12
Jan
By First Rate Financial Group
Mortgage

House Poor: What It Means And How To Avoid It

House Poor: What It Means And How To Avoid ItThere is a good chance you have heard someone described as being house poor. What exactly does it mean? It is important to understand what it means to be house poor and how you can stay away from it.

House Poor Means Spending A Significant Chunk Of Your Income On Housing

Being house-poor means different things for different people. In general, it means spending a significant amount of your monthly income on recurring expenses related to your house. A few examples include your mortgage, the interest on your mortgage, your property taxes, and HOA expenses. Owning a house can be expensive, and it is important for you to budget carefully. In general, you could not spend more than one-third of your monthly pay on your rent or your mortgage. If you are spending significantly more than this recommendation, you might qualify as house-poor. 

How To Avoid Becoming House-Poor

Fortunately, there are several strategies you can follow if you want to avoid becoming house-poor. First, make sure you budget ahead of time. Understand exactly how much money you can spend on your home, and make every effort to stick to that number. Furthermore, before you purchase a house, make sure you get a home inspection completed. There are a lot of people who have their savings wiped out by unforeseen expenses. If you get an inspection before you buy a house, you can plan for those ahead of time. Finally, make sure you reduce your debt-to-income ratio before you buy a house. That way, you can qualify for the best home loan possible.

Do Not Spend More On Housing Than You Can Afford

In the end, it is critical for you to avoid spending more money on your house than you can afford. Remember that you should not spend more than one-third of your monthly pay on housing. If you do, your budget may be stretched thin and other areas, and you might have a difficult time covering other expenses. Do not hesitate to reach out to an expert who can help you find the right house for yourself and your family.

 

10
Jan
By First Rate Financial Group
Mortgage

The Most Commonly Forgotten Item On The Home Budget List

The Most Commonly Forgotten Item On The Home Budget ListIf you are in the process of purchasing a home, it is critical for you to make sure that you budget appropriately. Unfortunately, there are a lot of people who commonly overlook closing expenses. Even though it is important for you to have enough money for your down payment, you need to make sure you cover closing costs as well. What is included in closing costs, and how much money do you need to budget?

The Recommended Amount

Even though it is tempting to focus on the cost of your house, it is also critical to think about closing expenses. Usually, closing expenses are approximately two percent of the value of your home. For example, if you are planning on purchasing a house for $250,000, your closing expenses will probably be about $5,000; however, there is also a chance that your closing costs could be more or less than that. You should work with a professional who can help you estimate your closing expenses. 

Examples Of Items Included In Closing Costs

As you go through the process of buying your house, there are a lot of moving parts that have to come together to complete the transaction. There are several examples of items that could be included in your closing expenses. For example, you may have to pay an origination fee attached to your loan, and you will have to cover attorney’s fees for the closing attorney as well. You will need to purchase title insurance and conduct a title search, and you might also have to pay for the home inspection and home appraisal. If there is an HOA in the area in which you are buying your house, you may have to pay those when you close on your house as well. You should get a breakdown of these expenses ahead of time.

Ensure You Have Money For Closing Costs

You have worked hard to find the perfect house. You must make sure you have enough money to cover not only the down payment but also your closing expenses. If you have questions about how much money you will have to pay for closing costs, reach out to a professional who can help you. 

 

09
Jan
By First Rate Financial Group
Financial Reports

What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week – January 9, 2023

What's Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week - January 9, 2023Last week’s economic reporting included readings on minutes of the most recent Federal Open Market Committee meeting and its customary post-meeting press conference, labor-sector data on public and private-sector jobs, and the national unemployment rate. Weekly readings on mortgage rates and jobless claims were also released.

FOMC Meeting: Policymakers seek a balance between high inflation and rising rates

The minutes of the Federal Open Market Committee meeting held on December 13 and 14 reflect committee members’ concern over controlling rapidly growing inflation while avoiding a recession. While committee members said that they made “significant progress” in raising rates to cut inflation, members said they needed to avoid raising rates too fast and creating a recession. Policymakers asked for “flexibility” from investors and consumers.

The Fed’s monetary policy actions depend on economic developments; if high inflation persists, policymakers will likely continue raising the Fed’s target interest rate range. If inflation eases, so will the Fed’s pace of raising its target interest rate range. The Fed re-asserted its goal of achieving two percent inflationary growth. The meeting minutes emphasized that the Committee’s decision to slow the pace of interest rate growth did not indicate any changes to the Fed’s goal of two percent inflation.

Mortgage rates rise, jobless claims fall

Freddie Mac reported higher mortgage rates last week as the average rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages rose by six basis points to 6.48 percent. The average rate for 15-year fixed-rate mortgages was five basis points higher at 5.73 percent.

204,000 new jobless claims were filed last week, which fell short of the expected reading of 223,000 initial claims filed and the previous week’s reading, also of 223,000 first-time claims filed. Continuing jobless claims fell to 1.69 million claims filed as compared to the previous week’s reading of 1.72 million ongoing claims filed.

The national unemployment rate fell to 3.5 percent in December as compared to 3.6 percent n November and the expected unemployment rate of 3.7 percent.

What’s Ahead

This week’s scheduled economic reporting includes readings on month-to-month and year-over-year inflation and weekly readings on mortgage rates and jobless claims.