What Is a Garden Tub? A Hot New Bathroom Amenity Explained

What is a garden tub? Also called a soaking tub, it's a free-standing, oval-shaped tub that's far larger and deeper than the traditional model—and a luxury amenity that's quickly gaining steam. The post What Is a Garden Tub? A Hot New Bathroom Amenity Explained appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®.
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THE NITTY GRITTY ON FHA LOANS

Local lender Mike Meena of Augusta Financial sent me a helpful guide to what buyers need to know about FHA loans NOW.

FHA charges an upfront mortgage insurance premium UFMIP of 1.75%, which they add to the original loan amount. There is also a monthly PMI charge of .85% if the loan amount is $625,500.00 or below. If the loan amount is above $625,500.00, then the PMI fee is 1.05% if it is above that amount.

FHA PMI stays with the loan for the life of the loan unless you put 10% or more down, and it would release automatically after 11 years!

PMI goes down by .05% if you put down 5% or more. If you put down 20% and get an FHA loan, you will still have PMI!

On a Conventional Loan, your rate is usually a bit higher, but PMI is generally less expensive and much easier to remove.

If you have a good credit score and are putting 5% down, you will have a PMI rate of about .27%, and with 10% down, you could be looking at a PMI rate of .14%. So you can see the rates are lower, and we are basing that on a solid score. So if your score is not super strong, you may pay a little more.

Conventional loans have higher rates on lower scores, and FHA doesn't hit you as hard when your scores are not excellent.

There are three ways to get rid of your PMI on a conventional loan, well, four if you want to get technical.

Pay your mortgage down to 78% of the original purchase price. After 2 years, if you have 25% equity based on a new appraised value and current loan amount. After 5 years, if you have 20% equity based on a new appraised value and current loan amount If you sell or refinance - LOL! Yes, that is getting technical.

I hope this is useful for you.

Yikes! Every Time Mortgage Rates Rise, Buyers Need To Make This Much More To Afford a Home

Only 1 in 4 households can afford the median-priced home at current mortgage rates. Here's how many more get locked out with every rate hike. The post Yikes! Every Time Mortgage Rates Rise, Buyers Need To Make This Much More To Afford a Home appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®.
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Elvis’ Honeymoon Hideaway in Palm Springs Is the Week’s Most Popular Home

Elvis and Priscilla Presley's honeymoon hideaway in Palm Springs, CA, is this week's most popular listing on Realtor.com. The post Elvis’ Honeymoon Hideaway in Palm Springs Is the Week’s Most Popular Home appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®.
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What Does Mortgage Pre-Approval Mean? A Major Advantage When Buying a Home

What does mortgage pre-approval mean? It means a lender has guaranteed to give you a home loan. The post What Does Mortgage Pre-Approval Mean? A Major Advantage When Buying a Home appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®.
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What Happened to the Infamous ‘Watcher’ House Featured in a New Netflix Series?

A couple purchased their dream home in an upscale New Jersey town. It turned into a terrifying nightmare that Netflix turned into a new series. The post What Happened to the Infamous ‘Watcher’ House Featured in a New Netflix Series? appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®.
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What Is ‘FSBO’? What ‘For Sale by Owner’ Means for Home Buyers

What is "FSBO"? It stands for “for sale by owner,” which means that the homeowners haven't retained a real estate agent to help them sell their house. The post What Is ‘FSBO’? What ‘For Sale by Owner’ Means for Home Buyers appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®.
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6 Homebuying ‘Rules’ You’ve Heard Lately—and Should Actually Break

As the housing market shifts to being more equitable to buyers, here are some COVID-19 pandemic rules that are no longer the norm. The post 6 Homebuying ‘Rules’ You’ve Heard Lately—and Should Actually Break appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®.
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