One of the most important financial considerations of buying a new home is the interest rate paid on the mortgage. Over time, a higher interest rate can add thousands of dollars to the true cost of buying the home. 

When interest rates are low or steady buyers have greater ...

Over the past couple of months, home price acceleration appears to have peaked. Keep in mind, though, that doesn’t mean home values will depreciate. It just means the rate of appreciation will slow, yet stay well above the 25-year average of 5.1% in most areas. 

The recent surge ...

Building a home might sound like something reserved for the rich and famous, but the truth is, it might be easier than you think to get a construction loan. 

What is a construction loan? 

Construction loans are short-term, higher-interest-rate mortgages that cover the cost of building or renovating ...

Our military veterans have given so much to this country. To make it easier for these special families to qualify for and purchase a home, Veteran Affairs has a unique loan offer reserved only for retired and active military. 

The VA loan offers mortgage options unavailable to the ...

Saving for a down payment in preparation for buying a new home is pretty common knowledge. With the mortgage meltdown, most mortgages that allowed zero down payments disappeared. While FHA and VA loans still offer little to no money down, most potential homebuyers will need to save at least 3-20 ...

Manual underwriting is how all loans were evaluated before computer algorithms took the human logic out of the process. Simply stated, a loan that is manually underwritten is one where a person evaluates the file for the borrower’s ability to make the loan payments. For those who have had credit ...

Summer is traditionally a busy time for buyers and sellers. This year has been no exception—and with lower interest rates, many homebuyers are finding the competitive environment challenging. With multiple buyers competing for properties, even terrific offers are often being outbid. Fortunately, there are some things you can do to ...

Self-employed borrowers have always had to jump through a few hoops to finance or refinance their homes. Without a traditional paycheck, lenders look for other ways to document income. The COVID-19 pandemic has affected many business owners and delayed tax return filings. As a result, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac ...

Buying and owning your own home is no easy task, and there are moments on everyone's journey when they feel like it's impossible. However, there are plenty of resources available to help make your dream of becoming a homeowner a reality. 

The first step you should take ...

It's been difficult to adjust to a new normal during the past few weeks. With most residents being asked to stay at home, there are many who have recently lost their jobs or been asked to work remotely. The mortgage industry has also taken a big hit that ...