Pasadena Real Estate

If you are an LAUSD (Los Angeles Unified School District) employee, you may qualify for a special home loan through CalSTERS.  This special home loan program is open to over 700,000 CalSTRS members including LAUSD employees and college educators.

To assist in purchasing your Pasadena home, CalSTRS offers an 80/17 loan program.  Here is what it looks like:

• You need to have a 3% down payment.  2% of the down payment can be gift money, but not from selling property.
• 1st home loan (mortgage) will be 80% of the purchase price.
• 2nd home loan (mortgage) will be for 17% of the purchase price.  BUT, payments on the 2nd mortgage are deferred for 5 years!
• There is no Mortgage Insurance
• There is no Pre-Payment penalty.

This special home loan is available for single family homes and Fannie Mae approved condos only.

So if you are thinking of buying your Pasadena home and work for LAUSD, don't forge to check into this CalSTERS loan.

Read More:  Pasadena City Guide

                  South Pasadena City Guide

                  San Gabriel City Guide

                  San Marino City Guide

What a great opportunity!

I just got off the phone with my personal mortgage consultant - Mondie Pic'l at Wells Fargo.  Today, Pasadena mortgage rates have hit the lowest that we'd seen in quite some time.  I have asked her to lock the mortgage rate for me and will be refinancing my home. 

The opportunities are tremendous TODAY to refinance your existing loan or to lock in a mortgage rate on your Pasadena home purchase.  We're seeing rates as low as 5.75% with NO points for a 30 year fixed loan.

If you'd like to reach Mondie to discuss your mortgage options, please call her at 909-912-1847.

Don't miss this one!

Looking for more information about Pasadena California - see Pasadena City Guide.

by Brian Brady

The economy is really sick:

Today's CPI report signals deflation, or a prolonged price slide, may become another hazard facing Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke and President-elect Barack Obama. Deflation could worsen the economic downturn by making debts harder to pay off and countering the impact of Fed interest-rate cuts.

''The economy's really just in horrific shape,'' said Joseph LaVorgna, chief U.S. economist at Deutsche Bank Securities in New York. Fed officials will ''take rates as low as they have to'' to avoid ''a deflation-type scenario, which now all of a sudden is very possible.''

LaVorgna predicts the Fed will cut its main rate to 0.5 percent from its current 1 percent when it meets on Dec. 16.

Fed Vice Chairman Donald Kohn said today that while the risk of deflation is ''still small,'' policy makers must be ''aggressive'' in fighting the danger. The economy ''is declining right now'' and will record a couple of quarters of contraction, he said in answering questions after a speech in Washington.

Fed policy makers last month forecast the U.S. economy will contract through the middle of 2009, with some officials prepared to cut interest rates further in response, according to a record of the group's meeting.

If the Fed's thinking of cutting rates further, why aren't mortgage rates going down?  I think it's because the Fed has done all it can do.  Future rate cuts are like that eighth scotch.  Drinking that eighth scotch isn't going to make you feel any better than the seven prior.  It just might make you feel worse.

I advised folks, right after the election, to lock loans with rates under 6% if they were closing within 30 days.  Today, I'm suggesting that you lock any loan that is closing this year.  Today, a 45-day lock for a 6.0% rate would costs 1.25%.  While you may see rates drop below 6% , in the next 45 days, the risk of them moving higher is greater.

Take 6% and run.

• By: Brian Brady
• America's #1 Mortgage Broker

We analyze Pasadena mortgage rates by examining the mortgage-backed securities market and its reaction to economic data and events.  Today, the Federal Reserve cut the Fed Funds rate to an historical low of 1%:

The Fed funds rate target is now 1%, the lowest level in more than four years. In announcing its decision, the Federal Open Market Committee cited a drop in spending by consumers and businesses, and predicted that consumption may slow further due to tighter lending standards.

"The pace of economic activity appears to have slowed markedly," the FOMC said in a statement, "owing importantly to a decline in consumer expenditures."

Why's the economy in the tank?  You just aren't spending enough money, Joe the Plumber.  Of course, you can't borrow any either so you're hesitant about spending.   Hence, the Fed cut in rate.  Normally, a Fed cut should be followed by a RISE in mortgage rates but it looks like the mortgage-backed securities market anticipated the cut a week ago. 

Let's take a look the crystal ball (market chart):

See what's happening here?  Two weeks ago, we had a six day BIG drop, which caused rates to rise from 5.875% to 6.5%.  That drop was followed by a 5 day rally, which brought rates back down to 5.875%.  Then, we had a six day BIG drop, driving Pasadena mortgage rates back up to 6.5% (today)...

...and I think the market overreacted which means I think we'll see lower mortgage rates into the beginning of November.

This is the kind of volatility we've come to expect.  Pasadena mortgage rates should drop to 6.25%, pause, then drop again to the 6% level or below.  No guarantees but November closings should get a peek at 6% or better rates soon.

• By: Brian Brady
• America's #1 Mortgage Broker

Friday, Pasadena mortgage rates jumped from 5.875% to 6.25% as mortgage-backed securities traders joined the world wide sell-off.  Global stock markets plunged Friday and the Asian markets were weak for Monday.  Investors world wide don't want to be invested in ANYTHING.

When the world panics, we FLOAT mortgage rates.  So, roll the projectors!  The movie "Float Club" is playing all week.

Interestingly enough, gold isn't skyrocketing in price.  Long held as a "safe haven" during times of turmoil, investors are opting to hold their portfolios in cash instead:

Bullion is down 15 percent this month as the dollar climbed to a two-year high against the euro and the Standard & Poor's 500 Index headed for its steepest monthly loss since 1938.

`We're seeing some consolidation in the market today as investors pause for breath following the roller-coaster we had last week," Zhu Lv, research manager at Shanghai Tonglian Futures Co., said from Shanghai today.

Gold for immediate delivery gained as much as 1.7 percent to $746.91 an ounce, and traded at $735.33 at 10:29 a.m. in Singapore. The metal fell below $700 on Oct. 24. Silver for immediate delivery was up 1 percent at $9.4575 an ounce.

Gold still benefits from its safe haven properties, although these days, more and more are choosing to hold just cash instead, so it won't be surprising to see gold below $700 again," said Zhu.

What's that mean?  It means that while investors are cautious, they aren't completely terrified and that bodes well for mortgage-backed securities.  When investors buy mortgage-backed securities, mortgage rates drop; that's what we think will happen in the next 7-10 days.

I cautioned borrowers to lock in all October closings last week when Pasadena mortgage rates dipped below 6%.  That opportunity had a short-lived window.  Like all panics, reason eventually prevails.  Central banks world wide are slashing interest rates to avoid an economic recession.  This make US dollar denominated investments, especially mortgage-backed securities more attractive.

Hold out for a mortgage rate below 6% if you're closing in November.

Originally posted on Millionaire Real Estate Lender