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COVID-19 Mortgage Market Update from Laith Daik

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Like almost all industries, COVID-19 has had an adverse effect on the mortgage industry.  The changes have been happening daily and at a rapid pace.  The changes include new processes, procedures, and verification’s required.  Some of the major changes have included the appraisal required in some circumstances has been changed to allow an exterior only inspection or a desk review.  There are additional verification’s required to confirm the borrower is gainfully employed.  The verification’s apply to both W2 wage earners and self-employed individuals.  The federal stimulus has both helped and hurt the mortgage business.  The Federal government is working closely with industry leaders to help resolve unintended consequences resulting from the stimulus.  Many mortgage companies have tightened credit standards making it more difficult to qualify for a mortgage loan.  Just this week, Chase Bank one of the largest originators and servicers of mortgage loans implemented an underwriting overlay requiring a minimum credit score of 700 and minimum down payment of 20%.  We are hopeful that the market settles and we can start focusing exclusively on assisting our customers.

Our team at Texas Loan Star has been working tirelessly to adapt new processes and procedures with goal of continuing to serve our customers and business partners- realtors, bankers, builders, financial planners, and CPA’s to name a few.  Thankfully, all loan products that Texas Loan Star provides are still available at this time. Conventional, FHA, VA, Jumbo, Portfolio, Renovation, Refinance, Cash-Out and Construction loans. Rates are still at an all-time low.  Our average close time for purchases is 30 days and for refinances are averaging 45 days.  Lending requirements are changing daily but we are keeping up and informing our borrowers so they are aware and have clear expectations.  We are anticipating low rates for the foreseeable future which should help keep buyers in the market. If anyone has other questions, don’t hesitate to reach out. We are all in this together! We are #YourHomeTeam.

Laith Daik

President of Texas Loan Star

Laith@texasloanstar.com

713-802-0606

4 Tips to Help Sell Your Home Fast!

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Some for-sale homes sell quickly. Others languish on the market for weeks or even months. If you need to move in a hurry, you might wonder how to see your home fast. Here are four tips on how to sell your home fast:

  • Price to Sell

The surest way to sell your home quickly is to set an asking price that’s low enough to make your home attractive to buyers, but not so low that the price looks like a deceptive and deliberate ploy. If your asking price is reasonable, you should get multiple bids, which usually will settle around your homes true market value. Price too high and buyers will stay away, leaving you with a stale listing, slow selling home and multiple price reductions.

Always use recent sale prices of comparable homes, called “comps” to set your asking price because buyers will use this data to make their offers. Buyers don’t care home much you paid to buy your home, how much you owe on your mortgage, how much your home was worth during the last housing boom, how much you’ve spent to maintain and improve your home, or how much you need to buy your next home.

  • Clean, Declutter and Depersonalize

Buyers want to imagine themselves moving in and living in your home as if it were theirs. If your home is full of your stuff, buyers don’t have the space, mentally or physically, to imagine where they’ll put their own furniture and belongings. Make that space for them by removing anything of yours that might be a distraction, and clean, clean, clean your home so buyers’ wont picture themselves scrubbing up your mess after the home becomes theirs

  • Paint and Stage

If you have a little money to spencer and a week or so to prepare your home, the best investments your can make are a fresh coat of paint, inside and out, and a professional stager who will arrange your furnishings and home accessories to show your home in a way that will appeal to as many buyers as possible. Stagers also can bring in neutral looking artwork, artificial plants, accent tables, linens, throw pillows and other items to make your home look nicer than other homes on the market. Other good investments are professional carpet cleaning, fresh grout for bathroom and kitchen tiles, and colorful flowers planted in front of your home.

  • Work with your Realtor (The most important one)

Some homeowners are tempted to try to sell their home by themselves as a for-sale-by-owner, or FSBO. Few do so successfully. Work with your Realtor to come up with a marketing plan designed to sell your home fast. Explain that you have a short time frame and need quick results, and ask how soon you can expect to receive offers and close your sale. Your Realtor can help you price your home, make required disclosures to buyers, respond quickly to buyers’ agents, show your home buyers and negotiate a price, terms and closing date that fit your needs. Be honest about your home’s condition in online photos (or work to improve the look), so buyers won’t be disappointed when they see your home in person.

By using these four tips, your home has a better chance at selling fast!

Conditional Approval vs. Pre-Approval?

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What you inquire about qualifying for a home loan, you’ll likely hear the term “conditionally approved” but might not be sure what that means or how it differs from a pre-approval. A conditionally approved loan is closer to closing than a pre-approved one but it comes with a few conditions, usually concerning documentation and income, that must be met before a client can be pre-approved to close.

A conditional approval occurs once the client has provided the necessary documentation to get their loan set up, such as supplying the following documentation:

  • Employment and income verification
  • Pay stubs
  • Tax returns
  • Bank statements
  • Debt obligations (credit cards/other loans)
  • Utility bills
  • Asset statements

All this information is required before the loan is completely approved.

