Do You Have to Be Married to Apply for a Joint Mortgage?

When two people file for a joint mortgage, it’s important to understand that it’s not necessary to be married. In fact, more and more people apply to finance a home together without having officially ‘tied the knot.’ Still, both parties need to be clear early on that they’re both going to be responsible for the […]

The ABCs of Financing a Rental Property

Financing a rental property is much like financing a primary residence or vacation home. The funding sources are pretty much the same and most lenders follow the same general set of guidelines. Most such loan programs are underwritten to standards set by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, although there are also other lenders who offer […]

Want to Be a Landlord? Know How It Will Affect Your Debt Ratios

One of the most consistent and safe investments continues to be real estate. Yes, there are always ups and downs but over time real estate as an investment asset is hard to beat. Flipping houses was a fad several years ago when No-Doc loans and loans for those with damaged credit were everywhere. Yet experienced […]

If Your Spouse Has Bad Credit: What That Means For You

Mortgage lenders evaluate good credit and bad credit a bit differently than they did several years ago. Prior to the introduction of credit scoring, a lender’s underwriter would review each credit entry line by line. The underwriter would look at credit limits and account balances, if there were any payments made 30, 60 or 90 […]

The Seesaw World of Mortgage Rates, Stocks and Bonds

If you’re like most people, you really don’t pay much attention to Wall Street on a daily basis. Sure, you’ll check your 401(k) when you statement comes in and peek at your IRA but in general, Wall Street is left for the so-called “experts” who buy and sell stocks every single day. But as you’re […]

VA Home Loan Changes for 2020

Perhaps the absolute best home loan option for those who qualify and want to come to the settlement table with as little out-of-pocket cash as possible is the VA home loan. The VA loan doesn’t need a down payment and is one of only two such government-backed programs with this feature. The other option is […]

1% Origination Fee and 1% Point: Know the Difference

There are several types of closing costs involved when financing or refinancing a home. Some are lender fees while still more are non-lender fees. We’re talking about processing fees, document preparation, title insurance and others. Yet two of these fees alone are expressed as a percentage of the loan amount. Those fees are a 1% […]

Appraisal Management Companies: What They Do and Why

Appraisal management companies essentially do one thing: manage appraisals. Appraisal management companies have been around only a relatively short period of time compared with the rest of the mortgage industry, but they play an important role. An appraisal management company works directly with a lender to receive an appraisal order, place the order, receive it […]

Why Wholesale Lending is So Important

If you’re not familiar with the term “wholesale lending” in the mortgage industry, you’re not alone. If you have heard the term, it’s easy to misinterpret its meaning. “Wholesale” might imply universal or overall but that’s not the definition. Wholesale lending plays a crucial part in the mortgage business and I’ll explain why. What is […]

Why Rent Payment History is So Important

If you’re thinking about buying your first home or maybe you have owned a home before but it’s been a while since you did, you’re going to wonder about how to qualify in today’s environment. There are different qualifying guidelines based upon things such as your income and employment, current monthly debt, rent payment history, […]