The Mortgage Files

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

Two Pricey Home Loans Consumers Should Watch For

By Scott Sheldon / August 11, 2013

Getting a mortgage anytime soon? Two types of home loans are inherently pricier than their traditional mortgage counterparts and we’re not talking subprime or private money. If your credit score is beneath 680 or you have little equity or you have credit blemishes, fact is borrowing money will cost you… FHA Loans and Conventional Loans…

Signs It's Time To Wait Applying For A Mortgage Loan

By Scott Sheldon / August 5, 2013

You’re doing everything right, you’re paying your bills on time, you earn good income, and you’re applying for a mortgage with second thoughts. Maybe you’re trying to buy a new home, and something’s just not right, perhaps the proposed new payment is a financial squeeze. Paying attention to the signs means the difference between making…

How Does Having a Co-Signor Help Me Get A Mortgage?

By Scott Sheldon / July 29, 2013

Yes, having a cosigner in most situations does help you qualify for a mortgage as long as the cosigner has additional income used to offset the new housing payment liability. Consumers seeking to qualify for mortgage loan financing can use the benefit of someone else’s income to help them purchase a home or refinance a…

Can I Buy A House With Bad Credit? You Bet!

By Scott Sheldon / July 28, 2013

To this day, there is still the general belief that in order to purchase a home, you need to have 20% down, and have good – stellar credit history. The good news is you don’t need a large down payment, your credit can be actually marginal, even “less-than-perfect” and you can still buy with competitive…

Can I get pre-approved without having my credit ran?

By Scott Sheldon / July 25, 2013

In short the answer is no, but for a few reasons. A credit report is only as good as that moment in time that it is obtained  by the creditor, mortgage company, bank etc.  The Fair Credit Reporting Act & Home Mortgage Disclosure Act  both prevent a lender from originating a new loan with another…

Why Student Loans Can Hurt Your Mortgage Application: Avoid Denial

By Scott Sheldon / July 21, 2013

For anyone who has tried to apply for a mortgage and had student loans, they know whats it’s like to be scrutinized and questioned by the mortgage company over the validity of the those obligations. Like other forms of debt, like car loans or credit cards, student loans fall into the same classification, debt made…

Single Pay Mortgage Insurance: A Secret Alternative To Avoiding Monthly PMI

By Scott Sheldon / July 14, 2013

For consumers purchasing or refinancing a home with less than 20% equity, little-known fee inflates the monthly outlay. Mortgage insurance is paid by the the homeowner for the benefit of the lender to ensure the lender against future payment default. Mortgage insurance, also dubbed as PMI (an acronym for private mortgage insurance), can be easily…

Are Home Appraisals Transferable To Another Mortgage Company?

By Scott Sheldon / July 10, 2013

Generally, speaking it depends. Each mortgage company has different policies and procedures. On average due to consumer protection laws governing appraisals, most are not transferable. When a mortgage company orders an appraisal, they have to use an appraisal management company, an independent third-party that has a panel of licensed  appraisers. The AMC (for short), then …