Rocket Rolls Out 1% Down Payment Program

Rocket Mortgage is launching a product for low-to-moderate income borrowers to help get them on the ladder of homeownership. With ONE+, homebuyers pay a down payment of 1% of the purchase price. Households with income equal to or less than 80% of their area median income are eligible. Rocket will then kick in the remaining 2% required for a loan. ONE+ covers the monthly mortgage insurance fee required if a buyer places less than 20% down. The program is available for single-family home purchases, including manufactured homes, and it is expected that more than 90 million Americans can save thousands of dollars. Bob Walters, CEO of Rocket Mortgage, said in a statement that no other lender has an option that…

Rocket Mortgage EVP: Addressing Affordability Is A Top Priority

By KIMBERLEY HAAS As the housing market moderates after a whirlwind pandemic ride, affordability continues to be a chief concern for consumers and mortgage providers are responding with a variety of programs to encourage potential buyers to get off the sidelines. Leaders at Rocket Mortgage say that a major hurdle on the path to homeownership for their clients is saving for closing costs and earlier this month they announced a national program where buyers can receive help through BUY+, a collaboration with Rocket Homes. Buyers can receive a credit of 1.5% of their loan amount – up to $10,000 off their closing costs – by working with a Rocket Homes Partner Agent. Those working with an unaffiliated real estate professional…

Underserved Communities: Rocket Offers Programs To Help Buyers Secure Mortgages

By KIMBERLEY HAAS Leaders at Rocket Mortgage have been rolling out programs to serve potential homebuyers in underserved communities. They announced last week that the company is the first national lender to offer Freddie Mac’s BorrowSmart Access program, which has a $3,000 credit for first-time homebuyers to use toward their down payment. To qualify for this program, the buyer must have an income equal to or less than 140% of the area median income and meet all other Freddie Mac lending guidelines. The purchase must take place in an eligible county within one of 10 metropolitan areas. The cities include Detroit, where Rocket is headquartered, Atlanta, Chicago, El Paso, Houston, McAllen, Memphis, Miami, Philadelphia, and St. Louis. In December, Purchase…

Listen To The Mortgage Note Podcast

The Mortgage Note’s Editor Kimberley Haas has been interviewing some of the leaders in the country over the past year. This podcast highlights the successes and innovations taking place in the mortgage industry. If you would like to participate in future episodes, please email us at [email protected].   Read Articles Featuring The Guests: Meet The Woman Behind “Wall Street South” You Can Get A Mortgage At Walmart Learn About Financing Manufactured Homes With Rocket’s EVP Of Capital Markets Guild Leaders Hope To Help Hispanic Homebuyers Through New Partnership The Future Landscape Of Cities: Live-Work-Play, Science Centers, Medical Offices Follow Us On Twitter: The Biden-Harris administration announced new actions to protect renters this week and leaders at the U.S. Department of…

With The Holidays Here, Industry Leaders Share What They Are Grateful For

By KIMBERLEY HAAS Industry leaders are sharing their thoughts as 2022 winds down and they are expressing gratitude despite challenges in the current market. Bill Banfield, EVP of Capital Markets at Rocket Mortgage in Detroit, Michigan, said he appreciates the mental stimulation of navigating a tough market because people are forced to get creative in finding solutions for customers. “Your company, your teams, you get to try to figure out how you can help people or how you can improve your company. It’s actually a much more fascinating time than when you’re in a super boom and all you can do is talk about rates and payments,” Banfield said. Banfield had just sat down with The Mortgage Note to talk…

Learn About Financing Manufactured Homes With Rocket’s EVP Of Capital Markets

Leaders at Rocket Mortgage announced a conventional loan option this month for people who are interested in purchasing or refinancing a manufactured home. Manufactured homes are built at indoor homebuilding facilities in accordance with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Manufactured Home Standards. They are then delivered to the land where the owner will live. A recent report from the Manufactured Housing Institute shows manufactured homes are about a third of the cost, on average, of site-built homes. The Institute also stated that 22 million Americans currently live in manufactured homes and this building type accounts for 9 percent of new home construction. Bill Banfield, EVP of Capital Markets at Rocket Mortgage, sat down for an interview with The Mortgage Note…

EVP: Rocket’s “Inflation Buster” Result Of Listening To Clients’ Needs

By KIMBERLEY HAAS As interest rates climb towards seven percent and loan applications fall to their slowest pace since 1997, leaders at Rocket Mortgage say they have a solution and it has a name: Inflation Buster. Rocket’s new Inflation Buster program was announced on Sept. 16. It gives homebuyers a reprieve by reducing their monthly mortgage payment by one percentage point for the first year of their loan, according to a press release. Bill Banfield, EVP of Capital Markets at Rocket Mortgage, sat down for an interview with The Mortgage Note to explain how the program is the result of leaders at the company listening to the needs of their clients. “You, me, everybody is talking about inflation. You can’t…