Many of my clients decide they would like to build their own home rather than buy an older one. If you are considering buying a new construction home, there are a few things to keep in mind, which I have learned from my clients over the year. The first thing to remember is that prices […]

Speculative real estate transactions have become extremely popular again in the last few years. Depressed house values combined with historically low interest rates have created the perfect environment for people looking to flip homes for a profit. But for many, this does not mean buying the house with cash, it instead means getting a mortgage […]

Everybody wants a bigger house. Well, almost everybody – I’m sure there are some billionaires who are happy with their mansions – but for the rest of us, the idea of a bigger house is usually alluring. And with the still depressed prices in much of the market place, and the still low interest rates, […]

Last week, I discussed some of the consequences of the government shutdown on the mortgage industry. Now, 6 days after the government reopened, I am proud to report that the impact has been almost nonexistent. Mortgages continued to close during the shutdown and continue to now. No one lost a home or lost an interest […]

There is a lot of misinformation online in relation to credit and qualifying for a mortgage. Yes, credit is certainly a factor when determining eligibility, but many people qualify who do not realize they do. This can be for a number of reasons – if you or your spouse are a veteran, you qualify for […]

For the last 5 years, there has been a lot of talk about interest rates. Every three months, it has felt like, there has been a new low set in regard to mortgage rates. Then about six months ago, rates suddenly jumped back up, based on perceived economic strength. Now, they are still at unprecedented […]

I don’t think I have ever had a week long period of time in my career when I received as many calls as I have in the last week. Nearly every client I am currently working with has called me with some horror story they heard on the news about a customer losing a contract […]

This used to be an easy question to answer, but over the last few months it has become quite a bit more difficult. In 2000, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced that any borrower with an FHA mortgage could have their mortgage insurance removed once they had at least 22% equity in […]

Many of my customers look at foreclosures and short sales to try to find a deal on a new home. There has been a lot of media hype in the last few years around them, and almost anyone will tell you that you can buy a house cheaper this way than through traditional means. But […]

A few months ago, I blogged about the MSHDA down payment assistance program for first time home buyers. It is a wonderful program for people living in the great state of Michigan which offers up to $7500 to borrowers to help them purchase a home. The $7500 can be used as a down payment, and […]