Mortgage Tips | Mortgage Lenders in Raleigh NC

2022 Interim Conforming Loan Amounts

September 13, 2022 by Kevin Martini

Raleigh mortgage lender and Certified Mortgage Advisor Kevin Martini announced on September 12, 2022, the Martini Mortgage Group at Gold Star Financial will be offering an interim increased conforming loan limits for the balance of 2022. The new 2022 interim conforming loan limit for one-unit properties (and higher for more units) is going to be $715,000 with the Martini Mortgage Group, an increase of $67,800 from $647,200 from earlier in 2022.

interim 2022 conforming loan limits for raleigh north carolina

What is a Conforming Loan?

A conforming loan, also referred to as a ‘conventional’ or ‘agency’ loan, is any mortgage that meets the Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac guidelines. Fannie Mae and Fredie Mac are government-sponsored entities (a.k.a. GSE). In other words, a conforming loan ‘conforms’ to the asset, credit and income guidelines set forth by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) sets the conforming loan limit based on the FHFA House Price Index (HPI) for the third quarter of the year which covers the last four quarters.

Why the Martini Mortgage Group is offering a 2022 Interim Conforming Loan Amount

The Martini Mortgage Group at Gold Star Financial projects that the 2023 Conforming Loan Limits will increase to $715,000 for one-unit properties (and higher for more units) to adjust for surge in the average U.S. home prices.

I say ‘projected’ because the official number has not been released however we at the Martini Mortgage Group support the projected number ahead of the Federal Housing Finance Agency official announcement that should be released later this fall to help the families we serve today.
Logan Martini

Higher Conforming Loan Limits benefit homebuyers and homeowners

For homebuyers, there is a true cost of waiting to buy a home. During the past year, home prices have risen by approximately 15%+ in many markets. This means it takes $575,000 to purchase a home that you could have purchased a year ago for $500,000. While 15%+ annual increases in home prices are unlikely, a more reasonable scenario is that home prices may rise by 5%+ in the coming year. That’s because supply is likely to remain low and demand is likely to remain high. If home prices only go up by 5%, you may lose another $30,000 – $60,000 if you wait, depending on your price range.

For homeowners, the higher conforming loan limits means a homeowner can access more of their ‘tappable equity’. Tappable equity is defined as how much equity homeowners have available to access while retaining at least 20% equity in their homes. In other words, it’s how much equity you’d have available to tap into if you borrowed up to 80% of your home value.

How can you benefit from the new higher Interim Conforming Loan Limits offered by the Martini Mortgage Group?

Buying a home as a first-time home buyer or as a repeat homebuyer is a process not an event. It is also a process for a current homeowner that wants to access their earned tappable equity. The process start with a conversation with either Logan Martini or Kevin Martini with the Martini Mortgage Group. Let’s chat to discuss the process and allow us to provide you not just with price and cost clarity but also, certainty.

Logan Martini

Kevin Martini

Things to Consider when Buying a Home (Martini Buyer Guide | Fall 2022)

September 5, 2022 by Kevin Martini

If you are a first-time homebuyer or a repeat homebuyer, there are many things to consider when buying a home. Certified Mortgage Advisor Kevin Martini and Senior Mortgage Strategist Logan Martini curated the Fall 2022 Martini Buyer Guide to simply explain the current real estate and mortgage markets plus vital information about buying a home and the process of getting a mortgage. The Fall 2022 edition of the Martini Buyer Guide has a dozen of informative articles that talk about things one needs to know about the current real estate and mortgage markets.

things to consider when buying a home raleigh mortgage compny martini mortgage group — Fall 2022 Edition of Martini Buyer Guide

If you are buying real estate, if you are selling real estate, if you are refinancing a mortgage or if you work in the real estate arena then the Fall 2022 Martini Buyer Guide would be very helpful since it simply explains the current real estate and mortgage opportunity.

The Fall 2022 Martini Buyer Guide was curated to simply explain what is going on in the real estate and mortgage markets.
Logan Martini, Senior Mortgage Strategist & Raleigh Mortgage Broker

Contents of Martini Buyer Guide (Things to Consider when Buying a Home)

Martini Buyer Guide

Should I Buy a Home This Fall?

If you’re wondering if it’s the right time to buy a home, you should know you have an opportunity to grow your wealth, stabilize your expenses, and benefit from more options for your home search this fall.

Expert Insights for Today’s Homebuyers

If you want to buy a home today, here are a few things experts say you should know about what to expect and why homeownership is so important.

More Options for Your Home Search

There’s no denying the housing market has delivered a fair share of challenges to homebuyers over the past two years. Two of the biggest hurdles were the limited number of homes for sale and the intensity and frequency of bidding wars. But those two things have reached a turning point.

Housing Market Forecast

The housing market is at a turning point, and if you’re thinking of buying a home, that may leave you wondering: is it the right time to make a move? Let’s turn to the experts for what the future is projected to hold.

Americans Choose Real Estate as the Best Investment

You’re not just buying a place to call home, you’re investing in your future.

The Benefit of Buying a Home Now

You may be asking yourself: should I buy right now, or should I wait? While no one can answer that question for you, here’s some information that could help you make your decision.

The One Thing You Need To Know About a Recession

The one thing you need to know as you watch the news and read the headlines today is that a recession does not mean falling home prices.

Why the Housing Market Won’t Crash

With all the buzz in the media, you may start to worry the housing market is in a bubble. While it’s only natural for concerns to creep in that there could be a repeat of what took place in 2008, the good news is there’s concrete data to show why this is nothing like the last time.

What You Need To Know About Down Payment Assistance Programs

When it comes to buying a home, it can feel a bit intimidating to know how much you need to save. Here’s some information you’ll want to know about programs that could help you reach your down payment goals.

