Mortgage Pre-Approval: Soft Pull vs Hard Credit Pull?
Photo by Tierra Mallorca on Unsplash At Mortgage Maestro Group, we understand that the home buying or refinancing process can be overwhelming. Many homeowners feel anxious about their credit and qualification status. Let’s simplify—- by helping you understand the difference between soft and hard credit pulls, how it impacts your credit score, and mortgage […]
July 2024 Real Estate and Mortgage Report
Presidential election years affect the national housing market and mortgage rates as people prepare for economic and policy changes. Historically, existing home prices have increased in the last 7 of 8 presidential elections. Insights “One thing that seems to be pretty solid is that home prices are going to continue to go up, and the […]
June 2024 Real Estate and Mortgage Report
The overwhelming majority of prospective homebuyers believe that buying a home, now or in the future, is the best decision for them in the long run. While it’s easy to get pre-occupied with interest rates, they shouldn’t be the only part of your home buying decision-making process. Insights “Astonishingly, greater than 90 percent of the […]
May 2024 Real Estate and Mortgage Report
While home prices are growing, home sizes are decreasing. More than a third of builders say they built smaller homes in 2023, and more than a quarter plan to construct even smaller this year, shares the NAHB. Home size is trending lower and will likely continue to do so as housing affordability remains constrained. Insights […]
What Is a Mortgage? How They Work and its Types
Have you ever wondered how people can afford to buy a house? Well, one big reason is something called a mortgage. It’s like a special kind of loan that helps you buy a home, even if you don’t have all the money upfront. In America, people owe a total of $12.14 trillion on 84.0 million […]
April 2024 Real Estate and Mortgage Report
The inventory of homes actively for sale increased in 45 out of 50 of the largest metros compared with last year, and in four large metros, inventory was above pre-pandemic levels. With the anticipation of lower mortgage rates by the end of the year, home buyers could have more options and a bit more affordability. […]
What Mortgage Rate Do You Need To Move?
If you’ve been thinking about buying a home, mortgage rates are probably top of mind for you. They may even be why you’ve put your plans on hold for now. When rates climbed near 8% last year, some buyers found the numbers just didn’t make sense for their budget anymore. That may be the case […]
March 2024 Real Estate and Mortgage Report
The real estate market continues to exceed expectations. There are more than 1M fewer foreclosures in the last five years, home prices rose in 96 of the top 100 largest metropolitan areas over the last four quarters, and Americans are sitting on tremendous equity. Insights “Policymakers now risk committing another policy error, this time by […]
February 2024 Real Estate and Mortgage Report
There is a narrative we must combat in the real estate market. The latest Fannie Mae report showed 24% of consumers believe their prices are going to depreciate over the last 12 months. We actually had a very strong 2023 and we’re going to finish this year between five and six percent appreciation. Insights […]
Are More Homeowners Selling as Mortgage Rates Come Down?
If you’re looking to buy a home, the recent downward trend in mortgage rates is good news because it helps with affordability. But there’s another way this benefits you – it may inspire more homeowners to put their houses up for sale. The Mortgage Rate Lock-In Effect Over the past year, one factor that’s really […]
January 2024 Real Estate and Mortgage Report
The real estate market remains strong, bolstered by the recent drop of mortgage rates. Home prices are expected to continue their upward trajectory in 2024, with most markets reaching new price highs. Insights It appears that mortgage rates are now falling again. They will almost certainly not fall to pandemic lows, although we may soon […]
What Lower Mortgage Rates Mean for Your Purchasing Power
If you want to buy a home, it’s important to know how mortgage rates impact what you can afford and how much you’ll pay each month. Fortunately, rates for 30-year fixed mortgages have come down significantly since the end of October and are currently under 7%, according to Freddie Mac (see graph below): This recent […]