Conditional Approval vs. Pre-Approval

People often confuse conditional approval and pre-approval when talking about mortgages. Loans are pre-approved by a lender who has reviewed your income and credit information. Your information must be verified and approved before a final decision can be made.

The pre-approval is based on what the client tells the banker and their credit report information. Conditional approval differs from pre-approval in that the loan may not have been reviewed by an underwriter when pre-approved. After your information is reviewed, you’ll receive a pre-approval letter stating your eligibility for a loan up to a specified amount.

Conditional approval comes after pre-approval and involves going a little deeper. An underwriter conducts a strict documentation review before your loan is conditionally approved. This documentation is reviewed by an underwriter, and provided the client’s information matches up with what was initially stated to the mortgage lender, they are conditionally approved. This means the loan is moving forward, but there are or may be additional conditions that will need to be met in order to finalize and close the loan. If the conditions aren’t met, the client might not be able to close on the loan.

Conditions on a Conditional Approval

There are a few common conditions attached to a conditional home loan approval. Additional documentation, such as pay stubs, paperwork for business income and tax documentation, is often required for final approval. This might also include written verification of employment from your employer or additional asset statements, depending on what’s needed for your loan.

Conditional approval can also require purchase agreement addendums. Title verification, an appraisal, an inspection and home owners insurance are usually needed to verify the market price of the home, the loan-to-value ratio and other details. This can also include confirmation that there are no unexpected liens or judgements on the home.

Denial of a Conditionally Approved Loan

Clients with a conditional approval for a home loan are at risk for denial if they fail to meet any of the conditions laid out by the lender.

Here are a few reasons why a client might be denied:

  • The underwriter is unable to verify the data provided by the client
  • The home the client is trying to purchase has an unexpected lien.
  • The client has a judgment on their record
  • The home inspection or property appraisal came in with unexpected issues
  • The client experienced a decrease in income
  • The client had negative entries on their credit report

Call us today for more information or if you want to start the process to get pre-approved!

How to Negotiate the Best Price on a Home (With Your Realtor)

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It takes a keen understanding of the home buying process to be good at negotiating. Be sure you have it down before you make any offers on homes. Especially, with the market heating up for Summer. Or better yet, rely on your real estate agent to do the negotiating for you, but you should always be part of the process. Realtors are professionals in the housing market and have the best tools for you to use when looking for a new home. Here are some tools and information the best negotiators use:

CMAs – Comparable Market Analysis

Once you’ve found a home you want to buy, the first step in negotiation is to assess the fair value. CMAs show what similar properties in the area have sold for. Your real state agent will have access to CMAs and can share them with you.

Generally, CMAs list houses in a particular location that are currently on the market, have sales pending, have expired from the market, or have sold. It is the “sold” properties you need to look at because the list price and the offer aren’t necessarily the best indicators of what the house will sell for. There can be a big discrepancy between those two figures.

The CMA often gives you general information about the houses being compared: number of bedrooms and baths, square footage, the listing price and the sold price. Make sure you focus on houses similar to the one you’ve selected – both in description and location. The more recent the data, the better.

Condition

Once you have the CMA, drive by all of the properties listed in the sold column. Condition has a lot to do with the ultimate selling prices of a house. Does the home in which you’re interested shine above or fall below those sold? Make a realistic comparison of condition and discuss with your realtor, then adjust your thinking up or down according to what you see.

Extra Amenities

Does the house you’ve chosen have more or fewer amenities than comparable homes? Although amenities won’t affect the value as much as location or overall condition, they can be a factor. Be wary, though. An outdoor hot tub, for example, may have been a major motivating factor in your choice of a house, but it won’t add much to the value of the property when you resell.

Motivation

A good negotiator gathers as much information as possible on the house and the sellers. The owner’s reason for selling is at the top of the list. Does he or she have to sell? Want to sell? Just throwing in on the market at a high price to see if it’ll move? If your agent representing you in the transaction is a buyer’s agent, they can try to secure this information for you. If you’re working with an agent representing the seller, they typically can’t disclose this information without the seller’s consent.

Preparation

Great negotiators always prepare themselves. The most important factor is your frame of mind. Never let emotions override common sense during negotiations. Set a realistic limit and stick to it. If the price isn’t to your liking or is outside your budget, you must always be willing to walk away. In addition to your emotional frame of mind, your finances should be in order. An offer carries more weight if there are no dangling financial problems and if you’re pre-approved for a mortgage.

Realism

Make a realistic offer. Nothing offends a seller more than a low-ball offer on a house that is fairly priced. Often, negotiations will stop, rarely to be revived again.

Call us today to get pre-qualified so you are prepared to negotiate on a home!