Loan Options

First-Time Homebuyer Advantages in Today’s Market

What does a first time home buyer today have that they haven't had for the last two years and might not have next year? The benefits of being a first-time homebuyer in today's real estate market are PLENTIFUL. In this episode I talk about some first-time homebuyer loan programs and opportunities to take advantage of... including getting a lower interest rate! Buyers today can still get a great deal!
Let's go through the loan programs first, then the opportunities.
Veterans you have by far, the best loan program on the planet, the VA loan with zero down the low interest rates. No mortgage insurance is by far the most stellar opportunity to get into a home. If you are a veteran, you should be exercising that option right now because you haven't had it for the last two years because it was so intense.
The USDA is the way for the non-veteran to get in with zero money down. Now, you're going to have an upfront fee, but the monthly mortgage insurance is lower than any other program. So the USDA loan is a fabulous program to bring families out to rural areas to buy single family homes with no money down.
Down Payment Assistance. This is a tool that has been underutilized for the last several years, and the reason why is because sellers weren't accepting it. They didn't have to. Buyers were coming in with cash or 20%, 30%, 50% down. Sellers were looking for conventional or a cash buyer with more money. Down. Down payment assistance is for those home buyers looking to expand their opportunity to financial wealth and health through real estate. It is an opportunity to get in when you might not otherwise do so. Now, I will say with a word of caution, if you are using a down payment assistance program and putting no money down or the USDA or the VA, and we see slight pullback still on our home values when you buy a home, it could be that the value of that home goes down slightly before it picks back up again. You can buy a two, three, or four unit property as long as you're going to live in one of the units with as little as 5% down if your income is less than 80% of the area median income. 
A Freddie Mac loan. In the Denver market, it got very hard to qualify based on the income requirement, the 80%. So we would look for those underserved areas and we would purchase multi units in those areas. Well, Freddie Mac did away with focusing on or excluding those areas from the income requirements, and they just said, You have to fall within the income requirements.
 
To hear the rest of the options and opportunities, listen to this episode of The Double Comma Club, "First-Time Homebuyer Advantages in Today's Market."

Reverse Mortgages Used as a Smart Financial Strategy - not the loan of last resort from the past

So how old do I have to be, to take advantage of a reverse mortgage? Generally speaking, we say 62 years old because the FHA product, which is the most commonly used program today requires one of the homeowners to be 62. However, we also have non-FHA programs that will allow clients as young as 55 years old to get into a reverse mortgage. Nicole asked Gabe Bodner, Retirement Mortgage Specialist on The Rueth Team, "What's the biggest benefit to a homeowner to want to look into this further? And, what is the advantage to me and why should I look into this right now? If I'm 55 to 65 years old?"
I think that we're finally starting to see the transition and the mentality shift between our realtor partners and our financial advisor partners, where they're starting to see that, WOW!, this is such a powerful tool that it shouldn't be utilized and viewed as if I'm running out of money. Then I should look at doing a reverse mortgage. It is now being viewed as a smart financial strategy where we're seeing clients with millions of dollars of assets under management, look at doing a reverse mortgage because of the tax benefits. It is no longer the loan of last resort. This is a smart cash flow tool for anybody looking at tapping into their home equity to preserve their assets under management.
Tune in to this 9-minute episode to learn more.

Gaining the Upper Hand to Be the Winning Offer

In a hot seller's real estate market, buyers need an upper hand! I know it's frustrating seeing interest rates and home prices on the rise, but The Rueth Team has a TON of strategies in place to help buyer's offers stand out, grant seller security, and get everyone to the closing table on time and happy.
From TBD Underwriting, Fairway Cash Guarantee, up to $15,000 Earnest Money Guarantee, 8-10 Day Closings, AND MORE, we've got the stuff that will help you make homeownership a reality!
Listen to this 6-minute episode, "Gaining the Upper Hand to Be the Winning Offer", for quick tips.

What are mortgage points?

What are mortgage points? Is it worth it to buy down your mortgage rate using mortgage points? How long will it take to earn your money back if you buy your rate down?
Mortgage points are essentially a way for you to buy down your market interest rate by paying more money upfront. This can help with cash flow and even help you afford more home and a bigger loan. While this sounds great, you shouldn't assume that buying down your rate using loan discount points is the best decision for your financial future.
You need to know what fits your immediate situation, and your near future plans, as well as longer-term investment plans. Just buying the rate down may not be the most logical.