One of my Favorite Spots in Upper Arlington
I wish this area had a name because it’s One of my Favorite Spots in Upper Arlington. Minutes from Ohio State University and the Scioto River on Lane avenue is Hudson 29 Kitchen+Drink, The Lane, Whole Foods Market, and The Shops On Lane Ave: a wide array of restaurants and retail including Rusty Bucket, The Wine Bistro, Bruegger’s Bagels and more.
New research from TD Bank® reveals that millennials are more conservative with their money than their youth would suggest. In fact, nearly two-thirds are saving cash in order to buy their first home. Millennials Are Now the Largest Generation in the Housing Market.
Nearly three-quarters of millennials (74 percent) say that saving for a down payment still represents the most significant hurdle to achieving the American dream, according to TD Bank’s second annual First-Time Home Buyer Pulse, which polled more than 1,000 Americans looking to purchase a first home within the next five years.
“It’s encouraging to see millennials thoughtfully prepare to enter the housing market,” said Scott Haymore, Head of Pricing and Secondary Markets at TD Bank. “With today’s affordability programs, owning a home doesn’t have to be a dream, it can be a reality.”
Millennials have their Home Buying Priorities Straight
Low Mortgages Rates Triumph over Monthly Budgets
“The costs of running a household can be a shock to new home owners,” Haymore said. “Monthly expenses for utilities, homeowner’s association fees, cable and internet, can add up quickly. Factoring these in at the beginning of the mortgage process can help borrowers assess their overall budget and determine a realistic monthly mortgage payment.”
Clearing the Down Payment Hurdle
“For many consumers, a 20 percent down payment is a major barrier to homeownership,” Haymore said. “It’s often difficult to save this much cash, especially for young adults saddled with substantial student loan debt. First-time buyers are shopping for low-down payment mortgage programs, which allow buyers to put as little as 3 percent down.”
Additional highlights from TD Bank’s second annual First-Time Homebuyer Pulse are available at https://mediaroom.tdbank.com/homebuyerpulse2016. ..
Low- to moderate-income homebuyers will get a boost in 2017, with the FHA to Cut Premium Mortgage Insurance (PMI) Starting This Year.
The move “will mean a whole lot more responsible borrowers are suddenly eligible to purchase a home through FHA,” said National Association of Realtors President William E. Brown in a statement.
The FHA will reduce the annual mortgage insurance premium most FHA borrowers pay by a quarter of a percentage point starting January 27. Annual premiums will drop to 0.6 percent from 0.85 percent, according to NAR.
“Every time we cut the cost of mortgage insurance it means more borrowers meet the debt-to-income ratio required to purchase a home,” said Brown, explaining why the move should lead more aspiring homebuyers to pull the trigger.
The rate cut means new borrowers who take out mortgages insured by the FHA will save an average of $500 this year, according to HUD.
The action “comes at the right time for consumers who are facing higher credit costs as mortgage interest rates are increasing,” according to Julián Castro, the U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary, which oversees the FHA.
The FHA makes it possible for banks to lend to borrowers who might not qualify for conventional mortgages, serving as a wellspring of credit for those buyers.
FHA borrowers pay both an insurance premium to the FHA and higher interest rates in return for a mortgage that requires as little as a 3.5 percent down payment.
“FHA mortgage products exist to serve an important mission: providing homeownership opportunities to creditworthy borrowers who are overlooked by conventional lenders,” said NAR President William E. Brown in a statement.
“The high cost of mortgage insurance has unfortunately put those opportunities out of reach for many young, first-time- and lower-income borrowers. Now, we have a real opportunity to get back on track.”
“After four straight years of growth and with sufficient reserves on hand to meet future claims, it’s time for FHA to pass along some modest savings to working families,” Castro said in a statement. FHA to Cut Premium Mortgage Insurance (PMI) Starting This Year
“This is a fiscally responsible measure to price our mortgage insurance in a way that protects our insurance fund while preserving the dream of homeownership for credit-qualified borrowers.”
According to Guy Cecala, CEO and publisher of Inside Mortgage Finance, FHA’s share of the home purchase market in first three quarters of 2016 was 16.6 percent.
“That was way down from the 33.8 percent market share seen as recently as 2010, but up from the 13.5 percent share seen right before FHA first lowered its annual MIP in early 2015,” Cecala told Inman via email. FHA to Cut Premium Mortgage Insurance (PMI) Starting This Year
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