Mortgage Market Minute: May 2011

Q: What are some of the most common repairs required for FHA financing?

A: Utilities such as electricity, water, and gas (propane) must be on. All systems must be tested and functioning. ...A: Pool/Spa must be filled with clean water and filter must be functional. (No Green Pools/Spas). A: Paint correct chipping or peeling paint (pre- 1978). No bare wood (Must be sealed-painted or sealed). A: Water Heaters: Turned on and functioning, adequate gas exhaust ventilation, seismic straps properly installed, pressure relief value installed, ¾” copper PRV overflow pipe properly installed. A: Electrical Wiring needs to be adequate and not exposed. A: Plumbing; adequate hot water and adequate water flow in all faucets and toilets. A: Heating and cooling units must be in place and in proper working order. A: Smoke alarms must be installed and in working condition. A: Garage door opener (if there is one, it must be working and properly adjusted.)
Helpful Appraisal Tips for Realtors
share
I asked Valerie Mattson, who heads the Appraisal Management Company (AMC) for Mountain West Financial and sees hundreds of appraisals a month, a few questions that would help Realtors with comparable sales with regard to residenti… al lending: Q… more
Southern California’s Housing Market - Buyers Paying Cash for Homes
share
Buyers paying cash accounted for 31. 2 percent of April home sales. Last month’s cash buyer level was the same as in March but up from 28. 6 percent a year ago. Cash purchases hit a high of 32. 3 percent of all sales this February, while the 10-year… more
Purchasing a Well-priced Vacation Property Could Prove to be a Good…
share
Vacation properties are so affordable right now, in part, because these empty units, quiet neighborhoods, and buildings in need of a little TLC have impacted property values. It may, however, be realistic to surmise that as the economy recovers and… more
Rising Food Costs and Savings Tips: Supermarket Guru Phil Lempert…
share
more
Home Sellers Become Lenders
share
Financing provided by home sellers, popular in the 1980s when mortgage rates reached 18 percent, is making a comeback in markets that have been hit hard by foreclosures and where tightening lending standards and years of economic distress have… more
Gas Prices Expected to Drop 50 Cents by Summer
share
This past week, a confluence of factors stemmed the rise in gasoline prices. Oil tumbled 15 percent in price. Investors who were worried about rising oil supplies and falling gasoline demand in the United States helped drive down the price. Oil… more
Economy adds jobs for a third straight month
share
The American economy created a healthy batch of new jobs in April for the third straight month. The Labor Department said Friday that employers last month added 244, 000 new net jobs across a broad spectrum of industries. That was similar to the… more