Sedona Homes Online

#1 Sedona Real Estate & Sedona Home Search - Sedona AZ Foreclosure Homes

(928) 451-6098
  • Home
  • Search
    • Featured Homes
    • Personal MLS Portal
  • Local Info
    • Service Providers
    • Utilities List
    • Sedona History
    • Schools
    • Real Estate Taxes
  • Buyers/Sellers
    • Buyers
    • Sellers
    • Why Work With A CRS?
    • Calculators
    • Arizona Buyer Advisory
  • Contact
    • About Troy & Susan
    • Sedona Real Estate Blog
    • Reviews
  • Search
  • What’s it Worth?
  • ContactGet in Touch
    • About Susan & TroyAll About Us
You are here: Home / Archives for Senior Loan Officer

Banks Start To Loosen Up In Underwriting

February 3, 2012 By Troy Deierling Leave a Comment

FOMC senior loan officer survey 2011 Q4

After a half-decade of tightening mortgage guidelines, banks are starting to “loosen up”.

The Federal Reserve conducts a quarterly survey of its member banks and, last quarter, not a single responding bank reported having tightened its mortgage guidelines for prime borrowers.

A “prime borrower” is defined as one with a well-documented credit history, high credit scores, and a low debt-to-income ratio.

53 banks responded to the Fed’s survey and none said that mortgage guidelines “tightened considerably” or “tightened somewhat” between September and December 2011; 50 said that guidelines remained “basicaly unchanged”; 3 said that guidelines “eased somewhat”.

Mortgage applicants sometimes remark that the mortgage approval process can be challenging. Last quarter’s Fed survey hints that looser standards are coming. 

Not since before the recession have banks lowered mortgage approval standards like this and it bodes well for this year’s Cottonwood  housing market. Real estate agents report that 1 in 3 home sale contracts fail with “declined mortgage applications” as a leading cause.

Looser mortgage lending standards should mean more home loan approvals for buyers, and fewer contract cancellations. This can spur the housing market forward.

Make note, though. “Looser standards” should not be confused with “irresponsible standards”. It remains more difficult to meet bank standards as compared to 5 years. Today’s underwriters are more conservative with respect to household income, overall assets and credit scores. 

Even as compared to one year ago:

  • Minimum credit score requirements are higher
  • Downpayment/equity requirements are larger
  • Maximum allowable debt-to-income ratios are lower

For buyers and refinancing households gaining approval, though, the reward is the lowest mortgage rates in a lifetime. Mortgage rates in AZ continue to fall, helping home affordability reach new highs.

If you’re in the market to buy a new home or refinance one, your timing is excellent.

Filed Under: Mortgage Guidelines Tagged With: Federal Reserve, FICO, Senior Loan Officer

Contact Us

Sedona AZ Real Estate Broker Susan Deierling, ABR, CRS
Assoc. Broker
Realty Executives
Northern Arizona
Sedona AZ
(928) 451-6098 mobile/text/VM
(888) 494-0470 (US & Canada)
susan@sedonaemail.com

Contact Me | About Us

Sedona AZ Homes for sale Troy Deierling ABR CRS
Realty Executives
Northern Arizona
Sedona AZ
(928) 202-0700 mobile/text/VM
troy@sedonaemail.com

Contact Me | About Us

Contact Susan

Sedona AZ Real Estate Broker Susan Deierling, ABR, CRS
Assoc. Broker
RE/MAX Sedona
Sedona AZ
(928) 451-6098 mobile/text/VM
(888) 494-0470 (US & Canada)
susan@sedonaemail.com

Contact Me | About Us

Contact Troy

Sedona AZ Homes for sale Troy Deierling ABR CRS
RE/MAX Sedona
Sedona AZ
(928) 202-0700 mobile/text/VM
troy@sedonaemail.com

Contact Me | About Us
Realtor MLS HUD

Deierling & Deierling PLLC // All Rights Reserved Copyright © 2022 ยท Log in

Sedona home search

Sedona Homes Online Sitemaps | Post | Pages | Video | Category | Author | HTML

The data relating to real estate for sale on this website comes in part from the Sedona Verde Valley Multiple Listing Service (MLS). Listing broker has attempted to offer accurate data but is not guaranteed accurate by the MLS. All information presented is deemed reliable but not guaranteed. IDX is provided exclusively for consumer's personal, non-commercial use; and may not be used for any purpose other than to identify prospective properties consumers may be interested in purchasing. Any use outside of this purpose is prohibited.