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Pick a Closing Date That Will Yield Lower Rates
July 6, 2012 by Glenn Groves · Leave a Comment
Want a lower mortgage rate on your upcoming Santa Rosa home purchase? Think about moving up the closing date.
The reason is rooted in “rate locks”, a bank’s guarantee to honor a specific mortgage rate for a specific, finite period of time. Rate locks allow home buyers to reserve mortgage rates today even though their respective closings may be scheduled as far as a year into the future.
Click here for a live RATE QUOTE!
A rate lock is a contract. No matter what the “current market rate” is at the time of closing, the bank will honor the terms of the original rate lock.
It would be like making an agreement to buy Microsoft stock at a specific price 60 days from now. No matter what the price, you already know what you’re paying for it.
In this sense, rate locks are predictions about the future and, meanwhile, as we all know, the future can be a challenge to forecast. Lenders know this, too, of course, so it’s easy to understand why longer rate locks tend to be more expensive than shorter ones.
The longer the rate lock, the more risk to the bank.
Click here for a live RATE QUOTE!
To compensate for this “time risk”, therefore, lenders typically step-up pricing for rate lock guarantees as lock period lengthen.
- 15-day rate lock : The best of all pricing
- 30-day rate lock : 1/8 percent extra cost versus the 15-day rate lock
- 45-day rate lock : 1/4 percent extra cost versus the 15-day rate lock
- 60-day rate lock : 3/8 percent extra cost versus the 15-day rate lock
One percent of “extra cost” is defined as one percent of the borrowed amount.
Now, this incremental price chart is just a rough guideline; exact spreads vary from lender-to-lender. Overall, however, it’s fairly close.
That’s why it’s important to manage your closing date vis-a-vis your mortgage rate. Closing in 30 days versus 31 can save you an eighth-percent in closing costs. Assuming a loan size of $200,000, that’s $250 saved.
Click here for a live RATE QUOTE!
The Groves Team prides themselves on keeping a sharp eye out on what rates are doing day to day to lock in the best possible rates for our borrowers.
So, when negotiating a closing date on a contract, keep in mind the math of mortgage rate locks. The shorter its length, the more money you might save.
Buying A Santa Rosa House? What’s Earnest Money?
March 28, 2010 by Elise Groves · Leave a Comment
Hey, I gave my real estate agent a $5000 Earnest Money Deposit check… Where does that money go?
A basic and very obvious question that most First-Time home Buyers ask once their purchase contract gets accepted.
According to Wikipedia:
Earnest Money – an earnest payment (sometimes called earnest money or simply earnest, or alternatively a good-faith deposit) is a deposit towards the purchase of real estate or publicly tendered government contract made by a buyer or registered contractor to demonstrate that he/she is serious (earnest) about wanting to complete the purchase.
When a buyer makes an offer to buy residential real estate, he/she generally signs a contract and pays a sum acceptable to the seller by way of earnest money. The amount varies enormously, depending upon local custom and the state of the local market at the time of contract negotiations.
An Earnest Money Deposit (EMD) is simply held by a third-party escrow company according to the terms of the executed purchase contract.
For example, there may be a contingency period for appraisal, loan approval, property inspection or approval of HOA documents.
In most cases, the Earnest Money held by the escrow company is credited towards the home buyer’s down payment and/or closing costs.
*It’s important to keep in mind that the EMD may actually be cashed at the time escrow is opened, so make sure your funds are from the proper sources.
The Process:
- Earnest Money is submitted to an escrow company with the accepted purchase contract
- At the close of escrow, the EMD is credited towards the down payment and / or closing costs
- If there are no closing costs or down payment, the EMD is refunded back to the buyer
Who Doesn’t Get Your Earnest Money:
- Selling Real Estate Agent – A conflict of interest
- Sellers – Too risky
- Buying Agent – They shouldn’t have your money in their account
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Related Articles – Closing Process / Costs
Wine Country Property Title Insurance – Your Protection
March 28, 2010 by Elise Groves · Leave a Comment
By including title insurance when purchasing property, your title insurer takes on accountability for legal expenses to defend your property title, should it ever be challenged.
Many different occurrences can come into play to warrant the need for title insurance.
The title company responsible will then take on the legal expenses to defend the property for as long as you are in possession of an interest in the property under the title.
If the defense is not successful, you will be reimbursed for any loss of value of the property.
Common Things Title Insurance Covers:
1. UNDISCLOSED HEIRS, FORGED DEEDS, MORTGAGE, WILLS, RELEASES AND OTHER DOCUMENTS
2. FALSE IMPRISONMENT OF THE TRUE LAND OWNER
3. DEEDS BY MINORS
4. DOCUMENTS EXECUTED BY A REVOKED OR EXPIRED POWER OF ATTORNEY
5. PROBATE MATTERS
6. FRAUD
7. DEEDS AND WILLS BY PERSON OF UNSOUND MIND
8. CONVEYANCES BY UNDISCLOSED DIVORCED SPOUSES
9. RIGHTS OF DIVORCED PARTIES
10. ADVERSE POSSESSION
11. DEFECTIVE ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS DUE TO IMPROPER OR EXPIRED NOTARIZATION
12. FORFEITURES OF REAL PROPERTY DUE TO CRIMINAL ACTS
13. MISTAKES AND OMISSIONS RESULTING IN IMPROPER ABSTRACTING
14. ERRORS IN TAX RECORDS
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