This Month in Real Estate January 2016
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You or someone you know looking to buy or sell?
Author Archives: Mark Jacobsen
Refrigerator Maintenance
Refrigerator maintenance can be a simple DIY project that will keep your fridge running like new and can greatly extend the life and efficiency of your unit.
Every year:
- Clean your cooling coils by vacuuming or dusting them. This will most likely require you to remove a grill grate or cover. Refer to your user manual if you need help finding them.
- Replace or clean the water filter if your fridge has an automatic ice maker or water dispenser
- Clean door gaskets with a wet cloth to make sure that the refrigerator is sealing properly. A solid seal will save you money and protect your food from spoilage.
Happy Thanksgiving
I hope you have a very happy Thanksgiving with family, friends, and/or neighbors.
This year I have much to be thankful for, but I am extremely grateful for those of you who have put your faith and trust in me to help you sell or find that home you have or will make many memories in. It’s an honor I don’t take lightly, and for that I give you thanks.
Have a very happy Thanksgiving and Christmas season.
You or someone you know looking to buy or sell?What you need to “know before you owe”
As I blogged about last week, the mortgage process is changing and one of the main changes is that four forms required by the Truth in Lending Act (TILA) and the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA) will be consolidated to 2 forms, the Loan Estimate form and the Closing Disclosure form.
Also, where in the past your HUD1 statement could change on the day of closing, lenders will now be required to provide 3 business days for your review if there are any changed circumstances. Primarily this includes…
- An increase in the APR
- The addition of a prepayment penalty
- A change in the loan product (ex: fixed rate to adjustable rate)
Please contact me with any questions and I will be happy to put you in touch with a trusted mortgage professional.
You or someone you know looking to buy or sell?The Mortgage Process is a-Changin’
Approximately one month from now new rules known as TRID or “Know Before you Owe” will be going into affect that change the way the mortgage process has worked in the past. Whether you’ve bought and sold a number of houses, or have never purchased before here’s a quick outline of some of the new rules…
- The application process begins with a Loan Estimate
- You must indicate your intent to proceed before you are changed any fees
- You must receive your Closing Disclosure at least 3 business days prior to closing
- Changed circumstances may mean a revised Loan Estimate, Closing Disclosure, and an additional 3 days
Over the coming weeks I’ll be blogging a little more in depth about these topics. For now, if you have any questions about buying a home, including the mortgage process, please contact me.
You or someone you know looking to buy or sell?April 2015 Real Estate Market
Nationally:
Projected home sales are up.
Sales prices are up.
30yr fixed mortgage rates are down.
Contact me or login to get detailed local stats.
You or someone you know looking to buy or sell?March 2015 Real Estate Market
Nationally:
Projected home sales are up.
Sales prices are up.
30yr fixed mortgage rates are up.
Locally:
Contact me or login to get detailed local stats.
You or someone you know looking to buy or sell?Lansing Metro Market Update
The Lansing Metro Area market remained slow this week as sales slid 22.0% to land at 209 homes sold over the last 30 days. Ingham County had the most home sales within the area, with 133. The median sales price of all transactions in the Lansing Metro Area did not budge this week, remaining at $113,000. The Lansing Metro Area is a definite buyer’s market, due to a big 10 months of inventory left and aided by the dip in sales.
For full statistics on sales in the Lansing Metro Area, become a FreedomRE Insider.
You or someone you know looking to buy or sell?Mortgage Rate Update
On Tuesday, Lansing Metro Area mortgage rates for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages rose 6 basis points from 3.75% to 3.81%. Rates for 15-year fixed-rate mortgages are up 8 basis points from 3.05% to 3.12%. Mortgage rates for 5/1 ARM loans climbed 2 basis points from 3.42% to 3.43%
MI Mortgage Rates
3.81% 30-Year Fixed
3.12% 15-Year Fixed
3.43% 5/1 ARM
Calculate your month payments with our mortgage calculator.
Note: Rates are averages and vary on a case by case basis.
You or someone you know looking to buy or sell?How to Build a Flagstone Walkway
While the last few weeks tips have been nice indoor projects it’s time to think spring… even if it is a few months off. Here’s a two part video series on building a flagstone walkway by the guys at Simply Rocks out of Snohomish, WA. If you or someone you know locally does outdoor features like these I would love to include them in the Service Professionals directory.
Part 1
Part 2
You or someone you know looking to buy or sell?
