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By Susanne Dwyer

The U.S. Senate recently passed H.R. 3700, the “Housing Opportunity Through Modernization Act,” by unanimous consent. This legislation includes reforms to current Federal Housing Administration restrictions on condominium financing, among other provisions, and is long supported by the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR).

Changes include efforts to make FHA’s recertification process “substantially less burdensome,” while lowering FHA’s current owner-occupancy requirement from 50 percent to 35 percent. The bill also requires FHA to replace existing policy on transfer fees with the less-restrictive model already in place at the Federal Housing Finance Agency.

NAR testified last year in support of the bill, which passed in the House of Representatives 427-0 in February.

Tom Salomone, president of NAR, praised the legislation as a significant step towards eliminating barriers to safe, affordable mortgage credit for condos.

Following is a statement from Salomone:

“Condominiums often represent an affordable option that’s just right for first-time and low-to-moderate income homebuyers. Unfortunately, overly-burdensome restrictions on condo financing have for too long put that option out of reach for many creditworthy borrowers.

“This legislation meets those restrictions head on, putting the dream of homeownership back in reach for more Americans.

“Tight inventory and rising home prices are a reality of today’s market, and mortgage credit is hard to come by. We should take every opportunity to clear the path for well-qualified borrowers to purchase a home when they’re ready, and this legislation does just that.

“Sens. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) and Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) have done tremendous work to see H.R. 3700 move forward, and we’re thankful for their support. REALTORS® made their voices heard as well, reaching out to their Senators and Representatives to remind them of how important this issue is to homeownership.

“We look forward to seeing this legislation signed into law so homebuyers can start seeing some much-needed relief.”

For more information, visit www.realtor.org.

…read more

From:: Finance and Economy

By Susanne Dwyer

The U.S. Senate recently passed H.R. 3700, the “Housing Opportunity Through Modernization Act,” by unanimous consent. This legislation includes reforms to current Federal Housing Administration restrictions on condominium financing, among other provisions, and is long supported by the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR).

Changes include efforts to make FHA’s recertification process “substantially less burdensome,” while lowering FHA’s current owner-occupancy requirement from 50 percent to 35 percent. The bill also requires FHA to replace existing policy on transfer fees with the less-restrictive model already in place at the Federal Housing Finance Agency.

NAR testified last year in support of the bill, which passed in the House of Representatives 427-0 in February.

Tom Salomone, president of NAR, praised the legislation as a significant step towards eliminating barriers to safe, affordable mortgage credit for condos.

Following is a statement from Salomone:

“Condominiums often represent an affordable option that’s just right for first-time and low-to-moderate income homebuyers. Unfortunately, overly-burdensome restrictions on condo financing have for too long put that option out of reach for many creditworthy borrowers.

“This legislation meets those restrictions head on, putting the dream of homeownership back in reach for more Americans.

“Tight inventory and rising home prices are a reality of today’s market, and mortgage credit is hard to come by. We should take every opportunity to clear the path for well-qualified borrowers to purchase a home when they’re ready, and this legislation does just that.

“Sens. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) and Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) have done tremendous work to see H.R. 3700 move forward, and we’re thankful for their support. REALTORS® made their voices heard as well, reaching out to their Senators and Representatives to remind them of how important this issue is to homeownership.

“We look forward to seeing this legislation signed into law so homebuyers can start seeing some much-needed relief.”

For more information, visit www.realtor.org.

…read more

From:: Real Estate News

By Susanne Dwyer

For homebuyers—especially first-time ones—what looms larger and scarier than the prospect of pulling together enough cash for a down payment? A late-stage IRS audit, maybe? A bracing swim in gulper eel–infested waters?

All wrong! The answer is nothing. For more and more Americans, the down payment has become the Everest-size mountain they need to climb to reach their dreams of homeownership—or perhaps freeze to death trying. In these days of rising home prices, it seems harder than ever to pull together that mammoth mound of moolah needed to get yourself into a new place. It can lead to desperation. Will you need to resign yourself to a lifetime of living with your parents, renting cramped apartments, or settling for the boondocks of Alaska (where you might be able to afford your own cabin sans running water)?

Actually, there is something else you can do: Whip out a calculator and start budgeting. That big lump sum you’re stressing over is a lot less intimidating when you break it down into daily payments. We can help!

