Florida Takes Top Foreclosure Slot For September 2012

Foreclosure volume continues to slip.

According to foreclosure-tracking firm RealtyTrac, in September, the number of foreclosure filings nationwide fell 7 percent from the month prior, and fell 16 percent from September 2011.

RealtyTrac defines a "foreclosure filing" as any of the following foreclosure-related events : (1) A default notice on a home; (2) A scheduled auction for a home; or, (3) A bank repossession of a home.

September's 180,427 foreclosure filings mark the lowest monthly total in more than 5 years. It's a signal that the U.S. housing market is in recovery, while also reflecting the success with which banks and homeowners have found alternatives to the foreclosure process, including the short sale.

Based on data from the National Association of REALTORS®, short sales now account for 45 percent of "distressed" home sales nationwide/ As recently as April, the percentage of short sales was just 39 percent.

Other noteworthy statistics from the September 2012 foreclosure report include :

• Default Notices fell 12% between August and September 2012
• In Q3 2012, quarterly foreclosure filings fell for the 9th straight quarter 
• The average time to foreclose on a home rose to 382 days nationwide, the highest since early-2007

In addition, in September, Florida posted the top foreclosure rate nationwide for the first time since April 2005.

Foreclosure starts moved higher in the Sunshine State for the 11th straight month and bank repossessions are now up 23 percent as compared to September 2011. 1 in every 318 Florida homes received some form of foreclosure filing last month.

The national average was 1 in 730.

Whether you're a first-time home buyer or an experienced one, homes in various stages of foreclosure have allure. They tend to be sold cheaply as compared to non-distressed properties, for example. However, buyers should look beyond just the "list price". Foreclosed homes are often sold as-is which means that homes may be defective and uninhabitable.

This would render the home un-lendable, too, for buyers using bank financing.

If you plan to buy a foreclosed property in Plymouth , therefore, be sure to engage an experienced real estate professional. The internet can teach about "how to buy a home", but when it comes to writing contracts and inspecting homes for defects, you'll want to have an experienced agent on your side.

Tips To Close Your Home Loan Faster, With Fewer Hassles

With mortgage rates at all-time lows, purchase and refinance activity is climbing.

Home sales are at their highest levels since May 2010 as home buyers take advantage of favorable economic conditions. Home prices are low, household income is rising, and rents are up in many U.S. cities.

Low rates have stoked mortgage refinance applications throughout Minnesota , too.

Last week, with 30-year fixed rate mortgage rates slipping to 3.36% nationwide, on average, more U.S. homeowners were in search of a refinance than during any one-week period since April 2009.

With loan volume high, banks are nearing their respective capacities for underwriting and approving home loans. As a mortgage applicant, therefore, you'll want to make sure that you're taking whatever steps necessary to ensure that your home loan closes on-time, and without hassle.

You most important responsibility? Be responsive to your lender.

When asked for paperwork and/or supporting documentation, providing a 24-hour turnaround can keep your loan "top of mind" with your underwriter. This is important because underwriters are people and, sometimes, people "forget". The fewer times that an underwriter has to "relearn" your file and its nuances, the better your chances for a speedy approval.

A secondary benefit to being responsive to your lender is that you'll be less likely to miss your rate lock deadline which, too often, is a costly proposition for a borrower. Even if the mortgage market has improved since your original lock date, your lender may assess rate-lock extension fees equal to up to one-half percent of your loan size.

Other tips to ensure an on-time closing include :

1. Disclose everything upfront. Your lender will find out anyway, so don't under-disclose important facts.
2. Be accessible. Your lender will often want to contact you by phone or email. Don't lose days playing "phone tag".
3. When required, schedule your appraisal for as soon as possible. It's easy to lose days to this part of the process.

And, lastly, don't challenge an underwriter's request for "more paperwork". Lenders want to see as little paper as possible. They don't ask for information that's not required to approve your loan.

