For the week ending March 29, mortgage applications for home purchases were up almost 7%, but this was most likely driven by the increased cost of an FHA mortgage starting April 1.  Overall mortgage applications for home purchases are up about 4% over last year, while refinancing applications are starting to decline.  With the increases in home sales the 4% increase in mortgage applications is to be expected. Refinancing applications are also expected to decline as interest rates slowly start to inch upwards.

You have decided you are ready to purchase a home, what do you need to do?  One of the most important steps is to find out from a loan officer how much house you can afford by getting pre-qualified or pre-approved.  There is no point in looking at homes if you don’t know your budget and if you want to submit an offer you need to prove that you will be good for the purchase price.  I required that all of my buyer clients are pre-approved before we go out looking.  If you don’t have a lender I work with several very good lenders that I can refer you to. (more…)