The thrifty data team at realtor.com® crunched the numbers for America’s 15 largest urban areas to figure out just how much buyers need to save per day to eventually purchase a home of their own. Here’s how we did it:

1. We looked at the median home listing price in May for the country’s 15 biggest metropolitan areas and the average percentage that buyers in those areas put down on a home. Using those figures, we calculated the typical down payment for each of those cities.
2. Next, we figured out how much potential buyers need to save each day toward a down payment, over five- and 10-year timelines, to reach their goal. (We’re making the big assumption that home prices and down payment percentages remain unchanged over that time.)

We know saving is tough. But it’s also necessary—and not just for the initial costs.

“If you haven’t been able to save up enough for a significant down payment, your saving skills may not be up to the task of paying the monthly mortgage, your insurance, your property taxes, maintenance [costs], and what we like to call your emergency fund for emergency repairs,” says Michael Corbett, the TV host of Extra’s “Mansions and Millionaires” and author of “Ready, Set, Sold!” Thanks for the pep talk, Mike!

He recommends aspiring homeowners earmark their tax refunds and annual bonuses for their down payment. They can take a part-time job on the weekends or do a little consulting work to sock away those extra shekels.

“All of this only helps you toward homeownership if you put that money away,” Corbett says. “A lot of people say, ‘I’m not going to go to Starbucks anymore,’ but they don’t take that $5 or $6 per latte and actually save it.” Hey, do you really need to drink 15 of those things a day, anyway? We thought not.

So let’s take a cross-country jaunt and start saving!

1. New York City, N.Y.
Median home price: $413,900
Average down payment: 17.2% ($71,191 on a …read more

From:: Finance and Economy

By Susanne Dwyer

For homebuyers—especially first-time ones—what looms larger and scarier than the prospect of pulling together enough cash for a down payment? A late-stage IRS audit, maybe? A bracing swim in gulper eel–infested waters?

All wrong! The answer is nothing. For more and more Americans, the down payment has become the Everest-size mountain they need to climb to reach their dreams of homeownership—or perhaps freeze to death trying. In these days of rising home prices, it seems harder than ever to pull together that mammoth mound of moolah needed to get yourself into a new place. It can lead to desperation. Will you need to resign yourself to a lifetime of living with your parents, renting cramped apartments, or settling for the boondocks of Alaska (where you might be able to afford your own cabin sans running water)?

Actually, there is something else you can do: Whip out a calculator and start budgeting. That big lump sum you’re stressing over is a lot less intimidating when you break it down into daily payments. We can help!

The thrifty data team at realtor.com® crunched the numbers for America’s 15 largest urban areas to figure out just how much buyers need to save per day to eventually purchase a home of their own. Here’s how we did it:

1. We looked at the median home listing price in May for the country’s 15 biggest metropolitan areas and the average percentage that buyers in those areas put down on a home. Using those figures, we calculated the typical down payment for each of those cities.
2. Next, we figured out how much potential buyers need to save each day toward a down payment, over five- and 10-year timelines, to reach their goal. (We’re making the big assumption that home prices and down payment percentages remain unchanged over that time.)

We know saving is tough. But it’s also necessary—and not just for the initial costs.

“If you haven’t been able to save up enough for a significant down payment, your saving skills may not be up to the task of paying the monthly mortgage, your insurance, your property taxes, maintenance [costs], and what we like to call your emergency fund for emergency repairs,” says Michael Corbett, the TV host of Extra’s “Mansions and Millionaires” and author of “Ready, Set, Sold!” Thanks for the pep talk, Mike!

He recommends aspiring homeowners earmark their tax refunds and annual bonuses for their down payment. They can take a part-time job on the weekends or do a little consulting work to sock away those extra shekels.

“All of this only helps you toward homeownership if you put that money away,” Corbett says. “A lot of people say, ‘I’m not going to go to Starbucks anymore,’ but they don’t take that $5 or $6 per latte and actually save it.” Hey, do you really need to drink 15 of those things a day, anyway? We thought not.

So let’s take a cross-country jaunt and start saving!

1. New York City, N.Y.
Median home price: $413,900
Average down payment: 17.2% ($71,191 on a …read more

From:: Real Estate News

A federal judge tossed out part of a lawsuit that challenged the makeup, leadership structure and authority of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, finding that the Obama Administration was within its allowable rights when it named Richard Cordray as the CFPB’s director while Congress was in recess. …read more

From:: Real Estate Wire

The Senate just unanimously passed a bill to help solve the affordability crisis. The bill passed by a unanimous vote in the House back in February, and now just awaits a signature to become law. The National Association of Realtors lobbied heavy for the reform and says the new condo legislation will provide home buyers with a more affordable option. …read more

From:: Real Estate Wire