Things To Avoid After Applying for a Mortgage

Consistency is the name of the game after applying for a mortgage.

Tips for Making Your Best Offer

While the housing market is going through a shift, it’s still competitive for buyers because the overall inventory of homes for sale is low. Enjoy having more options as supply continues to grow this year, but keep these tips in mind to help you put in a strong offer once you find the one.

Top Reasons To Own Your Home

Homeownership has tangible and non-tangible benefits.

Getting a home loan and buying a home is a process…NOT an event.

There is no question that getting a mortgage and buying a home in Raleigh, anywhere in North Carolina or in the U.S. for that matter, is a process…it is not an event. Since there is never a substitute for education, the home buying process needs to start with education of options available for your home loan regardless of the experience level of the homebuyer. The Martini Buyer Guide was created to provided factual information based on reliable sources and provides relevant information that go beyond the headlines. Kevin Martini and Logan Martini understand that purchasing a home is more than just one single event. It is a process. They want to work with you during the process, to help you understand the process and help it go as smoothly as possible. Let them help you develop a plan that leads directly to homeownership and financial success, beginning with getting Approved for your Raleigh or Triangle Area or North Carolina mortgage today!

Certainty with a Frictionless Process

It has always mattered who does your mortgage however this sentiment is most important now as we live in a post-Covid world. Communicating to a seller that you are just ready and willing to buy is not enough! You need to communicate that you are able and this means you are able to make a ‘Same-As-Cash’ offer from a local lender that constantly provides on-time real estate closing that are frictionless. and provide certainty to all involved. An approval letter from a Mortgage Strategist with the Martini Mortgage Group at Gold Star Mortgage Financial Group, Corporation provides certainty that the transaction will happen and it will happen on-time without stress.

Kevin Martini

Logan Martini

How does the Capital Gains Tax work by Kevin Martini

August 19, 2022 by Kevin Martini

There are four things to you should know and understand about the Capital Gains Tax; what is the Capital Gains Tax, how is the Capital Gains Tax calculated, what is the the tax rate for Capital Gains Tax and the potential way to avoid or defer Capital Gain Tax.

(IMPORTANT NOTE: This article is provided for information purposes ONLY and does not constitute legal, tax or financial advice. Please consult with a qualified tax advisor for specific advice pertaining to your situation. For more information on any of these items, please reference IRS PUBLICATION 523 for Primary Residence or IRS PUBLICATION 527 & IRS PUBLICATION 544 for Investment Properties.)

WHAT IS THE CAPITAL GAINS TAX?

The Capital Gains Tax is a tax paid upon selling a capital asset (e.g. stocks, bonds, jewelry, real estate) based on the amount the capital asset appreciated during the period of ownership of the capital asset.

The Capital Gains Tax is a tax that you pay on the profit from the sale of any capital asset, including real estate.
Raleigh Mortgage Broker Kevin Martini

HOW DO YOU CALCULATE CAPITAL GAIN?

To understand the Capital Gains Tax, one must first understand “basis.” Basis, as it related to real estate, is the cost of buying, building, or improving a property. For illustration, if you paid $500,000 for a property, and spent $100,000 in improvements over time of ownership, your basis would be $600,000. If you sell the property for $1,000,000 and pay $80,000 in closing costs, your profit on the sale of the property would be $320,000. You would then need to pay capital gains taxes on that profit.

WHAT IS THE CAPITAL GAINS TAX RATE?

The long-term Capital Gains tax rate for the 2022 tax year are 0%. 15% or 20% of the profit. For most tax payers, the Federal Capital Gains Tax rate is currently 15% however it is 0% if you’re in the lowest income tax bracket and 20% if you’re in the highest income tax bracket.

In the example previously mentioned (i.e. you sold a property for $1,000,000 and your cost basis was $,680,000 and you profited $320,000) you’d need to pay $64,000 in taxes if your Capital Gains Tax rate is 20% or $48,000 if your Capital Gains Tax rate is 15%. In addition, you may also have to pay a state tax and a 3.8% federal Net Investment Income Tax (NIIT). Again, this article is provided for information purposes ONLY and does not constitute legal, tax or financial advice. Please consult with a qualified tax advisor for specific advice pertaining to your situation.

IS THERE ANY WAY TO AVOID OR DEFER PAYING THE TAX?

Perhaps. If the property is your primary residence, and you’ve lived there for 2 out of the past 5 years, you may be able to exclude some or all of the capital gain from taxes with what is called a Principal Residence Exclusion. With a Principal Residence Exclusion, a certain portion of the capital gain is excluded from tax. In the 2022 tax year, married couples can exclude $500,000 of capital gain from tax. Individuals or married couples filing a separate tax return can exclude $250,000 of gain from tax.

In the example mentioned previously (i.e. you sold a property for $1,000,000 and your cost basis was $,680,000 and you profited $320,000), the entire $320,000 would be excluded from tax if this was your primary home and if you were married, filing a joint tax return. This means that you could save up to $76,160 by using this exclusion (no capital gains tax and no 3.8% NIIT)!

If the property is an investment property, you may be able to defer the tax by using a 1031 Exchange. With a 1031 Exchange, A 1031 Exchange you may be able to defer the capital gains tax on the sale of investment property if you roll over all the sales proceeds into a new investment property.

1031 Exchanges are ideal for long-term real estate investors
Raleigh Mortgage Broker Kevin Martini

GET MORTGAGE HELP FROM THE MARTINI MORTGAGE GROUP

If you have additional questions on Capital Gains Tax or anything mortgage, let us connect. Unlike other mortgage companies, the Martini Mortgage Group takes a fiduciary approach. That means that the advice and products we offer exist to serve your interests ahead of ours. Give us a call: (919) 238-4934