Mortgage and Real Estate News Weekend Edition: Market Wrap-Up Update (December 16 – December 21, 2024):

Mortgage Rates

Current Rates:

• The average 30-year fixed mortgage rate is steady at 6.4% as of December 21, with the average fifteen-year fixed in the 5.8% region.
• The ongoing stability during a slow period provides some relief to home buyers.

Market Influences:

• Inflation figures and the Federal Reserve’s message on the likely direction of interest rates have contributed to fluctuations in existing economic indicators, keeping mortgage rates slightly further tempered.

Home Sales Activity

Existing Home Sales:

• In November, the National Association of Realtors registered a surge of 1.5% in existing home sales.
• This increase signals a boost in buyer activity for that month, caused primarily by seasonal changes and a subsequent boost in buyer activity.

Pending Home Sales:

• The market shows signs of strength going into the new year, as pending home sales also bumped by 2.3% during November.

Housing Inventory

Inventory Levels:

• Despite the increase in sales, housing inventory remains tight.
• The current supply of homes is around 2.7.
• This number is fairly low compared to the historical average of six over the months.

New Listings:

• In December, new listings noted an increase of 4%, which is commendable.
• This further shows that despite sellers’ affordability challenges.
• There is still a willingness to join the real estate bandwagon.

Home Prices

Price Trends:

• The median existing home price has served as a foremost determinant in history.
• The average selling price at the national level was $370,000, down almost two percent compared to the past year.

Regional Variations:

• Particular regions within the Southern and Midwestern parts of America are either showing slight rises in value or stabilization of values, in contrast to the major restructuring occurring within the Californian and New York markets.

Foreclosure Rates

Foreclosure Data:

• Financial strains on borrowers rapidly increase, resulting in foreclosure filings soaring by 10% in the last month.
• Significant activity has been done in foreclosures in Nevada and New Jersey.

Government Response:

• Local governments are trying to implement support measures for families facing foreclosure.
• These measures incorporate counseling services and monetary support.

Regulatory Developments

Federal Reserve Meetings:

• Over the recent months, mortgage rates have demonstrated signs of higher stability than in the past.
• This is due to the federal funds rate remaining steady after the Federal Reserve’s recent meeting.

Legislative Initiatives:

• Congress is paying attention to ongoing discussions on amending housing policies such as zoning laws and increasing funding for affordable housing.

Market Outlook

Outlook Towards 2025:

• Analysts expect the housing market to stabilize further in early 2025 if there are more sellers since there might be more inventory.
• However, other headwinds, like high mortgage rates and economic uncertainty, may continue to dampen buyer demand in the property market.

Affordability Constraints:

• The affordability constraint continues to be serious, especially for first-time buyers.
• More attention to the developments of economic factors and interest rate fluctuations will be very important for the housing market’s health in the months close to the elections.

The picture of the mortgage and real estate market between 16 and December 21, 2024, resembles a guarded optimism given the developing challenges. There are signs of home sales picking up modestly and mortgage interest rates stabilizing, which is positive. In contrast, supplies and affordability remain key drivers in the lead-up to the new year. The key economic indicators and regulatory measures have given clues on what to anticipate in housing for 2025.

• This discussion was modified 1 year, 5 months ago by  Gustan Cho.
• This discussion was modified 1 year, 5 months ago by  Gustan Cho.

Joe Biden claims he is Honest Joe Biden

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/b5T_QKbnJ1Q

Can diabetes cause blindness?

Improving the curb appeal of our home with landscaping

What are the basic safety rules for handling firearms?

This video clip is funny. Pranking a guy until he literally goes nuts.

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/Z1LV4FFvHHBExZ2A/?mibextid=D5vuiz

facebook.com

Please HOLD 📞 | Billy Rosewood IV | you_funny_fooker · Original audio

Please HOLD 📞. you_funny_fooker · Original audio

What is the difference between AXEN Mortgage and NEXA MORTGAGE?

