Yesterday was a bad day for bonds. A poor 7yr note auction pushed the UMBS 30 2.5% coupon down 36bps to a floor of support at 101.80, while the 10yr T rose 8bps to 1.55, which is just 5 bps below the current ceiling of resistance of 1.60. I always get nervous when the markets move sharply right before a holiday weekend, and with this weekend bringing in the New Year, it bears watching closely. As I have maintained for a while now, if you like it, LOCK IT! I am interested to see activity in the housing markets this weekend. With buyers still hungry for homes and the excuse of waiting to after the holidays are over now past, it will be very interesting to see the first few weeks of January go, especially if we see mortgage rates ticking up as well. So be aware of the markets…
Posted On Monday, 03 January 2022 00:00 Written by
The FED had it’s meeting this week and made some observations and projections that they supported with their “FACTS”. While Jerome Powell has tried to bury his whole “tapering” comments with a simple shrug of the shoulders and the comment that we won’t use the word transitory any longer, it doesn’t absolve the facts that keep getting shared are just as big a fantasy going forward. So how about we just get real here for the next few minutes. With all the data the FED looks at, it’s hard not to see they almost always ignore reality. CPI & PPI are significantly flawed measurements because one doesn’t take a real measure of costs, especially food, energy, and housing. When they do look at those numbers, the measurements they use so far behind the reality, it almost makes it a moot point. The other makes assumptions as to how much of…
Posted On Monday, 20 December 2021 00:00 Written by
The last few days of 2021 are upon us and now we begin the final countdown to 2022. A simple checklist of tasks and items will help create a smooth transition form year to year and allow you to enjoy as much time as possible enjoying family and friends. 1. Get very clear as to your calendar. What loans are left to close, is everything complete on those files, are they scheduled to be completed, and is everyone on the same schedule? 2. When are people open and when are they closed? Never assume everyone is working the same schedule as you are, even in your own company! 3. What are your targets for events and time off? Don’t play the holidays by ear! Be aware of what you want and need to do! 4. Personally contact everyone of your unclosed pre-approvals from 2021 and find out status, update as…
Posted On Monday, 13 December 2021 00:00 Written by
“The Only Bad Time to Buy Property is LATER” simplimihomes.com You have searched for several weeks, looking for the right house to make your new home.  You finally walk through the door of the perfect house, but other people are making competitive offers to buy this same house.    How much do you offer to pay without paying too much? 
Here are five points to consider: 1. Set up your budget and stick to it.   Review your bank statements and credit card statements.  How much is your income?  What expenditures can you eliminate or replace with something less expensive?  What debts can you restructure to help your cash flow? After considering all of this, determine the maximum house payment you can comfortably afford.  How much can you comfortably pay down at closing without disturbing your emergency fund? Make allowances in your budget for repairs and unexpected events. …
Posted On Monday, 13 December 2021 00:00 Written by
“Believe you can, and you are halfway there.” Anonymous The top three hurdles mortgage customers must conquer are fixing credit issues, finding enough qualified income, and fast-tracking the funds needed to close the real estate transaction.  Time is a great healer when it comes to older derogatory credit accounts. An experienced mortgage loan officer can help find qualified income for a borrower, sometimes in the back pages of the tax return. A borrower who does not have enough funds to close the loan can get help from agencies and gifts from other people. 
Overcoming Credit Issues Benton and Baily were disappointed that their payment would be slightly higher since the mortgage rates had gone up before they got their offer accepted on buying a home. So the answer for Benton and Bailey was to improve their credit scores.   By paying down their credit cards to show they were…
Posted On Wednesday, 08 December 2021 00:00 Written by
Last April, the Federal Reserve addressed inflation fears with the word “transitory”. The conversation was directed to the markets to believe that current inflation pressures were not severe, and in fact, would dissipate as people went back to work and the supply chain corrected itself. Many in the markets weren’t so sure that this explanation was valid, but the more the markets pushed back, the more the message persisted that inflation fears were a moot point, as they were just “transitory” and would self-correct. The more that position was shared, the harder the markets pushed back. I have been writing in this post that inflation was real, it was going to get worse, and sooner or later, the FED would have to acknowledge that the inflation pressure was in fact real, and that it wasn’t not only not going away, but was going to be a significant issue going into…
Posted On Monday, 06 December 2021 00:00 Written by
 Cleve Gaddis is a Master Coach, speaker, and trainer with Workman Success Systems who works with some of America's most-profitable teams. He specializes in helping family-owned brokerages and teams navigate the challenges unique to family businesses. Cleve hosts "Your Move Atlanta," a weekly radio show on 640 AM, a Fox News station on iHeartRadio.  He learned to sales the hard way, by selling vacuum cleaners door to door.  To have Cleve speak live to your company, team, or group, connect with him at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Posted On Friday, 03 December 2021 00:00 Written by
Thanksgiving is the time of year to reflect and be grateful for all that we have. I want to wish all of you a very happy and healthy Thanksgiving and the enjoyment with family and friends. I am always reminded that regardless of your situation, there is always something to be thankful for and acknowledging those things can bring great rewards. As always with holidays I remind you of my philosophy: “If you are going to work, then WORK! If you are taking time off, then DISCONNECT! There is no right or wrong, there just is either or! For those of you who are working, just be sure you connect personally. Black Friday is a great opportunity to share value with your clients and referral partners. Remind them of your ability to put deals together and get them done before the end of the year. Most of your competition is…
Posted On Monday, 29 November 2021 00:00 Written by
The MBA has estimated that mortgage purchase volume will grow by about 9%, to $1.73T. That is $1,730,000,000,000! While that is certainly a positive piece of information, it follows up with the statement that total business volume will fall significantly due to a more than 60% drop in refinance business, from 2.26 trillion dollars to just around $860B. While $860 billion is still a lot of refinances, it will leave a big void in total volume. I’m never one to say that the MBA is always correct in its projections, but obviously higher interest rates and the sheer number of people that have already refinanced down into the 2% range will reduce volume. So, what if the MBA is correct and we see a nice increase in purchase business in 2022, but lose more than 60% of the refinances? My guess is, that it all depends on what your business…
Posted On Monday, 22 November 2021 00:00 Written by
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