected, of which Apple could sell 1.4 million units,” Munster wrote. “We believe an Apple Television could add $2.5 billion or 2% to revenue in 2012, $4.0 billion or 3% in 2013 and $6.0 billion in 2014.”

Will that make investing in Apple now a good investment? David Zeiler writes an interesting article: Why Apple Stock Is Headed for $500 – And Beyond. The momentum behind Apple seems to be growing past the loss of it’s founder, Steve Jobs.

A recent book called “Steve Jobs,” by Walter Isaacson, clearly reveals the thinking that has been driving the success of the company for years. Steve’s out of the box, creative thinking has gotten the masses to use computers in a new way. From the launch of the MacIntosh in 1984, to the recent launch of the Ipad2, his products provided us with the next generation of technology.

Designing products with ease of use has been Steve Job’s philosophy. Thank goodness, because the masses are not tech geeks. His artistic sense of design, minimalistic lifestyle and obsessive attention to detail are the fuel behind the products we have come to love and use daily.

From his high school part-time job working at Hewlett-Packard, Steve Jobs found one mentor after the next to teach him about technology, product creating, business structure and relationships. Although not always the best at relationships, his demand for perfection and his drive for great product creation triumphed.

There is a future for Apple because of Steve Jobs. His vision and creative thinking will truly be missed, but his contributions to the world will benefit generation after generation.

 

Related Company Valuations – October 31, 2011

 

Apple Inc. 377.68B
Microsoft Corporation 225.50B
IBM 218.78B
Google Inc. 193.01B
Oracle Corporation 166.52B
Intel Corporation 129.99B
Verizon Communications… 105.09B
Amazon.com, Inc. 97.32B
Hewlett-Packard Company 53.35B
Dell Inc. 29.15B

 

1984 Launch of the Macintosh

 
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Changes in Refinancing Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac Loans

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A recently announced (Oct. 24, 2011) new federal refinance program may offer a solution for as many as 1 million distressed home owners. Changes to the Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP) were made in an effort to attract more eligible borrowers who can benefit from refinancing their home mortgage. The new, more lenient requirements will be available to homeowners who are current on their payments, regardless of how much their property values have dropped.  Those who have failed to maintain a good payment record will not be eligible.

Eligibility Requirements

  • The mortgage must be owned or guaranteed by Freddie Mac or Fannie Mae.
  •  The mortgage must have been sold to Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac on or before May 31, 2009.
  •  The mortgage cannot have been refinanced under HARP previously unless it is a Fannie Mae loan that was refinanced under HARP from March-May, 2009.
  • The current loan-to-value (LTV) ratio must be greater than 80%.
  • The borrower must be current on the mortgage at the time of the refinance, with no late payment in the past six months and no more than one late payment in the past 12 months.

Being “underwater” keeps millions of Americans from benefiting from record-low mortgage interest rates. The term refers to homeowners who owe more than their homes are worth, often because of falling values that are beyond their control. One in four homeowners with a mortgage falls into the “underwater” category. That’s more than 11 million people and their frustrations add to the current drag on the housing market in particular and the broader economy in general.

On average, underwater mortgage payers are stuck with a 5.7 percent rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage, according to CoreLogic and the Associated Press. A drop to today’s average rate of 4.11 percent on the same mortgage would save the purchaser of a $250,000 home more than $200 per month. That could put tens of billions of dollars into consumer spending, economists say, a worthwhile kick for the lagging economy.

For many Americans, a few hundred dollars per month is the difference between paying their mortgages and walking away from the property.

The new government plan, with full details still to be announced, would reduce refinancing fees and provide guarantees calculated to put lenders more at ease when issuing loans.  It would encourage shorter-term mortgages and apply to borrowers who are only slightly above water.

While by no means the sole answer to the nation’s economic woes, this partial relief for many underwater homeowners is a positive step in the right direction.

Secure Your Home During Foreclosure

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Losing your home is bad enough, but walking away and leaving it empty and a target for vandalism, theft and illegal activity just adds to the problem.  You are still liable for the property during the foreclosure process, experts remind those who are affected. They say that malicious or even unintentional damage to an empty home can cost mortgage lenders and homeowners considerable money. Insurance may not cover repair costs.

It may pay in the long run to prevent a property from looking vacant.  Would-be vandals, thieves and illegal interlopers (who may use property for such things as illicit drug manufacturing) may think twice if the property has the appearance of being occupied.  Experts offer these suggestions for minimizing the prospects of damage:

Lock up: One unlocked window could invite unwelcome invasion. An insurance company may make it grounds to deny a potential claim. Double check to see that all entrances are secure.

Winterize: Shut off the main water valve. Drain water from plumbing, using compressed air, if necessary, to remove all remnants of water. Even a small leak can cause extensive, expensive damage.

Keep up maintenance: There are property preservation companies that specialize in giving vacant sites a “lived-in” look. They perform such services as maintaining lawns and yards, keeping mail and debris picked up, shoveling snow and generally making the property appear neat and occupied. If you can’t afford such a service, ask friends or neighbors for help in maintaining and monitoring the property.

Unplug: Even when turned to “off” an appliance can still draw a little power, so make sure all plug-ins throughout the property are disconnected. This move also can minimize the potential for fire.

Monitor: Test and retest smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and security alarms. Put in fresh batteries and test again before vacating the property.

Taking the steps to secure  an empty home may fend off a lot of headaches in the future.