You may have heard about the lawsuit where the National Association of Realtors was sued whereby the Plaintiffs alleged that NAR conspired to inflate commissions for Sellers, also alleging that Buyers would pay their own brokers, if not for NAR basically holding Sellers hostage to getting their properties listed on the MLS. As I read some of the commentary, it sounds as though the Plaintiffs allege price fixing, and lack of transparency in real estate transactions. WOW! Is all I can say to that. Being a Realtor for going on 32 years now, I would have to disagree with some of this. From the very first class, the trainers beat it into our heads that commissions are negotiable. That agency relationships must be disclosed to buyers and sellers. That dual agency must be approved by both the buyer and the seller and they must both understand what fiduciary duties they are giving up because of the dual agency arrangement. Disclose, Disclose, Disclose is what we heard. Now as the market has changed on a dime, we are seeing anything and everything but fixed prices. Commission rates are all over the place in our market, and that is because they are NEGOTIABLE. Of course there can always be some bad actors out there in the marketplace, but to try to change a business practice that helps buyers buy, and sellers sell, and allows them the right to negotiate their price, terms and commission rates with their brokers and each other, I believe would be so disruptive and counterproductive, that the parties will just find new ways to negotiate around it.

To pay today’s real estate commission, a seller factors that into his asking price, and so does the entire market place. If that changes and the buyer now has to pay his own broker, then the pricing of homes will need to decrease, and sellers will not be happy. Or, Buyers will need to offer a higher price and ask for Seller Concessions to help pay the buyer’s real estate commission, because Buyers will still be shopping with a limited amount of money to make their purchase, and will require down payment help, closing cost help, and now lets add on Buyer commission help? So all of you real estate agents out there, better start letting your voices be heard to your local, state and national associations about this issue. And BTW, all you mortgage brokers, you need to put in your commentary as well, because this can have a huge impact on getting your borrowers qualified, if they now have to start coming up with a Buyer’s side commission, along with all the other costs they pay on the ALTA. Personally, my hope is that this gets appealed and overturned, because we don’t need to turn an entire industry upside down to make improvements in transparency and fair dealing. We can do that by self regulating ourselves, as we have been doing for over 100 years. I would love to hear your thoughts on this lawsuit and where you think we might be headed because of it.

Can you please explain what POS means and how you can make money 💰 with POS with small business owners?

Mortgage Rates are finally dropping fast. JEROME POWELL, The Chairman of the Federal Reserve Board announced yesterday the Feds will not be increasing interest rates for the past two Fed meeting which caused mortgage rates to plummet. The 10 year treasuries started plummeting the past few days from a high of 5.0% to 4.66%

Needed 100% financed loan for a Condo purchase
I was approved in July for a 100% financed loan for a condo conversion.

Not sold are 50% of the units in this condo conversion, so I was placed into escrow some time ago (extension). This lender requires 50% of the units to have sold prior to funding the loan.

Well due to the length of time it has been, and the volatile mortgage market, I am now not qualified for 100% from this lender. They say I will now need to put down at least 10%. The property is 335K.

My Question now is this: Is there any lender out there that WILL APPROVE 100% financing for a condo conversion? My Fico scores are: 636, 622, 605

Thanks in advance for all your help!

Kamala Harris spent $1 Billion Dollars on her campaign in just 100 days. Not only did Kamala Harris spend one billion in just two months, but she is 20 million dollars in the hole. It turns out that Kamala Harris paid many celebrities for their endorsement: Beyonce was paid $10 milliion. Where is My Daddy Podcast was paid $100,000. Al Sharpton was paid $500,000, the list goes on. How can someone spend over one billion dollars and not win? How can Kamala Harris spend a billion dollars in two months and be negative 20 billion and consider herself fit to become President of the United States? Can Kamala Harris get in trouble for this? You can help out so many poor families with a billion dollars. Is this campaign fraud?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NRiRPe7mfw&ab_channel=KREM2News

Congratulations to former President Donald Trump. On November 5th, 2024, Former President Donald J. Trump and Senator JD Vance won the Republican ticket to the White House. Kamala Harris and her running mate Tim Waltz lost the Democrat ticket to the Presidency after Kamala Harris spent $1 billion dollars and is $20 million in debt. There are still staff members who are due their paychecks and are waiting.

Here are a few relevant points to consider:

Political Implications of Election Results

Impact on the Republican Party: Trump’s nomination could unify different factions within the GOP or exacerbate divisions, depending on how his campaign is received by various voter demographics.

