Fannie posted a profit in the first quarter of the year, reporting a net income of $2.7 billion compared to a $6.5 billion loss they reported in the first quarter of 2011.

“We expect our financial results for 2012 to be significantly better than 2011,” says Susan McFarland, Fannie Mae’s chief financial officer. “As our serious delinquency rate declines and home prices stabilize, we expect to reduce our reserves, which combined with revenue from our high-quality new book of business, will drive our future results.”

Freddie Mac, also a government-sponsored enterprise and mortgage giant, recently reported a profit as well — a $577 million quarterly net income for the first quarter.

Our region is showing other signs of the housing market stabilizing: The decline in home prices is slowing, more are buying homes than a year ago, and housing starts have climbed in the last year. Comments about your local market conditions improving? 

Source: “Fannie Mae Profit Signals a Stabilizing Housing Market,” The New York Times (May 9, 2012)

“Signs of slowing economic growth and inflation remaining subdued allowed yields on Treasury bonds to ease somewhat and brought most mortgage rates to new all-time record lows this week,” says Frank Nothaft, Freddie Mac’s chief economist.

Here’s a closer look at average rates for the week ending May 3:

•30-year fixed-rate mortgages: averaged 3.84 percent, with an average 0.8 point, reaching a new historical low. The previous record for 30-year rates was 3.87 percent, which was set on Feb. 9 of this year. A year ago at this time, rates averaged 4.71 percent.

•15-year fixed-rate mortgages: averaged 3.07 percent, with an average 0.7 point, another historical low. The previous record for 15-year rates was 3.11 percent set on April 12 this year. A year ago at this time, 15-year rates had averaged 3.89 percent.

•5-year adjustable-rate mortgages: averaged 2.85 percent, with an average 0.7 point, holding the same as last week. Last year at this time, 5-year ARMs averaged 3.47 percent.

Source: Freddie Mac

For every week but one this year, the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage, the most popular choice among home buyers, has been below 4 percent. We recommend you check with a couple of  local lenders to see what your qualifying guidelines are before rates go up! 

Here’s a closer look at average rates for the “week ending” April 26: 

• 30-year fixed-rate mortgages averaged 3.88 percent, with an average 0.7 point, dropping from last week’s 3.90 percent average. A year ago at this time, 30-year rates averaged 4.78 percent. The record low for 30-year rates averaged 3.87 percent, a record reached in February. 
• 15-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 3.12 percent, with an average 0.6 point, dropping from last week’s 3.13 percent. Last year at this time, 15-year rates averaged 3.97 percent. The all-time record low is 3.11 percent, a record reached recently during the week ending April 12. 
• 5-year adjustable-rate mortgages averaged 2.85 percent this week, with an average 0.6 point, rising slightly from last week’s 2.78 percent average. Last year at this time, 5-year ARMs averaged 3.51 percent.

Source: Freddie Mac

“An upbeat employment report for February caused U.S. Treasury bond yields to increase over the week, and mortgage rates followed,” says Frank Nothaft, Freddie Mac’s chief economist. “Job growth over the last six months was the strongest since 2006.”

The following is a closer look at rates for the week ending March 15:

•30-year fixed-rate mortgages: averaged 3.92 percent, with an average 0.8 point, inching up from last week’s 3.88 percent average (which was only 0.01 percent above an all-time record low). A year ago at this time, 30-year rates averaged 4.76 percent.

•15-year fixed-rate mortgages: averaged 3.16 percent, with an average 0.8 point, climbing from last week’s record reaching 3.13 percent average. Last year at this time, 15-year rates averaged 3.97 percent.

•5-year adjustable-rate mortgages: averaged 2.83 percent, with an average 0.8 point, also slightly up from last week’s 2.81 percent average. Last year, 5-year ARMs averaged 3.57 percent at this time of year.

Source: Freddie Mac

Highest median home price by region/county January 2012: Marin, $694,440 (Source: C.A.R.)

Lowest median home price by region/county January 2012: Tehama, $110,000 (Source: C.A.R.)

Pending Home Sales Index: January 2012: 102.4, an increase from the revised 93.1 recorded in January 2011

Traditional Housing Affordability Index: Fourth quarter 2011: 55 percent (Source: C.A.R.)

