Buying a New Construction Home
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 […]
Happy Halloween
Halloween is one of my favorite holidays of the year. I love the weather as the seasons are changing, I love the atmosphere of fun and mischief, and I love how happy kids get for a few small candies. If you or your family will be dressing up this year for Halloween, or if you […]
Flipping a House With a Mortgage
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 […]
Things to Consider When Upgrading to a Bigger Home
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, […]
Mortgages Largely Unaffected by Government Shutdown
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 […]
Buying a House With Cash
In today’s market, many customers buy houses with cash, rather than a mortgage, to expedite the process and avoid closing costs. And while this strategy may be great for investors, it is usually not a very good idea for people buying a primary residence or a vacation home. When considering if buying a house with […]
Buying a House With Bad Credit
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 […]
How Do Interest Rates Affect my Mortgage?
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 […]
How Does the Government Shutdown Affect Your Mortgage?
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 […]
Does Mortgage Insurance Go Away on a Conventional Mortgage?
While the rules for mortgage insurance on conventional mortgages are more clear and more favorable than the new rules on FHA mortgages \, there is still a lot of gray area. This is because each insurance company and each lender have their own specific rules, and each state can have additional rules which further complicate […]