Buying a Home Archives - Transparent Mortgage

The Urban Institute’s Housing Finance Policy Center is a think tank that analyzes mortgage and housing data throughout the United States. They recognize trends and provide insightful information to help lenders and consumers. Housing Credit Availability Index Every quarter, they update the housing credit availability index (HCAI), which measures the Continue Reading →

Jumbo Loans—What Today’s Mortgage Borrowers Need to Know

In the most basic sense, a “jumbo loan” (also known as a “jumbo mortgage”) is exactly what it sounds like. It is a larger-than-usual mortgage loan for borrowers purchasing a more expensive luxury property or in a highly competitive real estate market. It is important to understand what jumbo loans Continue Reading →

2021 Conforming Loan Limits Released by FHFA

On November 24, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) announced the new maximum conforming loan limits for mortgages that can be acquired by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac starting on January 1, 2021. Per the Housing and Economic Recovery Act (HERA) the conforming loan limits are adjusted every year based Continue Reading →

Are Mortgage Rates on the Rise Again?

Earlier this week, we saw the biggest jump in mortgage rates in the past 2 months. The rates are still historically low by any standards, but this this quick jump upward just shows how volatile our market is during this pandemic. There is so much uncertainty in 2020. Fluctuating mortgage Continue Reading →