Interest rates have hit a new high, but Houston is outpacing the national average slightly over 5 percent for the 30 year mortgage rate this week. According to Freddie Mac’s latest Primary Mortgage Market Survey rates are still much higher than last year’s rate of 3.88%. Although it’s a 7 year high, mortgage rates should rise modestly from here.

Texas se encuentra entre los primeros lugares de la nación en el ranking de daños a la propiedad relacionados con el clima cada año. Por lo tanto, conocer los diferentes tipos de seguros disponibles y sus coberturas es clave. Si vive o planea vivir en uno de los 14 condados costeros o partes del Condado de Harris o la Bahía de Galveston, debe conocer las políticas separadas que están disponibles y que pueden ayudarlo a protegerse de las pérdidas causadas por las inundaciones.

Texas is amongst the top of the nation in rankings for weather-related property damage each year. Therefore, knowing the different types of insurances available and their coverages is crucial. If you live or plan to live in one of the  14 coastal counties or parts of Harris County or Galveston Bay you should know of separate policies that are available that may help you protect yourselves from losses caused by flooding.

Obtaining a home inspection is a very important investment that will give you the confidence to make the best decisions whether you are selling or buying a home. If you are buying a home, this can be your largest single investment you will ever make. As private mortgage investors, we recommend you learn as much as possible about the newly constructed home or existing home before you purchase. If you are already a homeowner, a home inspection will give you the opportunity to identify problems and suggest preventative measures to help avoid costly repairs in the future. Below we will explore the most common FAQ’s regarding home inspections.

How does the new GOP Tax Bill Impact Mortgage Financing?

Republicans in Washington passed the most significant overhaul of the tax code since 1986. Many of us are left wondering how the tax bill impacts us. The plan is to reduce the tax burden for most individuals and put more money into people’s pockets at the expense of the national debt going up. 

There are many misconceptions when it comes to purchasing flood insurance.

Many homeowners think they’re not at risk for flooding, when they usually are. And many believe that if they are flooded, they’re insured for it. For example, the coverage is often inadequate lacking enough coverage to fully rebuild the home. Although flood insurance is available to many homeowners under the NFIP, most don’t have it. This is true for many of Hurricane Harvey’s victims. This hurricane was the most significant tropical hurricane in the United States history. Harvey’s damage was between $90 Billion and $160 Billion with a midpoint at $125 Billion.

Economists say the economic growth for the fourth quarter was near four percent. A CNBC economic survey showed that in over a decade a majority was optimistic about the economy. Unemployment is expected to continue to go down while the economy is expected to grow in 2018. However, that’s faster than is healthy. Growth at that pace leads to overconfident irrational exuberance. This creates a boom that leads to a damaging bust. This will create inflation and increasing interest rates controls inflation.

There has been troubling news released by S&P/Experian, as reports indicate that defaults on first credit payments by consumers are on the rise. While most indicators surrounding the economy and the stock market have been positive, this boom in defaults isn’t, as it’s the first time in two years defaults have increased.