Michigan Mortgage News

Many hopeful homebuyers find that their income alone does not quite meet the requirements for a mortgage. This challenge is especially common for people early in their careers, those recovering from financial setbacks, or buyers facing higher home prices. One option that can make a meaningful difference is bringing in a non-occupant co-borrower.

This week finally got a strong release of regularly scheduled data, with unemployment figures coming out first, along with employment-rate data. The prior week included the Consumer Price Index, which came in favorable. Some of the unemployment-related numbers, however, weren't as telling as they could be: the forecast was roughly 50,000, but the actual figure landed closer to 110,000. That's an order-of-magnitude miss, suggesting we may need to allow some time for the data to self-correct.

The idea of extending mortgage terms well beyond the traditional thirty years is gaining new attention. With rising home prices and tightened affordability, many buyers are wondering whether a much longer loan could help lower the monthly payment enough to make homeownership more achievable. Before deciding if this type of option makes sense, it is important to look at why the concept is being discussed and what it could mean for buyers in the real world.