What Happens During Your 30 Day Escrow Period

Your efforts have finally paid off. You submitted your loan application some time ago and received your preapproval letter. Your credit was reviewed and income and assets verified. Shopping for a home with a preapproval letter in hand gave you the confidence you needed knowing that all you need next is a property address. You […]

Is There Such a Thing as a Perfect FICO Score?

There are those who strive to get their credit scores as high as possible. Even way beyond the minimum FICO credit score for many home loan programs. Some programs that ask for a minimum FICO score of say 720 or 740 are above the minimum scores for other programs such as 680 or even 620. […]

How Different Loan Terms Affect Your Mortgage Payment

Most future borrowers simply want to know what their payment will be. Typically the question comes in the form of “what is your rate today” but ultimately it boils down into how much will go toward the mortgage. Of course the main factor is indeed the interest rate, and loan terms.  A person’s gross monthly […]

Adjustable-Rate Loan Terms Explained

Mortgage loans fall into two basic categories, fixed-rate and adjustable-rate loans. A fixed-rate loan, by far the most popular choice, is a loan program where the interest rate never changes. A fixed-rate loan allows borrowers to more easily plan their financial future because they know what the mortgage payment will be for years to come. […]

Fed Approves Rate Cut: What’s Next for Lower Rates?

Today, the FOMC decided to cut rates by 0.25 percent, as many investors had expected. The next scheduled meetings are October 29-30 and December 10-11. What is the forecast? That’s really too far out to tell but the Fed’s patience with rates over the past few years has been showing. Another move to lower rates […]

First Time Home Buyers: Here’s Your 6 Month Planner

Buying and financing your first home has a lot of moving parts. There are multiple people involved, some you will talk to and many that you won’t. From an appraisal to a credit report to title insurance and more, your loan officer will make sure all the necessary documentation is included in your loan file. […]

What Is a Flood Certificate and Do You Need One?

If you’re going to buy a home and get a mortgage, you’ll need a flood certificate, often referred to in the mortgage biz as a flood cert. You won’t be able to get financing without one. A flood cert isn’t very expensive at all, probably the least expensive items borrowers are expected to pay. Even […]

6 Painless Ways to Pay Down Debt

If you’re struggling to pay down debt, you’re not alone. It can start out somewhat unnoticeable. Someone gets a new credit card and is doing well with it, buying something on the card and paying the bill when due. After a time, the credit card company sees the positive payment patterns and raises the credit […]

Took Your Home Off the Market and Thinking of Refinancing? What You Need to Know

There are multiple reasons homeowners consider refinancing. Maybe you have a first and a second mortgage and if you combine the two into one “blended” rate, the total monthly payments are lower. Perhaps you took out a “balloon” mortgage and the note is coming soon down the road and you’ve decided to stay. Of course, […]

Fence-Sitters Take Note: Mortgage Rates Could Be At Their Bottom

In the mortgage business, loan officers constantly interact with their clients, especially as it relates to interest rates, and mortgage rates in particular. The rate on a mortgage loan just may be the single most important aspect of financing real estate. After all, your mortgage rate directly affects the monthly payment. When you call to […]