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Rising down payments and loan costs will hinder a housing recovery

By golfplan18   Follow   Tue, 20 Nov 2012, 6:46am   1,213 views   24 comments
In Irvine CA 92620   Watch (0)   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like (2)   Dislike  

http://ochousingnews.com/news/rising-down-payments-and-loan-costs-will-hinder-a-housing-recovery?source=Patrick.net

Besides credit qualification barriers due to low FICO scores, there are two barriers to originating more loans and selling more houses to owner occupants: (1) insufficient down payment, and (2) increasing loan costs. The FHA still originates loans at 3.5% down, and the credit barriers are limited, despite realtor pleas and rhetoric to the contrary. However, since the FHA is losing a great deal of money and facing a bailout, they are continually raising their insurance fees as they become the replacement for subprime lending. These increasing costs are making houses less affordable and thereby reducing access to credit. As...

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1. BobMSN Follow Befriend 3 threads 98 comments

   1   7:01am Tue 20 Nov 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like (3)   Dislike   It is a crime to provide mortgage to someone with 3.5% down. What’s wrong with renting if one can’t even afford 20% down payment? With 3.5% down, you don’t have the house, but a slave certificate.

2. Oil Can Follow Befriend 21 threads 131 comments Oil Can's website

   2   7:32am Tue 20 Nov 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   BobMSN says It is a crime to provide mortgage to someone with 3.5% down. What’s wrong with renting if one can’t even afford 20% down payment? With 3.5% down, you don’t have the house, but a slave certificate. 100% agree.

3. dodgerfanjohn Follow Befriend 19 threads 644 comments Los Angeles, CA

   3   8:25am Tue 20 Nov 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like (1)   Dislike   I'm going to go one further...... Lots of the nation features homes in the $60-150K range. Family incomes in these areas often average $35-50K. Theoretically these homes are in fact affordable by traditional measures to households in these income ranges. However, any savings over a few thousand dollars is very difficult to achieve. But a mortgage, even with only 3.5% down, is very affordable...cheaper than renting in these areas. Furthermore, if one household member loses their job, its easier to replace a low wage job. And the impact of losing a $12 an hour factory job and replacing it with an $8 Walmart job won't cause the family to miss a mortage payment. So the deal is, cap off FHA loans around $125-150K. No fucking FHA loans for rich people with six figure incomes buying $400K homes. Yes yes? Also, please no input from realtors. Do the decently moral thing for once and sew your piehole shut. Let the adults discuss this one.

4. Goran_K Follow Befriend (4) 26 threads 1,566 comments Laguna Beach, CA Premium

   4   8:53am Tue 20 Nov 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   Protected   FHA once it's restructured should have a limit of no more than $250,000.

5. Kevin Follow Befriend 40 threads 2,652 comments

   5   9:28am Tue 20 Nov 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   dodgerfanjohn says I'm going to go one further...... Lots of the nation features homes in the $60-150K range. Family incomes in these areas often average $35-50K. Theoretically these homes are in fact affordable by traditional measures to households in these income ranges. However, any savings over a few thousand dollars is very difficult to achieve. But a mortgage, even with only 3.5% down, is very affordable...cheaper than renting in these areas. Furthermore, if one household member loses their job, its easier to replace a low wage job. And the impact of losing a $12 an hour factory job and replacing it with an $8 Walmart job won't cause the family to miss a mortage payment. So the deal is, cap off FHA loans around $125-150K. No fucking FHA loans for rich people with six figure incomes buying $400K homes. Yes yes? Also, please no input from realtors. Do the decently moral thing for once and sew your piehole shut. Let the adults discuss this one. $417k (current FHA limit) is barely enough to buy a condo in some cities. One limit for the whole country us a very bad idea. But yes, there is no excuse for allowing 3.5% on a $400k house in the Midwest.

6. dodgerfanjohn Follow Befriend 19 threads 644 comments Los Angeles, CA

   6   9:31am Tue 20 Nov 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   Goran_K says FHA once it's restructured should have a limit of no more than $250,000. I have a problem with an FHA limit even this high. It really should not be any higher than 3x the average household income for the state. That is, a loan package that makes an average home affordable to the average family(if FHA 3.5% should even exist at all).

7. dodgerfanjohn Follow Befriend 19 threads 644 comments Los Angeles, CA

   7   9:33am Tue 20 Nov 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   Kevin says $417k (current FHA limit) is barely enough to buy a condo in some cities. One limit for the whole country us a very bad idea. FHA isn't meant to be for high income people. An area being in a bubble or being manipulated by local culture and shyster realtors is irrelevant to how high a FHA 3.5% down loan should be. See my comment about about average household income for what the variation should be.

