In the world of home financing and home loans, the role of loan officers goes beyond a transaction—it involves building trust, understanding local needs, and contributing to the community’s financial well-being. This guide explores the art of effective community…
Spring buyers have few homes to choose from Last week we saw mortgage rates tick upwards again to two-month highs, but buyer demand continues to be strong. While rates above 6.5% keep some out of the market, other buyers are competing vigorously for the…
Searching for a 5.5% rate Recently released March housing data shows exactly how much of a roller coaster homebuyers have been on so far this year. While existing home sales increased over 13% in February, the uptick in rates…
Rates were volatile this week as the market adjusted to a range of mixed signals. The 1-2 punch of a lower Fed interest rate hike and strong jobs data sent rates back up this week, following a month of…
Buyer energy has returned to the market with benchmarks showing mortgage rates hitting some of their lowest levels since September in the past week. While they have ticked up again over the past few days, reflecting continued rate volatility in the market, some signs show that buyer optimism has renewed.
Experts look ahead to 2023, but conditions are tough to predict Heading towards the end of the year, we’re seeing a lot of discussion around home prices, along with projections on where they may be headed in the coming…
Rates rise again, but volatility remains a constant Even as competition and inventory constraints loosen things up a bit, rising rates have kept affordability a challenge for buyers. We’ve seen significant volatility recently, not just in the wake of…
Buying another property is a dream for many homeowners. Who wouldn’t want to own an additional home, or even earn income from it? But getting a mortgage for an investment property or second home is more complicated than getting…
March 25, 2022. I’ll share my take on what’s happening in homebuying. My goal is to cut through the noise and share takeaways to help you to make informed decisions.
What would you do with some extra cash in your pocket? Wipe out your credit card debt once and for all? Update your kitchen? Finally finish your basement? Pay off high-interest student loans or personal loans? Refinancing your mortgage…
Minimum Down Payment Requirements by Loan Type First, let’s take a quick look at minimum down payment requirements for FHA, conventional, VA and USDA loans. It’s important to note that some of these down payment options depend on loan…
What’s the Ideal Income to Mortgage Ratio? This is a crucial question, especially for first-time homebuyers, seeking the right balance as they step into homeownership. Much like other significant financial choices, the aim is to seamlessly integrate your monthly…
What is a Mortgage Payment? At a basic level, you know the definition of a mortgage payment: the amount of money you pay toward your mortgage each month. But you may be wondering, what exactly is included in a…
How Much House Can I Afford? It’s often easiest to learn how much house you can afford by working backward from your monthly expenses, then determining how much you can afford to pay. In other words, add up your…
Hoping to add a few dollars to the selling price of your current home? Then it might be time to break out the rollers, brushes, and painter’s tape. According to a recent study by the folks at Zillow, painting…
You’re almost there, future homeowner! You’ve made a successful offer and sorted out your financing. Your future home appraised well, and it cleared a title search. Now, it’s time for your final walkthrough: one last look around before you…
As a first-time homeowner, you may not know is exactly when in the home buying process you should tackle the mortgage question. Too many homebuyers wait to worry about home financing until they’re knee-deep in negotiations on their dream…
This time next year, you could be standing in the doorway of your very own home. That is, of course, if can you avoid the pitfalls and perils that sometimes befall unwary would-be homeowners on the way to closing….
The house-flipping shows on t.v. make it look simple. First, you find a home in need of a little love for a bargain price. Then, you buy it, fix it up, and sell the place quickly for a tidy…
You’ve probably heard from well-meaning friends or relatives that renting is just throwing money away. That’s not entirely true, of course. Paying rent means you get a place to sleep and store your belongings. And having a place to…