Freddie Mac eliminates traditional appraisals

Freddie Mac announces they are going to eliminate traditional appraisals as of Sept 1, 2017 for new home loans.
I am firmly against this. As we all know, the online value system are generic and many times grossly wrong. Each home is unique in style, level of function and degree of care. These items can vary the value up or down 50% or even more.
First, I agree that it could be used in the initial decision making process. But not the loan.
Secondly, before the government got involved, appraisals were half the price.
And lastly, appraisals don't add 10 days to the contract.
I see this as an opportunity for computer geeks to manipulate the market data. Mortgages are usually the largest debts in this nation and around the world.
This could put our nations economy in jeopardy, because that's a lot of risk on a promissory note from a skewed data source.

Buying and want an appraisal?
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Curtis Rudolph Realtor®
813-240-6054 cell/text
Charles Rutenberg Realty

Curtis Rudolph Realtor, Charles Rutenberg Realty
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Attention renters, rates are about to drop!

If you are a renter, relief is on it's way. Rental rates have been at an all time high for a few years now. However, if you are a landlord, I see trouble ahead. 

This is my opinion of the buying, selling and renting of real estate for 2015.
Mortgage interest rates are about to climb, according to all the rumors coming from the new Fed Chairwoman, Janet Yellen. They've been near zero for many years to help stimulate our wobbly, but growing economy.

Many home owners were hit hard when the economy tanked. Homes were forfeited to the banks and hedge fund conglomerates were gobbling them up and renting them back to those that were displaced. 

                             It's been 8 years since the peak and 4 years since the bottom. 

Most hurt during the great recession have recovered financially and have been trying to time out re-entering the market to get the lowest rate as they heal their credit and rebuild capital for a downpayment. 

              That time is now as interest rates are wobbling around a once-in-a-lifetime low. 

However, everyone seems to be sitting around and not taking action. This holding back is causing a pressure cooker situation of buyers. 

When the Fed says "let them rise", the pressure cooker full of buyers will surge to the market buying up the inventory. New homes entering the market will sell at top dollar as the rates rise and inventory will be low.

Where did these buyers come from?  
                                  These buyers were all renting!

Rental homes will flood the market as these buyers leave that market. 
Vacant rentals, cost owners a lot of money.
They would rather slash the price, then let it sit empty. 

I expect this to occur now through June and then go crazy through the summer and fall. 
If you are buying, buy now! Rates may never be this low again in our lifetime. 
If you are renting, buy now! Rates may never be this low again in our lifetime. 

Or if you can't buy, be willing to negotiate to stay or find someone willing to accept your price. 
Don't be scared! The landlord would appreciate the reduced rate more than a vacant rental and pray for a new tenant. 

Buying, selling or renting in the Tampa bay market?
I do that!

Curtis Rudolph Realtor®
813.240.6054 cell/text
Realty Direct Tampa
www.CurtisRudolphRealtor.com

Was Janet Yellen appointed to finalize the redistribution of wealth?

The new Fed chairman, Janet Yellen has spoken and the world listens.
Janet spoke the other day about how the markets don't like surprises. Unlike all of her predecessors, she has chosen to release her plans continuously in bits and pieces, to smooth out the typical market reactions rather than the normal few times a year.

Can you and how do you capitalize on this new softer approach?
Think of it this way, it's the same message, but in slow motion. This constant information delivery idea will soften the knee jerk reaction to every word she delivers, reducing the fire drills, that are the common responses to the stock market.
She said she is not going to touch interest rates until mid 2015.
In other words, she said she is going to touch interest rates in mid 2015.
What should you do, knowing that this is coming?

If you are planning to buy a home, now is the time to get in the game and this is why I recommend taking action now.

When interest rates climb out of the near Zero zone, two things will occur.
#1 Your buying power will be reduced as the mortgage interest rates climb. The cost of the money will go up, reducing the principal purchase power of your dollar. In other words, you will have to reduce your purchase price.
#2 The raising of interest rates will cause a surge to the market to buy. Everyone waiting for the interest rate bottom, will surge to the market and gobble up available homes for sale. This will tilt the balance of supply and demand. Supply will plummet and demand will overpower supply, forcing a rapid increase in the price of a home.
These two actions will have a synergistic result. Your buying power will go down and the prices of homes will go up. By mid next year, you'll look back to today and say, why didn't I just do it?

Let me inject some conspiracy theory into this.
Was the timing of the 2015 interest rate change and price pop appointed?
Consider this. Our current administration ran on a slogan of change and redistribution of wealth.
When the stock markets were crashing, the wealthy pulled their money out and started buying real estate. Mostly from middle class American's who were hit the hardest in the economic melt down.
The word on the street is this was a 5 year plan. Buy at the bottom, rent them out and sell in about 5 years when their initial investment is nearly 100% paid for by the middle class that rented them.
Institutional, hedge fund buyers started gobbling up real estate at or near the bottom between 2010 and 2011. In 2015, the 2010 purchases will be reaching there 5 year mark.
Is it just a coincidence that home prices will pop around the same time by these rising rates?
If this happens as I expect it will, the poor will still be poor. Middle class will have lost most of their net worth to the wealthy and the wealthy will get much wealthier.

Real estate has been the commodity to make the wealthy, wealthier. Why not you?
If you are buying, selling or renting, I do that!
Let's get to work!

Curtis Rudolph Realtor®
813.240.6054 cell/text
Realty Direct Tampa
www.CurtisRudolphRealtor.com
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