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Closing Costs 101: Expert Tips for Keeping Your Costs Down When Finalizing Your Mortgage Are you thinking about buying a new home? If you are going to make use of mortgage financing, you may be wondering about some of the costs attached. As you may have heard, all mortgages have a number of fees and other costs that are assessed at the “close,” or when you finalize the loan. Let’s take a look at a few expert tips that will help you to keep your closing costs to a minimum when you take out your next mortgage.

Aim For Zero-Closing-Cost Options If Possible

One question that you will want to ask your potential mortgage lender is whether or not they offer a low-cost or zero-cost option. What this means is that rather than you paying the closing costs, the lender pays them on your behalf. While the upside is that you aren’t stuck with a hefty bill when you are approved for your mortgage, the downside is that you are likely to have a higher interest rate over the life of your mortgage.

Get The Right Mortgage Loan To Suit Your Needs

Another way to ensure that you keep your closing costs down is to opt for the right mortgage. There are a lot of options open to you in today’s mortgage marketplace and navigating them to choose the right one can be tough. There are FHA-guaranteed loans, VA loans, USDA loans, traditional bank financing and a lot more. As each type of mortgage comes with its own set of closing costs, choosing the best one to suit your needs can limit the amount you will need to pay.

Lock In Your Mortgage Interest Rate

Finally, don’t forget that most mortgage lenders will offer a “rate lock.” This means that you can have a particular mortgage rate frozen for a set period. This might be 15, 30 or even 60 days depending on the terms of your mortgage. Using a rate lock can ensure that you keep a lower mortgage rate, even if interest rates were to change significantly in the meantime.

There you have it – three tips that you can use to ensure that you keep your closing costs to a minimum when taking out your next mortgage. For more information about local mortgage options and insight into today’s interest rates, contact your mortgage professional today.

Last week’s economic news included readings on sales of new and previously-owned homes, Weekly readings on mortgage rates and new jobless claims were also released, along with coverage of Fed Chair Janet Yellen’s remarks at a conference in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

Home Sales Lower in July

According to the Commerce Department, new home sales fell to a seven-month low in July; 571,000 new homes were sold on a seasonally-adjusted annual basis in July. This reading fell short of the expected sales rate of 608,000 new home sales and June’s reading of 630,000 sales. This was unwelcome news for home builders, who have been under pressure to build more homes. pronounced shortage of available homes coupled with high buyer demand has pressured builders to increase their rate of housing starts. A sudden dip in new home sales could impact builders’ production rates if slow sales persist.

Buyer demand may be waning as home prices have continued to climb. July’s national average home price rose to $313700, which was 6.30 percent year over year. The National Association of Realtors® said the current inventory of available homes rose to 5.70 months. This was the highest reading in highest reading in several months. Real estate pros consider a six-month supply of homes for sale an average reading. Regardless of record high demand for homes and low inventories, rapidly rising home prices reduce the pool of potential buyers due to affordability.

Sales of previously owned homes also fell in July. The National Association of Realtors® reported that pre-owned homes sold at a seasonally-adjusted annual rate of 5.44 million sales. Analysts predicted a rate of 5.50 million sales based on June’s reading of 5.51 million sales.

Mortgage Rates, New Jobless Claims

Freddie Mac reported mixed mortgage rates results, but mortgage types surveyed were little changed. The average rate for a 30-year fixed rate mortgage fell three basis points to 3.86 percent; the average rate for a 15-year mortgage was unchanged at 3.16 percent. Rates for 5/1 adjustable rate mortgage averaged 3.17 percent. Discount points averaged 0.50 percent for all three mortgage types.

First-time jobless claims rose to 234,000, which fell short of the expected reading of 238,000 new claims and the prior week’s reading of 232,000 new claims.

Fed Chair Defends Dodd–Frank Act

Fed Chair Janet Yellen defended Dodd-Frank mortgage legislation passed after the financial crisis. The legislation established credit standards for mortgage lenders to eliminate irresponsible lending practices. Speaking at the Federal Reserve’s annual retreat in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, Chair Yellen’s comments responded to recent indications by the administration and banking officials that the Dodd-Frank Act should be repealed.

What‘s Ahead

This week’s economic reports include readings from Case-Shiller on home prices. Pending home sales, construction spending and inflation reports will be released in addition to weekly readings on mortgage rates and new jobless claims. Several labor reports will also be released including ADP Payrolls, Non-Farm Payrolls, and the national unemployment rate will also be released.

Closing Costs 101: Expert Tips for Keeping Your Costs Down When Finalizing Your Mortgage

What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week – August 28, 2017

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