Mortgage volume is expected to remain high through the end of 2012 and into 2013. Follow these steps to help close your loan on time, and with few headaches. 

103 Metro Areas On The "Improving" U.S. Markets List

It's not just the housing market that's improving nationwide -- it's the economy overall.

The number of U.S. metropolitan areas showing "measurable and sustained growth" climbed to 103 this month. The data is measured by the Improving Markets Index, a monthly metric from the National Association of Homebuilders.

The Improving Market Index is meant to identify which U.S. markets are experiencing broad economic growth -- not just growth in terms of housing.

The index's conclusions are based on three data series -- each collected separately; each from a different division of the U.S. government; and, each tied to specific local economic conditions.

Those three data series are :

1. Employment Statistics (from the Bureau of Labor Statistics)
2. Home Price Growth (from Freddie Mac)
3. Single-Family Housing Growth (from the Census Bureau)

After collating the data, the National Association of Homebuilders evaluates the reports as a group for each specific major metropolitan area.

A metropolitan area can be cited as "improving" only if the following two conditions are met. One, all three data series show expansion and/or growth as compared to 30 days prior; and, two, none of the data series have "bottomed" within the last six months.

As a result of its methodology, the Improving Market Index specifically passes over short-term growth bursts in a market, isolating for areas with long-term, sustainable growth instead.

Furthermore, "improving" cities may be more apt to outperform other U.S. cities in the months and years ahead, rendering them ideal for relocating buyers from Maple Grove in search of long-term employment and income opportunities, as well as real estate investors in want of healthy, stable markets.

33 states are represented in the October Improving Market Index, plus the District of Columbia. 11 new areas were added to the list as compared to September and just 7 dropped off.

The newly-added areas include State College, Pennsylvania and Raleigh, North Carolina. Cities falling off the list for October include Lakeland, Florida.

The complete Improving Markets Index is available for download at the NAHB website.

What's Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week : October 9, 2012

Mortgage markets worsened last week for the first time in a month as the U.S. economy showed signs of improvement, and the Eurozone stepped closer to launching its $500 billion euro rescue fund.

Conforming mortgage rates in Minnesota rose last week on the whole -- even though Freddie Mac's Primary Mortgage Market Survey proclaimed that they fell. 

This occurred because Freddie Mac's weekly mortgage rate survey is conducted between Monday and Tuesday each week and, last week, mortgage rates were lower when the week began. Through Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, however, they rose.

According to the Freddie Mac survey, the average 30-year fixed rate mortgage slipped to 3.36 percent nationwide last week, while the 15-year fixed rate mortgage fell to 2.69 percent. Both rates required 0.6 discount points and both marked all-time lows.

As this week begins, to gain access to the same 3.36% and 2.69% mortgage rates from last week, Maple Grove mortgage applicants should expect to pay more closing costs and/or higher discount points.

Improving U.S. employment data is partially to blame.

Friday morning, the Bureau of Labor Statistics released its September Non-Farm Payrolls report. More commonly called "the jobs report", the monthly issuance details changes in U.S. employment by sector and reports on the national Unemployment Rate.

In September, accounting for upward revisions to data from July and August, 200,000 net new jobs were created -- far exceeding Wall Street's estimates for 120,000 net new jobs created. Furthermore, the Unemployment Rate unexpectedly dropped to 7.8%.

Jobs are considered a keystone in the U.S. economic recovery. As a result, when the jobs numbers hit Friday, mortgage rates worsened, building on momentum built earlier in the week as Greece moved steps closer to accepting aid from the Eurozone.

In general, since 2010, weakness in the Eurozone has helped push U.S. mortgage rates lower. As Europe regains its footing, therefore, domestic mortgage rates are expected to rise.

This week, in a holiday-shortened week, there will be little new data to move mortgage rates. The Federal Reserve's Beige Book is released Wednesday and some key inflation data is due for Friday release. Beyond that, mortgage rates will continue to take cues from the Eurozone.

Mortgage rates remain near all-time lows.