Jumbo Mortgage Discount Points, A Thing Again. Jumbo mortgage discount points are in the news. As a matter of fact, The Wall Street Journal published an article discussing the jumbo mortgage discount points. Wall Street writer Katie McLaughlin interviews Joel Richardson, your local Austin home loan officer, for this article. Summary of My Jumbo Mortgage Discount […]
Hot Housing Market Tips
/in Austin Mortgage Updates, Home Loans, Mortgage Tips /by Joel RichardsonHot Housing Market Tips for Homebuyers Recently, I was interviewed about Austin’s hot housing market by Sarah Wheeler, Editor in Chief of Housing Wire. We talked specifically about what homebuyers need to know as we look at Austin and surrounding areas. Here are some tips from that interview. Prepare your finances. A hot housing market means […]
Should I Buy a Fixer-Upper or Move-In Ready Home?
/in Home Improvement, Home Loans, Homeowner Tips, Mortgage Tips /by Joel RichardsonFixer-Upper or Move-In Ready? When deciding to buy a home, many people ask, “Should buy a fixer-upper or a move-in ready home?” There are a few factors one needs to consider when making this decision. Move-In Ready Homes If you have been following the Austin housing market, you may not be surprised to learn Austin-Round […]
Austin Holiday Events 2020
/in Austin Life /by Joel RichardsonAustin Holiday Events 2020 Style: In-Person and Virtual There is no shortage of Austin Holiday Events. This time of the year is always a favorite because Austin loves a good celebration. However, we know things will look a little different as we work as a community to maintain our health and safety for ourselves and […]
House Hunting: Good Luck!
/in Mortgage Tips /by Joel RichardsonJumbo Mortgage Discount Points
/in Austin Mortgage Updates, Home Loans, Mortgage Tips /by Joel RichardsonJumbo Mortgage Discount Points, A Thing Again. Jumbo mortgage discount points are in the news. As a matter of fact, The Wall Street Journal published an article discussing the jumbo mortgage discount points. Wall Street writer Katie McLaughlin interviews Joel Richardson, your local Austin home loan officer, for this article. Summary of My Jumbo Mortgage Discount […]
Adverse Market Fee FAQ
/0 Comments/in Austin Mortgage Updates, Mortgage Tips /by Joel RichardsonAdverse Market Fee – A Surprising GSE Directive It was a typical Wednesday after dinner two weeks ago when I got a notice about the unexpected news: Government Sponsored Enterprises (GSE), Fannie Mae, and Freddie Mac announced a directive known as the Adverse Market Fee. This directive will impose a 0.50% fee on all refinances. […]
Happy 2020!
/0 Comments/in Austin Life, Austin Mortgage Updates, Homeowner Tips /by Joel Richardson30 Year Fixed Rate at Historical Lows
/0 Comments/in Home Loans /by Joel RichardsonHistorically Low Interest Rates Now Is a Good Time for House Hunting House hunting these days? You will be happy to know that the 30-year fixed rate is at one of the lowest historical levels. The key driver is a healthy economy with low unemployment, stable growth with low risk of inflation. Consequently, homebuyers will […]
The Federal Reserve and Interest Rates
/0 Comments/in Mortgage Tips /by Joel RichardsonThe Federal Reserve Announces Rate Decrease In late July, the Federal Reserve announced a rate decrease. Many customers wanted to know how that affected their mortgage interest rates. What is “The Federal Reserve”? Not the exact definition: The Federal Reserve is our central bank. As a matter of fact, there are several Federal Reserve banks, […]
Why Renovation?
/0 Comments/in Mortgage Tips /by Joel RichardsonRenovation Expands Your Home Purchase Options Let’s face it, Austin and the Austin metro area are highly competitive markets with buyers competing for limited inventory. According to an article published in the Austin Business Journal, we are facing a housing crisis. In a market with low inventory, a buyer finds it more challenging to find […]