By all indicators, it’s pretty clear that the Fed will raise rates a few more times this year. Predictions are that the mortgage rate for a 30-year fixed rate loan may hit 5%. That seems like a pretty big jump from not too long ago. We know the effects that rising rates have on the refinance marker but what about…
Over the past three years, the first-time homebuyer market has increased 40% or 588,000 loans. Now, that’s a lotta loans! In 2017, first-time buyers bought 2.07 million new or existing homes, an increase of 129,000, or 7%, from 2016. During that same period, the number of first-time buyers using PMI increased by 93,000 loans. In the fourth quarter of 2017…
With just about everything today going digital, is it time for consumers to carry a digital identity? A standardized digital identity is an electronically verified set of attributes that uniquely describe a person. Those pushing it say it can improve, simplify, and accelerate identity-dependent transactions, including, but not limited to, buying or renting a home. Are we ready for such…
According to Fannie Mae’s recent economic and housing outlook, rates will be rising. But, so will homes sales. Fannie expects strong economic growth from the recent tax cuts and other stimuli in the new budget. Although rates are forecasted to rise above 4%, these should not negatively affect home sales. In fact, it should help. The increase in household disposable…
A few months ago, we learned the one of the nation’s three credit repositories, Equifax, had been hacked. This provided the cyber thieves with valuable personal information on about 145 million consumers. Now, we learn more. According to report from Senator Elizabeth Warren, (D/MA) the thieves not only accessed the personal data of these consumers in Equifax’s database, they actually…
Spring may not yet be here. But, Spring Training has once again begun in baseball. Hope springs eternal. Each year major league baseball teams across the country travel to designated sites to get ready for the new season, with their eyes on winning the World Series. Professional players who have dedicated their lives to one thing, playing baseball, go back…