8. StillLooking Follow Befriend 27 threads 233 comments Skokie, IL

   8   9:41am Tue 20 Nov 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like (1)   Dislike   All FHA does is raise the price of housing. So the best idea is just to close this agency. What if there was an agency of government whose sole purpose was to raise the price of bread? Well maybe there is such an agency but it is bad idea nonetheless. How does it help lower incomes to pay higher prices for houses?

9. SFace Follow Befriend (2) 61 threads 1,335 comments Premium

   9   9:46am Tue 20 Nov 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   Protected   StillLooking says How does it help lower incomes to pay higher prices for houses? Yes, but what is the alternative? If FHA is not available, and in some, they will have to rent, possibly years to forever. I already told one of my tenant that their interest, property tax and insurance would be around 1K -1,2K a month, they are paying me 2.1K. Look at the cap rate in the non-prime areas. FHA is a great program and out.

10. dodgerfanjohn Follow Befriend 19 threads 644 comments Los Angeles, CA

    10   9:52am Tue 20 Nov 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   SFace says StillLooking says How does it help lower incomes to pay higher prices for houses? Yes, but what is the alternative? If FHA is not available, and in some, they will have to rent, possibly years to forever. I already told one of my tenant that their interest, property tax and insurance would be around 1K -1,2K a month, they are paying me 2.1K. Look at the cap rate in the non-prime areas. FHA is a great program and out. Interest, tax, insurance = $1,200 per month is like $150k sales price. Where on earth do you have a place that's $150k renting at $2100/mo?

11. BobMSN Follow Befriend 3 threads 98 comments

    11   10:08am Tue 20 Nov 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   SFace says Yes, but what is the alternative? If FHA is not available, and in some, they will have to rent, possibly years to never. Again. What's wrong with renting? If the difference between own and rent is so much as you said (.9k to 1.1k margin). The private investors, like you, and banks would have enough incentive to buy or lend. Why the tax payers have to take the risk? Apparently, the government is trying to boost the price so it can control more people’s life. FHA encourages risk lending and borrowing.

12. APOCALYPSEFUCK is Shostakovich Follow Befriend (28) 181 threads 4,590 comments Premium

    12   10:14am Tue 20 Nov 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   Protected   It's CASH or FUCK YOU, America!

13. SFace Follow Befriend (2) 61 threads 1,335 comments Premium

    13   10:14am Tue 20 Nov 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   Protected   dodgerfanjohn says Interest, tax, insurance = $1,200 per month is like $150k sales price. Where on earth do you have a place that's $150k renting at $2100/mo? 270000 Loan at 3.5% is about 780 in interest Property tax = 280 Required Insurance = 50 PMI = 50-100 about 1.1K - 1.2K. I don't count principle as that is not a true cost. Detached SFH are around 2K. The deeper in the east bay the cheaper it is. In Antioch, they can be bought for 150K, in Concord, around 250K, in San Leandro around 350K.

14. Kevin Follow Befriend 40 threads 2,652 comments

    14   10:40am Tue 20 Nov 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   StillLooking says All FHA does is raise the price of housing. So the best idea is just to close this agency. What if there was an agency of government whose sole purpose was to raise the price of bread? Well maybe there is such an agency but it is bad idea nonetheless. How does it help lower incomes to pay higher prices for houses? Mortgages raise the price of housing, period. Housing would be very cheap if we had to pay cash. It would also mean that 90% of us would be renters. There is an agency that keeps the price of bread high. Its called the USDA

15. dodgerfanjohn Follow Befriend 19 threads 644 comments Los Angeles, CA

    15   12:00pm Tue 20 Nov 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   SFace says dodgerfanjohn says Interest, tax, insurance = $1,200 per month is like $150k sales price. Where on earth do you have a place that's $150k renting at $2100/mo? 270000 Loan at 3.5% is about 780 in interest Property tax = 280 Required Insurance = 50 PMI = 50-100 about 1.1K - 1.2K. I don't count principle as that is not a true cost. Detached SFH are around 2K. The deeper in the east bay the cheaper it is. In Antioch, they can be bought for 150K, in Concord, around 250K, in San Leandro around 350K. Interest is in fact an expense, which is arguably a more important factor for most buyers. However, point largely conceeded since expense is still cheaper than rent. I will say that rents are rather remarkable. There's a directly on point market in LA that is the exact same pricing structure, distance from job centers, train into downtown, etc. That is West Covina. The difference is that in West Covina, homes that sold at $275k in that condition rent at around $1700-1800/mo. The $350k remodeled places rent at $2200-2500. If such a market as you describe existed in Los Angeles without a backbreaking commute to Downtown, I'd be a buyer too.