Democratic Strategy Moving Forward: The outcome of Kamala Harris and Tim Walz may prompt the Democratic Party to reassess its strategies, messaging, and candidate selection for future elections.

Campaign Financing: The mention of significant campaign spending and debt raises questions about campaign finance regulations and money’s political influence.

Staff and Campaign Management: The situation with unpaid staff can affect morale and the overall effectiveness of a campaign. It highlights the importance of financial management in political campaigns.

Voter Sentiment: Understanding voter sentiments and the issues that matter most to them will be crucial for both parties’ preparations for the general election.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9iCphDSLvVQ

About time

Home prices in Chicago South Loop are plummeting. Sellers are lowering prices and offering incentives. This correction is continuing throughout the city and Suburbs. Expect the downturn to continue in Chicago and other cities. Stay tuned

How does the Ground Up Spec Builder Construction work?

It’s over folks. Comcast, the parent of MSNBC is up for sale. Viewership at MSNBC dropped 51% due to anti-Trump and anti-Republican stance. Major layoffs is also expected. On another note, CNN lost 21% of its Viewership

The mainstream media is on life support.

It is reported that Oprah Wilfrey was paid one million dollars by the Kamala Harris campaign. The Democrat Party is deteriorating and deteriorating fast

Many Democrat states are losing citizens changing parties to the Trump Team.

https://www.youtube.com/live/rdyMVnYBw1w?si=ZIiFLCLNsh7HI4DB

I have been in the same line of work for 25 years but went from W2 to 1099 in August of last year, and my husband is always W2 as he has been a teacher for 20 years. Can we use our combined income? We will have 3.5-5% down and are currently working to pay our credit card debt to below 30%.

CNBC Jim Cramer and Crooked Media announced the economy is going strong and job opportunities are strong and little unemployment therefore interest rates should go higher. What are they thinking?

• This discussion was modified 2 years, 7 months ago by  Sapna Sharma.

What is affiliate marketing and how do you get started? Can you make good money with affiliate marketing? What are the step by step process in getting started and becoming successful with affiliate marketing?

Is Kamala Harris the best candidate The Democrats have to face former President Donald Trump for 2024 Presidential Election? Are the Democrats that desperate of having a semi-descent candidate for President? Do Democrats think the American people are that stupid? Do Democrats need to name Kamala Harris, the person who slept her way up the political latter? Kamala Harris slept with former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown to kick off her political career. Kamala Harris is not too smart. Many people cannot believe how she even became a lawyer let alone District Attorney of San Francisco, Attorney General of California, United States Senator, and Vice President of the United States. Now she is running for President? OMG. What has Kamala Harris ever achieved in her political career. Watch this video clip about Kamala Harris.

https://www.youtube.com/live/RcsRfo16ZC8?si=gFA0rsAlw8iu0KLU

Breaking: The World’s 🌎 🗺 🌏 🌐 🌍 MOST UNLIKED & THE WORLD’S BIGGEST LYING HUMAN BEING, KAMALA HARRIS has gone postal folks. The fact-checked incompetent Kamala Harris has exploded 🤯 💥 😳 😂 and 🇺🇸 had her Howard Dean moment and it has been recorded on video. This is breaking NEWS and the American people can now see that it is NOT just President Joe Biden has mental illness and mental stability issue. Please click 🙏 the video link below:

https://rumble.com/v5j7joc-kamala-harris-just-had-her-howard-dean-moment…-shes-done.html

rumble.com

Kamala Harris just had her "Howard Dean" moment... she's done

This was Kamala Harris' "Howard Dean" moment.

“Usually the disinformation we saw was pro-Trump… We’ll investigate, and then it goes just up to another team to take it [the post] down,” admits Matthew Fowler, a Software Engineering Manager at Meta, during an undercover date with an O’Keefe Media Group journalist. Fowler emphasized that Meta’s investigations often rely on mainstream media for verification, stating, “The news is going to do their job, and then based on what the outlets say… you have to trust that.”

