What is a Guaranteed Loan: USDA, VA and FHA

Have you heard the term “guaranteed loan?” It’s possible, but it’s mortgage industry parlance that describes a specific feature of a mortgage program. There are three such programs and they’re all guaranteed loans to some degree by the government. It’s a government-guaranteed loan and there are three of them. The three are the VA, FHA […]

How to Know When to Buy and Stop Renting

Let’s face it, there are some very real advantages of renting instead of owning.  Most of those advantages are related to a change of scenery. When paying rent, you have a choice of where you want to live, how much you want to pay each month for rent and how long you want your lease […]

Have You Checked Interest Rates Lately?

More than a year ago when interest rates began to slowly move up after recent Federal Reserve comments indicated we can anticipate three and maybe four rate increases for 2018. That was based upon economic projections that indicated our economy was awakening from its extended slumber as job creation and the unemployment rate showed signs […]

HUD, FHFA, FNMA, FHA, FHLMC: Who Are These People, Anyway?

HUD, FHFA, FNMA, FHA, FHLMC: Who Are These People? Well, they’re not really people. People certainly work there but in reality, HUD along with the others all government agencies that have some major connection with the mortgage industry. Some are relatively new and some not so much. The mortgage industry has so many acronyms it […]

Conventional Loan Approval: Basic Guidelines

Conventional loans are by far the most popular choice among home buyers. Conventional loans are those underwritten to standards set forth by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. When a loan is approved using these guidelines it is then eligible for sale in the secondary markets. Selling a loan allows the lender to continue making mortgages. […]

Why Portfolio Loans are Important

There is a term in the mortgage industry called “portfolio lending” and it’s a specific type of home loan program that caters to a particular situation. Portfolio loans are so important that without it the real estate industry would suffer. What is a portfolio loan? It’s a loan that does not fit into any secondary […]

When are Government-Backed Loan Programs the Best Choice?

There are three government-backed loan programs available today: The USDA, VA and  FHA loan programs. They’re referred to as a government-backed loan because the lender is guaranteed to be compensated should the loan ever go into default. Each of these three has their own special niche that is filled. USDA Loans USDA loans are used […]

Conventional 97 (3.0% Down) or FHA (3.5% Down) – Which is Better?

If a low down payment mortgage is your preference, there are two programs that might suit your needs. The Conventional 97, a Fannie Mae product, and the FHA loan. They’re both very similar and even more so beyond the low down payment. If you’re eligible for both programs, there are some questions to ask to […]

7 Reasons You Should Use a Mortgage Broker

A mortgage broker is an individual or a business that discovers and arranges financing for their clients. I’m a mortgage broker and my fiduciary responsibility is to you. There are multiple places to obtain a home loan from your local bank to an online lender but a mortgage broker has distinct advantages that other lending […]

Mortgage Rate Forecast: Should You buy Now or Wait?

It’s now closer to the time when holidays and days off are further in the rear view mirror and it’s back to the standard routine. Investors are back in the markets packing their portfolios with stocks, mutual funds and bonds and analysts are moving back in the guessing game as to the state of the […]