Mortgage rates: Week ending 3/1/2012 30-yr. fixed: 3.90% fees/points: 0.8% 15-yr. fixed: 3.17 fees/points: 0.8% 1-yr. adjustable: 2.72% Fees/points: 0.6% (Source: Freddie Mac)

Attorney General Kamala D. Harris has requested that home owners with loans backed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac get a temporary reprieve from foreclosures while housing regulators conduct reviews of whether at-risk home owners are eligible to have the amount they owe on their mortgage reduced. 

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have stated in the past that they’re opposed to mortgage principal reductions. The FHFA, which regulates Fannie and Freddie, has said that any such program would cost taxpayers $100 billion. 

More than half a million Californians have lost their home to foreclosure since 2008. What’s more, another half a million are in foreclosure or at “imminent” risk this year. Fannie and Freddie guarantee or own more than 60 percent of mortgages in California. 

Source: “California Seeks Suspension of Foreclosures,” Associated Press (Feb. 27, 2012) and “California AG Seeks Foreclosure Suspension,” MarketWatch (Feb. 27, 2012)

Many banks have guidelines that prevent them from issuing loans to people with a foreclosure or short sale in their credit history in some cases for as much as seven years. That also doesn’t factor in the damage foreclosures and short sales can do to a person’s credit score, and the work former home owners’ will need to do to repair it so they’ll have a better chance at qualifying for financing again in the future. Please contact a local lender that knows the new regulations and is recommended by your Realtor!  

The wait-time varies among lenders and government entities. For example, the Federal Housing Administration says former home owners with a foreclosure must wait three years before they can qualify, while Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac require a seven-year wait following a foreclosure. So clearify this with those helping you.  

As for short sales, sometimes these waits can be waived or drastically cut, depending on the borrower’s situation. FHA requires a three-year wait following a short sale, but it may waive that wait if the short sale was due to a job loss. 

Also, for borrowers who can come up with a higher down payment on their next home purchase, they may also not have as long to wait. For example, Fannie Mae will reduce the wait from seven years to two years for borrowers who come with a down payment of 20 percent or more. 

Source: “Lost Home to Foreclosure but Ready to Buy Again? Prepare to Wait in Lender ‘Penalty Box,’” Associated Press (Feb. 22, 2012)

A closer look at mortgages rates for the week ending Feb. 16: 

30-year fixed-rate mortgages: averaged 3.87 percent, with an average 0.8 point, matching last week’s average. A year ago at this time, 30-year rates averaged 5 percent. 

15-year fixed-rate mortgages: averaged 3.16 percent, with an average 0.8 point, also matching last week’s average. Last year at this time, 15-year rates averaged 4.27 percent. 

5-year adjustable-rate mortgages: averaged 2.82 percent this week, with an average 0.8 point, dropping slightly from last week’s 2.83 percent average. Last year, 5-year ARMs averaged 3.87 percent. 

Source: Freddie Mac

“A strong January employment report added upward pressure to most mortgage rates this week,” Frank Nothaft, Freddie Mac’s chief economist, said. The unemployment rate dropped to 8.3 percent as the economy gained 243,000 jobs last month, the largest gain since April 2011. 

Here’s a closer look at rates for the week ending Feb. 9: 

• 30-year fixed-rate mortgages: averaged 3.87 percent, with an average 0.8 points. A year ago at this time, 30-year rates averaged 5.05 percent. 
• 15-year fixed-rate mortgages: averaged 3.16 percent, with an average 0.7 point, rising slightly from last week’s record low of 3.14 percent. But 15-year rates were still far below what they averaged a year ago at this time — 4.29 percent.
• 5-year adjustable-rate mortgages: averaged 2.83 percent, with an average 0.7 point, rising from last week’s 2.80 percent average. Last year at this time, 5-year ARMs averaged 3.92 percent. 

Source: Freddie Mac other news at: www.BudZeller.com or zteam4u@gmail.com

Refinance activity was due to most of that increase last week. Applications for refinancing increased 9.4 percent compared to a week earlier, while applications for purchases only ticked up slightly at 0.1 percent.

The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage on conforming loans reached its lowest rate in the survey’s history last week — falling from 4.09 percent to 4.05 percent. Freddie Mac was reporting even lower for the week ending Feb. 2, with 30-year rates averaging 3.87 percent nationwide. 

Historically, we’ve found this to be a great time of the year to buy in our region of Placerville, El Dorado County, California. Sellers probably haven’t seen much activity in November and December. Rates generally are at their lowest in January and February?

Source: “Mortgage Applications Surge on Low Interest Rates,” HousingWire (2/ 8/12)