Robby Oakes Mortgage - Chapel Hill Mortgage Lender | Robby's Blog about Mortgages in Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, and Crystal Coast area of NC

What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week – July 27, 2015

July 27, 2015 by Robby Oakes

Last week’s scheduled economic news releases were limited as no news was released on Monday or Tuesday, but good news did arrive in the form of a dip in mortgage rates for fixed rate loans. NAR reported higher sales of pre-owned homes and FHFA reported that home price growth associated with mortgages held or backed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac held steady in May.

Have a Weekend to Spare? Consider These Quick Renovations to Add Value to Your Home

July 24, 2015 by Robby Oakes

Homeowners who are thinking about listing their home for sale in the coming weeks or months may be focused on improving their home to help it sell more quickly, but there also may be a focus on adding value to the home in the process. In fact, these are a few simple and easy projects that can typicaly be completed over the course of a weekend; that can add value and desirability to the home.

Good News! Existing Home Sales, FHFA Home Prices Increase

July 23, 2015 by Robby Oakes

Housing markets show continued signs of strengthening according to reports released on Wednesday. The National Association of RealtorsÂ® reported that sales of pre-owned homes rose to 5.49 million in June as compared to Mayâs revised reading of 5.32 million pre-owned homes sold and expected sales estimated at 5.42 million sales. Expectations were based on Mayâs original reading of 5.35 million sales. Juneâs reading was the highest since February of 2007. Readings for existing home sales are calculated on a seasonally adjusted annual basis.

Assessing Your ‘Debt-to-Income Ratio’ and Why This Number Matters When Getting a Mortgage

July 22, 2015 by Robby Oakes

For those who are looking to buy a home soon, keep in mind that the Debt-to-Income ratio of the borrower plays a huge role in the approval of your mortgage application. A low DTI may make it easier for the lender and the underwriter to justify making a loan to the borrower.

Seeking the Perfect Summer Home Improvement Project? It’s Time for an Inground Pool

July 21, 2015 by Robby Oakes

The warmer summer months provide homeowners with the ideal conditions for making improvements to their property, and many will want to put installing an in-ground swimming pool at the top of their list of improvement ideas.

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