Tag Archives: MN First Time Buyer

First Time Home Buyers In MN

Short sale transactions are becoming less popular among first-time home buyers. Buying a home in a short sale transaction may offer a huge bargain sale prices average 27 percent lower than non-distressed properties but more first-time home buyers say the processing delays aren’t worth the trouble.

Among first-time buyers, their short sale purchase share dropped to 39.7 percent of all short sale transactions in August posting a three-month drop and reaching its lowest share ever recorded for first-time home buyers, according to the latest Campbell/Inside Mortgage Finance HousingPulse Tracking Survey. In November 2009, first-time home buyers share of short sales had reached a peak of 54.1 percent of all short sale transactions.

With bargain deals, why are short sales losing their appeal? Buyers are complaining that short sale transactions take too long to close, with approval times often taking several months after a buyer even submits an offers. Some buyers frustrated at the delays are placing offers on multiple properties, planning to close on whichever one is approved the fastest. The average time on market for short sales is 16.6 weeks, and the majority of that time is spent waiting for short sale approval, the HousingPulse Tracking Survey found.

MN First Time Home Buyers Choosing Your Neighborhood

With home prices falling, you are looking for a neighborhood that has a greater likelihood of holding its value with future appreciation. How do you know what neighborhood is not as stable and which will appreciate over time?

Bankrate.com says judging a neighborhoods worth over the long haul comes down to two main factors: Jobs and access to amenities.

For example, Andrew Schiller, creator of NeighborhoodScout, says signs of long-term opportunities for jobs in an area would be low unemployment, high household income, large or prominent colleges and universities, and seats of federal or state government. He says the Bureau of Labor Statistics is a good resource, particularly its Local Area Unemployment Statistics map, which provides unemployment information by metro area and county, as well as its Current Employment Statistics, which tells you how many people are employed in different sectors of the economy in a certain area.

As for judging a neighborhood’s amenities that can generate long-term value, Schiller cites characteristics like a neighborhood that offers a variety of nearby retail stores, low crime rates, parks, distinctive architecture, and good public schools.

Minnesota New Record Mortgage Interest Rate Lows

30-year and 15-year fixed-rate mortgages hit record lows again this week reported by Freddie Mac in its weekly mortgage market survey.

“Continued investor concerns over the state of the European debt markets kept U.S. Treasury bond yields low and allowed mortgage rates to ease once more this week, says Frank Nothaft, Freddie Mac’s chief economist.

Here’s a closer look at rates for the week ending Sept. 15.

30-year fixed-rate mortgages: averaged 4.09 percent this week, down from last week’s previous record of 4.12 percent. Last year at this time, 30-year rates averaged 4.37 percent.
15-year fixed-rate mortgages: averaged 3.30 percent, dropping from last week’s record low of 3.33 percent. Last year at this time, 15-year rates averaged 3.82 percent.
5-year adjustable-rate mortgages: averaged 2.99 percent this week, up slightly from last week’s 2.96 percent average. A year ago at this time, the 5-year ARM averaged 3.55 percent.
1-year ARMs: averaged 2.81 percent, down from last week’s 2.84 percent average. A year ago, the 1-year ARM averaged 3.40 percent.