Effective immediately: The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) announced a 30-basis point reduction to the Annual Mortgage Insurance Premiums (annual MIP) it charges borrowers for FHA-insured Single-Family Homes.Based on a $500,000 loan, the monthly difference in savings is $125! That’s approximately $1500 per year!Every little bit counts these days. One other change coming on April 7th, 2023, is the reduction in the VA funding fee. Currently it’s at 2.3% for first time use and will be lowered down to 2.15%. it is a true no money down loan for Veterans., The VA funding fee is a one-time fee paid to the Department of Veterans Affairs. While most Veterans currently pay 2.3%, this fee ranges from 0.5% to 3.6%, depending on the loan type, if you’ve used a VA loan before or if you have a down payment greater than 5%. This amount is added to loan and is not required to pay for it up-front. Borrowers with service-connected disabilities and select others might not have to pay it at all.
First-time buyers often rely on family gifts to afford the down payments on their homes. Now California Legislators want the government to fill the role of generous relative. Lawmakers are proposing creating a billion-dollar fund in this year’s state budget that would provide California’s first-time buyers either all of the money they need for a down payment, or very close to it, in exchange for partial ownership stakes in those residences. The proposal, put forward by state Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins, comes as skyrocketing property prices broaden the divide between those who own their homes and those who rent in California. In the past year, Golden State homeowners gained $141,000 in home equity, on average, the housing research firm CoreLogic reported last week, more than in any other state.