The Mortgage Files

Nationally syndicated mortgage news and advice from Senior Loan Officer Scott Sheldon.

Mortgage Lender Fees Are Rising!

By Scott Sheldon / August 23, 2011

Mortgage Lender Fees are rising due to tighter credit guidelines. Since 2008, mortgage lending’s credit guidelines have continued to get tighter and tighter. It always seem like there is always some new credit guideline or restriction coming out to write more A grade mortgage loans. The investors in the secondary mortgage market are still very…

Lowest Sonoma County Mortgage Rates on Record!

By Scott Sheldon / August 19, 2011

Yes, it’s true the lowest Sonoma County mortgage rates are now on record as of August 19, 2011! 30 year fixed-rate conventional loans have fallen to an all-time record low! This could not be a better time to secure a refinance loan or a home purchase loan from an interest rate perspective. Rates are in…

How FHA Home Loans Work

By Scott Sheldon / August 18, 2011

How do FHA Home Loans Work? FHA Home Loans are the most popular loan program available in the Sonoma County Mortgage market. While these loans remain popular unfortunately the media does a very poor job of explaining to consumers how these loans actually work. All FHA loans have mortgage insurance no matter what the down…

100% Financing Is Available With USDA Home Loans

By Scott Sheldon / August 16, 2011

USDA Home Loans Offer 100% Financing for properties in certain areas of Sonoma County. USDA Home Loans are truly 100% financing mortgage loans and are available in Sonoma County.USDA Home Loans are for rural properties only and because of this the following cities are not eligible for USDA financing Santa Rosa, Rohnert Park, Cotati, and…

How To Get Rid of That Mortgage Insurance PMI!

By Scott Sheldon / August 13, 2011

You can get rid of mortgage insurance PMI sooner than waiting the full 30 years on that loan! Lots of people considering taking out a mortgage whether it be purchasing or refinancing, do not want to pay mortgage insurance. The reality is MI is due to economic factors beyond our control. Mortgage insurance is required…

*Mortgage Tip: How To Get Best Rates For Jumbo Loans

By Scott Sheldon / August 7, 2011

Here’s a mortgage tip: if you are looking for the best interest rate on a Jumbo Loan consider a 5, 7, or 10 year product. The availability of Jumbo Loans in Sonoma County through a Fannie/Freddie Lender have nearly evaporated since 2007. However in the last several months, Jumbo have re-emerged as an available product…

Low Mortgage Rates: The Debt Ceiling's Influence

By Scott Sheldon / August 3, 2011

The Debt Ceiling has resulted in low mortgage rates, get a rate quote today. For the last few weeks the Debt Ceiling news has rattled the financial markets causing the stock market to sell off. This ebb and flow of money has caused that money to flow into the bond market driving yields on bonds…

How To Select The Right Mortgage Company

By Scott Sheldon / July 29, 2011

Understanding the mortgage providers are, will help you select the right mortgage company. There are lots of different mortgage companies available to choose from in today’s lending environment. These sources include private mortgage banks or depository institutions. There are also individual private parties otherwise known as hard money, but for these purposes we will be…