Tag Archive for: mortgage

Deconstructing your Debt-to-Income Ratio

Your debt-to-income ratio (or DTI) measures your monthly debt payment against your monthly income (before taxes or before other deductions have been made). To calculate your DTI, add your total monthly debt payments and divide them by your total pretax monthly income. For example, if you pay $200 a month toward your car loan and another $800 toward your mortgage, your monthly debt payments are $1,000. If your pretax monthly income is $4,000, your DTI is 25% ($1,000 divided by $4,000).

 

Guidelines vary widely, but in general, a DTI of 35% or less is preferred by lenders (closer to 20% is ideal), whereas a DTI over 45% is likely to be considered problematic. Lenders use your DTI ratio to measure your ability to manage debt — so having a low DTI is very important, especially when it comes to buying a home, car or other major asset. The following are some ways to lower your DTI ratio.

 

Pay Off Debt

Surprise! While it’s easier said than done, reducing your debt can help you reduce your monthly payments, and therefore the percentage of your monthly income going toward debt. Aside from lowering your DTI, paying off your debt can also improve your credit score by reducing your credit utilization ratio, which is your total debt divided by your total available credit. A higher credit score could help improve your chances of qualifying for a mortgage or getting a favorable interest rate.

 

Increase Your Income

Increasing your income is another way to reduce your DTI. Not only will you have a higher gross income for the calculation, but you’ll also have the opportunity to put more money toward your debt, which can further reduce your DTI. A few ways you might increase your income include working toward a work promotion, working overtime or picking up a second job or side gig.

 

Lower Your Monthly Payments

By reducing your monthly debt payments, you can reduce the percentage of your income being used for debt. There are several ways to lower your monthly payments, including refinancing your loans or negotiating the interest rate on your debt. While negotiating your interest rate may be possible for credit cards, installment loans — like personal loans, auto loans or student loans — will likely require a refinance to adjust the rate.

 

Reduce Your Nonessential Spending

Look at where your money is going every month and cut back as much as you can. For example, are you paying for things like subscriptions that you no longer need? Freeing up that extra money in your monthly budget means you’ll have more available to pay off debt. And the more quickly you can pay off debt, the more quickly you can reduce your DTI.

 

Increase Your Down Payment

When lenders calculate your DTI, they consider the impact of a mortgage loan on your finances and aim to keep your DTI with your mortgage under a certain level. You can reduce your DTI when you own a home by putting down a larger down payment, which will result in lower mortgage payments each month.

 

 

 

This material was created for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as ERISA, tax, legal or investment advice. If you are seeking investment advice specific to your needs, such advice services must be obtained on your own separate from this educational material.

Kmotion, Inc., 412 Beavercreek Road, Suite 611, Oregon City, OR 97045; www.kmotion.com

©2022 Kmotion, Inc. This newsletter is a publication of Kmotion, Inc., whose role is solely that of publisher. The articles and opinions in this newsletter are those of Kmotion. The articles and opinions are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual. Nothing in this publication shall be construed as providing investment counseling or directing employees to participate in any investment program in any way. Please consult your financial advisor or other appropriate professional for further assistance with regard to your individual situation.

 

real estate boom

Anyone looking to buy or sell a home lately has probably been hit by sticker shock. Residential real estate prices have gone through the roof, increasing at rates unseen since 2005. According to S&P Case-Shiller, home prices in March saw their highest annual rate of growth in over 15 years — up 13.2% from a year earlier, following a 12.0% annual gain in February. Some markets — most notably Phoenix, San Diego, and Seattle — saw gains of 18% to 20%.1 What’s more, the median price of a new home sold in April was $372,400, up 20.1% from a year earlier, the strongest annual gain since 1988.2

Bidding wars are now common, and in some neighborhoods, competition is so fierce that many homes are sold before they even hit the market. According to Zillow, nearly half of the people who sold homes in April accepted an offer within a week.3

What’s Behind the Surge

Several different factors are driving the frenzy. For one, mortgage rates remain historically low. Although they have crept up some since their all-time low in January, the rate on a 30-year conventional mortgage was just 2.93% as of June 27.4 That means that anyone looking to spend a fixed amount per month on a mortgage can now afford much more house than they could a few years ago.

There are also demographic factors at work. Millennials, who, as a group, have long shunned buying in favor of renting, are now entering the market in force. COVID-19 and the prospect of long-term telecommuting have encouraged many to move from urban apartments to suburban homes. Many others are transitioning into larger homes to accommodate families.

Perhaps the biggest reason for the current spike in prices is supply — or lack thereof. The inventory of new houses has been sharply constricted by a widespread lumber shortage, along with shortages of kitchen appliances and other building supplies, such as copper and PVC pipe. Transportation logjams, brought on in part by COVID lockdowns and business closures, continue to impact new home construction. This has put pressure on the overall inventory of existing homes as well, as would-be buyers of new homes opt for existing homes instead. Although existing home sales are up year-to-date, they dropped in April for the third consecutive month, according to the National Association of Realtors.5

Will it continue?

Although the current supply shortage shows no signs of abating, over time, the bottlenecks will likely work their way out, as the post-COVID economy kicks into gear. Price appreciation is unlikely to continue at its current heady pace, but most real estate analysts do not foresee any major price drop, as happened back in 2006 to 2012 when overbuilding and lax lending standards posed more fundamental issues. The bigger concern may be mortgage rates. Average rates remain below 3%, but that could change if inflation prompts the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates. The Fed has indicated that it intends to hold rates steady for the time being, but should inflation continue at its recently reported level of over 4%, it will likely take action. Should that happen, mortgage rates would rise and real estate demand would cool down.

So stay tuned, but be prepared for more of the same in the immediate future.

Notes:

1S&P Dow Jones Indices, S&P Corelogic Case-Shiller Index Shows Annual Home Price Gains Climbed to 13.2% in March, May, 25, 20121.

2Source: Wall Street Journal, U.S. Home-Price Growth Surges as Demand Overwhelms Supply, May 25, 2021, based on figures released by the Commerce Department.

3Source: NBC News, It’s a red-hot real estate market — so why are home sales plunging?, May 22, 2021

4Source: Freddie Mac, as of June 17, 2021.

5National Association of Realtors, Existing Home Sales, May 27, 2021.

 

                                                                                                                                                                            

This material was prepared by LPL Financial. This material is for general information only and is not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual. There is no assurance that they views or strategies discussed are suitable for all investors or will yield positive outcomes. Investing involves risks including possible loss of principal. Any economic forecasts set forth may not develop as predicted and are subject to change. All performance referenced is historical and is no guarantee of future results. All indexes are unmanaged and cannot be invested into directly.

 

This information is not intended to be a substitute for specific individualized tax advice. We suggest that you discuss your specific tax issues with a qualified tax advisor.

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