Plamen Dzhelepov, a Machine Learning Engineer at Meta, agreed, “Meta has the right to suppress anything,” acknowledging the company’s political bias by noting, “they’re biased if they do that against the Republicans.” Dzhelepov detailed Meta’s censorship capabilities, confirming they target “crazy conspiracy right-wing people,” actively demoting their opinions.

Michael Zoorob, a Data Scientist at Meta, described the fact-checking process, stating, “the fundamental problem is that… the vast majority of what fact-checkers label as false is shared by conservatives,” admitting that any policy demoting content labeled false by fact-checkers disproportionately affects conservatives.

When addressing misinformation, Dzhelepov explained Meta’s approach: “it’s either censored or it says a [community note] thing, where it says, ‘this is disinformation, it’s probably fake’ under the post,” adding that Meta “actually suppresses certain voices.” Zoorob also recalled how Meta had downranked the Hunter Biden laptop story upon the FBI’s warning, stating, “We just downranked it,” making the post less visible in users’ feeds.”

https://youtu.be/raKq0yKadSk?si=g8EjZPP_iY7VeT4d

Here is my story about my experience with Discover and the disputes I have been going through. Advise our viewers on this type of case situation if any of you run into it. Very time-consuming, stressful, and a total waste of time for me and my staff. I will start with the scenario of what has transpired from day one:

I am Gustan Cho Associates’s branch manager, a dba of NEXA Mortgage, LLC. We are a national mortgage lender licensed in 48 states, including Washington, DC, Puerto Rico, and the United States Virgin Islands. I am the manager of operations, support staff, and loan origination for the Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois, Branch NMLS 2315275 located at 17W662 Butterfield Road, Suite 305, Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois. The Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois, Branch is licensed in 48 states, including DC, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. We are the largest producing branch at NEXA Mortgage in production and have a lot of monthly expenses. I have two different types of credit cards to pay my monthly debts. Under no circumstances do I ever use my personal credit card for business related expenses. I mainly use my Discover credit card for my personal expenses. My personal expenses include anything that is not business related that cannot be written off from my income taxes. If you can review my Discover card statements for the past three years, you can see that only personal expenses such as fuel, groceries, shopping dog food and other merchandise for personal use from AMAZON, personal homeowners insurance. Now Discover is saying that I am responsible for payment even though it was not authorized for concurring charges on my Discover. Anyone had things like this happen? I will update you on the progress.

NEXA Mortgage issues us a corporate credit card from US Bank to pay all our branch expenses about the business. We are only allowed to charge business expenses. Any business expenses is charged to US Bank corporate business credit card. Business expenses includes rent, advertising expenses such as (YLOPO, RAVEN, ZILLOW, GOOGLE LEADS) expenses for leads, marketing, printing, co-marketing expenses with realtor partners, business lunches, travel, licensing, training and education, and any other direct and/or third-party business-related expenses. I have always use any business-related expenses on my corporate US Bank Visa card for business expenses and never my personal credit cards.

Most Americans are aware that many people from different walks of life hate former President Donald Trump. I have never witnessed the hatred people can have against one person. I will try to keep the tone of this post as objective and neutral as possible and base the content on FACTS. I want to compare which candidate is the best leader as President to be the Commander in Chief of the United States. Suppose you can focus on facts and comment on which candidate will be the best President in the best interest of America and the people of the United States so we remain the leader of the free world 🌎. In that case, we can Unite our country and get back to being Americans with one goal in mind: What’s best for our livelihood, the livelihood of our children, the livelihood of our grandchildren, and the livelihood of our future generations? The way our country is divided and the hatred that exists is not healthy. It’s more of a crisis and equivalent of stage 4 cancer. More and more Americans are beginning to speak out and not remain silent. Nobody is above the law. Not Trump, Not Biden, Not Kamala Harris. We don’t have to like or love Trump. However, take a step back and compare Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, and Donald Trump. Who is the best man for the job? Who’s the man who can get us out of the rathole we are in? Who is the man who can get rid of the lying, corrupt, and politically infested system that is destroying America 🇺🇸? Let’s get a thread on your thoughts and opinions on making America a country that the entire World would envy. Let’s brainstorm and become a country of the people. A country of honesty, integrity, pride, honor, and the country helping and caring for people. Let’s decimate corruption, fraud, Treason, and criminals who commit crimes against humanity.

https://youtu.be/IxLRdE5kOkU?si=YIHoVsKn9IXECYaU

https://youtu.be/IxLRdE5kOkU?si=YIHoVsKn9IXECYaU

What credit score model do mortgage lenders use? Is VantageScore so much higher than FICO? Do Mortgage Lenders Check FICO or Vantage? For the majority of lending decisions do most lenders use your FICO score? And which type of FICO score? FICO 2, 4, 8?

