Newsletter

I have written for years educating consumers on why interest rates move up or down. I know all of you just want to know if you’ll be able to refinance, and when to pull the trigger and lock in that rate. This week I’m going to break it down into the two most important and…

I wouldn’t expect anyone outside the world of mortgage financing to have tracked the fall, then rise, of mortgage rates over the past 2 weeks. Rates dropped to their all-time low, and before you could say yay! rates jumped up higher than what they were prior to the fall of the stock market. I have…

The stock market had violent swings up and down, but the trend was all negative. The bond market surged with investors fleeing stocks for safer places to put their money. I have been flooded with calls and emails asking some very specific and important questions: What are the current mortgage rates? Did rates drop more…

Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock this week, you’re aware that mortgage rates have moved sharply lower. I’ve fielded so many calls this week with questions, I thought it would be best to try and answer them here. Some responses are to questions, others are to statements that are just wrong. Feel free to…

I get it. What we make and how much we have in the bank are two pieces of information that we rarely ever share. Now your applying for a mortgage and the person you know nothing about is asking you to expose yourself completely. Today I’ll share some light on how we got here and…

With the new year there’s been a spike in inquires from those interested in buying land and building. This week we will dive into the background and requirements to buy land and constructing a home. Vacant land financing is probably the least favorable real estate loan banks offer. The reason for this has to do…

In the course of providing financing for a condo, lenders must obtain information about the condo project in order to determine if the project meets the guidelines set by Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, or the bank’s own internal lending policies. The information required is gathered, kept, maintained, and distributed in almost all cases by the…

They’re not iPhones, nor iPads, not any other “thing” one can own. iBuyers are internet based companies that buy homes from you the public, then resells them for a profit. These are not the “fix and flip” guys you may have seen on TV. These are shrewd business people looking to take advantage of consumers.…

If there is one topic I have written the most about in all my years of producing this weekly newsletter, it has to be on how technology has impacted the way consumers obtain a mortgage. This week we will focus on the documentation, skills and hardware you will need to effectively navigate the mortgage process.…

For the past several years it has been nearly impossible to get FHA financing on a condo. FHA announced this week changes that will dramatically change things. FHA financing allows for those with little money for a down payment, challenged credit, limited credit, or lower income – one or all of these could be your…