As I discussed last week, HUD recently released new guidelines for borrowers who have experienced an “economic event” in the last few years. These new guidelines allow qualified loan officers to help borrowers who were forced to declare bankruptcy buy a house if the borrowers meet certain guidelines, and if they experienced an economic event. […]

When it comes time to calculate a mortgage payment, most of my clients simply ask me what the payment will be, and decide if they are ready to move forward or not. Occasionally, I have clients who want to know the interest rate, term, and loan amount I am basing my figures on so that […]

Preapproval letters, also called prequalification letters, are an important part of the modern home buying process. Many of my clients who have been down the home buying path before get upset when asked for a preapproval letter by a realtor before the realtor will even take them to see houses. I have been told by […]

Credit is one of the most important factors in anyone’s ability to qualify for a mortgage. For this reason, it is important to always strive to protect your credit if at all possible. Unfortunately life happens, and it may be necessary to do something which can damage your credit. Last month, I had a customer […]

When purchasing a home, you have to determine if the house will be a Primary Residence, Second Home, or Investment Home. This determination affects the underwriting guidelines, and can impact the rate and terms of an approved loan. For this reason, it is important to understand the differences between these three property types. The easiest […]

Many of my customers looking to buy a home come to me with some vague notion that they need a preapproval, but are unsure of what this really means. Some think it is a binding letter which means they are in an agreement with me for a specific dollar amount and that it can’t be […]

The Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA) created a program to help first time home buyers buy a home. This program offers up to $7500 to borrowers to act as a down payment, helping buyers purchase a home with no money out of pocket. This down payment assistance is great for anyone interested in buying […]

There is a special mortgage type for active duty military, reservists, and veterans, called a VA mortgage. This mortgage works nothing like a conventional or FHA mortgage, as it does not rely on traditional debt to income calculations and has much more forgiving credit qualifications. It was a mortgage program designed by the government to […]

If you want to get the best rates, you need to be prepared when you’re seeking pre-approval on a mortgage.  That means being a little more assertive than normal when it comes to speaking with a mortgage professional.  This helps you collect information about the mortgage process and evaluate the data  – before making one […]

If you’re seeking a mortgage in Michigan to buy your first home, chances are good that the entire process of buying real estate is a little daunting – navigating the murky waters isn’t exactly easy when you don’t have a map and you’re not sure how the process works from start to finish. Real estate […]