How far off is VantageScore from FICO? What FICO or Vantage Score Model does FHA, VA, USDA, FANNIE MAE, FREDDIE MAC, and Non-QM mortgage loans use? What is a good FICO score to get a mortgage?

• This discussion was modified 1 year, 8 months ago by  Gustan Cho.

Good morning, folks. Does anyone know about HUD, FANNIE MAE, and Freddie Mac suspending income-based repayment on FHA and Conventional loans? I heard you can no longer use IBR payments because IBR is getting sued. From my understanding, our borrowers can only use 0.50% of the outstanding student loan payment for debt-to-income ratio calculations. Appreciate any feedback. Seems most wholesale account executives and underwriters do not know about this either. Thank you in advance.

How Does a Credit-builder Loan Work?

A wildfire recently broke out near me in Orange County, and I could see the giant smoke plume from my place in Irvine for several days. It reminded me just how real the threat of wildfires can be here in California. If you’re not from the area, you’ve probably at least seen all the news about wildfires across the state.

While wildfires are something to be mindful of, there are plenty of ways to lower the risks—especially for homes in fire hazard zones. If you’re looking to buy a home, it’s good to understand where these zones are and what steps you can take to keep your property safer. Not all homes are at the same level of risk, but knowing about these zones can help you make more informed decisions.

What Is a Wildfire Zone?

Certain areas in California are marked as “Fire Hazard Severity Zones.” This means the area has a higher chance of wildfires because of things like weather, dry vegetation, and terrain. You might expect these zones to be mostly in rural places, but even some urban neighborhoods are at risk. Knowing if a house is in one of these zones is key.

Important Things to Know as a Homebuyer:

1. Check the Fire Risk: Before you get too excited about a house, find out if it’s in a high-risk wildfire zone. You can check using CAL FIRE’s map or ask your realtor for more information. This will help you understand what extra steps, like special insurance, might be needed.
2. Get the Right Insurance: Not all homeowner’s insurance covers wildfire damage, especially in high-risk areas. You might need to add more coverage to fully protect your home. Also, homes in wildfire zones usually come with higher insurance premiums, so keep that in mind when budgeting.
3. Look for Fire-Resistant Features: Some homes are built using materials that can resist fire, like concrete or metal roofs. When viewing homes in wildfire zones, ask about the building materials and whether the owner has made any upgrades to improve fire safety.
4. Defensible Space Around the Home: One way to help keep a home safe from wildfires is to have “defensible space.” This means keeping the area around the house clear of things like dry brush, dead leaves, or other stuff that can easily catch fire. When you’re checking out homes, see if the current owner has kept up with this—and be ready to do the same if you move in.
5. Community Efforts Matter: Some neighborhoods have strong community efforts to reduce wildfire risks. They might have a fire-safe council, evacuation plans, or firebreaks in place. Living in a community that takes fire prevention seriously can make a big difference in reducing your overall risk.
6. Be Ready for Evacuations: If you buy a home in a wildfire zone, there may be times when you have to evacuate, especially during fire season. It’s a good idea to learn the local evacuation routes and be prepared in case you need to leave quickly. This is especially important if you have pets or kids.

The Bottom Line

Buying a home in a wildfire zone doesn’t have to be a dealbreaker—but you do need to make sure you’re fully informed. Things like having the right insurance, keeping defensible space, and being ready for emergencies can make a big difference in staying safe and protecting your home. Staying aware of the risks and taking precautions can help you feel confident in your home-buying decision.

Have more questions about buying in these areas? Feel free to reach out—I’d be happy to help guide you through the process!

https://chadbushre.com/

Need Insurance on 2004 Redmond 24×80. on slab built new, Lucedale MS.

How long does Commercial Loan Officer training usually take?