16. New Renter Follow Befriend (3) 14 threads 2,446 comments San Jose, CA Premium

    16   12:58pm Tue 20 Nov 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   Protected   APOCALYPSEFUCK is Shostakovich says It's CASH or FUCK YOU, America! Oh how I've missed that,

17. bmwman91 Follow Befriend (8) 38 threads 1,606 comments Mountain View, CA bmwman91's website Premium

    17   1:18pm Tue 20 Nov 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   Protected   APOCALYPSEFUCK is Shostakovich says It's CASH or FUCK YOU, America! Amen! How do I join your church?

18. bubblesitter Follow Befriend (5) 10 threads 2,329 comments

    18   1:45pm Tue 20 Nov 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   APOCALYPSEFUCK is Shostakovich says It's CASH or FUCK YOU, America! I've been saving since the first time you said that on this forum. :)

19. drew_eckhardt Follow Befriend (1) 2 threads 342 comments Sunnyvale, CA

    19   4:42pm Tue 20 Nov 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like (3)   Dislike   dodgerfanjohn says So the deal is, cap off FHA loans around $125-150K. No fucking FHA loans for rich people with six figure incomes buying $400K homes. Yes yes? No. Your populist attitude suggests that you're not in Congress, don't have a PAC, and therefore don't matter. If that's not the case I apologize. Such policy changes would reduce sales volume, prices, and commissions for real estate agents who would no longer reward the congress critters who allowed such a thing to happen in the next election. With the National Association of Realtors' PAC ranking first in contributions to candidates for every election cycle since 1998 (probably before then although the opensecrets.org data stops at 1998) that's not something our elected officials want to happen.

20. StillLooking Follow Befriend 27 threads 233 comments Skokie, IL

    20   8:46am Wed 21 Nov 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   Kevin says StillLooking says All FHA does is raise the price of housing. So the best idea is just to close this agency. What if there was an agency of government whose sole purpose was to raise the price of bread? Well maybe there is such an agency but it is bad idea nonetheless. How does it help lower incomes to pay higher prices for houses? Mortgages raise the price of housing, period. Housing would be very cheap if we had to pay cash. It would also mean that 90% of us would be renters. There is an agency that keeps the price of bread high. Its called the USDA Why shouldn't banks lend for people to buy a house If there is a sufficient down payment and sufficient collateral without all the government interference?

21. Kevin Follow Befriend 40 threads 2,652 comments

    21   8:52am Wed 21 Nov 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   That government "interference" is the only thing that allows the mortgage industry to work at all.

22. dodgerfanjohn Follow Befriend 19 threads 644 comments Los Angeles, CA

    22   8:57am Wed 21 Nov 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   drew_eckhardt says dodgerfanjohn says So the deal is, cap off FHA loans around $125-150K. No fucking FHA loans for rich people with six figure incomes buying $400K homes. Yes yes? No. Your populist attitude suggests that you're not in Congress, don't have a PAC, and therefore don't matter. If that's not the case I apologize. Such policy changes would reduce sales volume, prices, and commissions for real estate agents who would no longer reward the congress critters who allowed such a thing to happen in the next election. With the National Association of Realtors' PAC ranking first in contributions to candidates for every election cycle since 1998 (probably before then although the opensecrets.org data stops at 1998) that's not something our elected officials want to happen. I was thinking that even though theres a range of opinions on this thread, that all of us here working together would be able to hammer out a reasonable solution. Perhaps it wouldn't be a cap at $150K, but slightly higher based on local incomes. Perhaps it wouldn't be 3.5% down, but 5 or 7.5% or whatever. But the people that posted in this thread...we'd come up with something that is better than the current situation. But as you state, thats without anyone being beholden to NAR for funds to run for re-election. Interestingly enough, I notice that realtors have in fact kept their pieholes sewn shut, at least as far as this thread is concerned. If I knew it was this easy to stuff a sock in a realtors mouth, I would have made the simple request quite some time ago.

23. Kevin Follow Befriend 40 threads 2,652 comments

    23   9:05am Wed 21 Nov 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   Coming up with a better solution isn't the hard part. Coming up with a better solution that meets the FHA objectives and can get approved by a divided congress is.

24. The Professor Follow Befriend (5) 25 threads 1,324 comments Premium

    24   9:17am Wed 21 Nov 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   Protected   Kevin says FHA objectives "FHA’s Objectives Allow access to everyone to safe, reasonably priced mortgage financing under fair terms; Educate consumersto make informed choices and protect them from unfair lending practices; Expand access to home ownershipby offering flexible loan qualifying criteria to include buyers with less than perfect credit or less available cash to close, simplify the home buying process and remove regulatory barriers; Embrace innovative financing options–such as down payment assistance and secondary financing options –to further expand homeownership opportunities; Encourage home retention with extensive default counseling and assistance." (from http://www.nifa.org/downloads/johnthorstonfhapresentation1172007.pdf ) FHA doesn't seem to be meeting it's objectives.