Jumbo Loans are Cheap, Think Big!

If you are able to consider homes in the 500k plus price range, this could be the best opportunity in a lifetime to own the home of your dreams. Prices have been on the upsurge in most markets all year. The high end market tends to trail the bottom.  Prices on the big houses are still pretty competitive. Now word has it, Jumbo loans are priced better than conventional right now! That 1.2 million dollar home from 2007 is still priced at 799k. With rates in the proverbial basement, why not make the move up. Below you will find an article written recently by NAR President Gary Thomas, with some insight.

By NAR 2013 President Gary Thomas

If you’re considering how nice it would be to own a larger home, this may be the time to buy.For the first time in history, interest rates on jumbo mortgages actually fell below the interest rate of conforming 30-year fixed-rate loans.

As REALTORS® well know, jumbo loans are those over the local limit that can vary from $417,000 to $729,750, depending on the county.Traditionally, consumers who needed a home loan bigger than a conforming mortgage would pay a higher rate of interest for the privilege of borrowing more money—often a quarter of a percent or greater, and for a brief period it was nearly two percentage points. But with mortgage rates much higher than a year ago and declining profits from refinances, banks have become more aggressive in pricing mortgages. As a result, it is now cheaper to borrow in the jumbo market which is currently dominated by private lenders.

With interest rates at historic lows, more buyers are willing to stretch to buy bigger properties and more buyers are able to qualify for a jumbo loan. But even non-jumbo home buyers should look into the competitive rates at banks and credit unions.

There’s no telling how long it will continue, but this unusual circumstance may offer an opportunity for REALTORS®. Think big!

Published 10-2-2013. Source, National Association of Realtors "Super Size It"