According to the NewsOK, the benchmark 30-year mortgage rate is at a new low for the year, reaching its lowest level since November 2016. That is good news for home buyers in central Oklahoma! Our economy has been improving and home inventory is stable, so these low rates mean it is a great time to pull the trigger on a home purchase. Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday the rate on 30-year fixed-rate mortgages dropped to 3.86 percent last week. It was the fourth straight weekly decline. In addition, the rate on 15-year fixed rate mortgages was down to 3.16 percent. If you have been … Continue reading...
Freddie Mac no longer offering low down payment loans
According to a story on NewsOK, home loan investor Freddie Mac recently announced they are no purchasing mortgages that require extremely low down payments. In the past, lenders could offer loan with zero or one percent down payments, and then "gift" the remaining down payment to the buyer. This "gift" was actually not a gift at all - the lender would charge a higher interest rate to the buyer, inflating the cost of the loan to cover this "gift" and then some. Freddie Mac was worried that this led buyers to pay higher rates without understanding actually what they were getting or paying for. … Continue reading...