The Mortgage Files

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

No more VA Loan Limits in January 2020!

By Scott Sheldon / October 27, 2019

HR 299 is a new VA Bill recently signed by the president that makes some big changes to VA financing. If you’re thinking about buying a house and you’re an eligible VA mortgage applicant. Here are some things you ought to consider.. VA financing allows you to purchase a house with no money down. Presently…

Types of loans you can get based on your credit score

By Scott Sheldon / October 20, 2019

Credit is one of the biggest parameters of a lender’s decision to grant you a loan approval or not. There’s a lot of misconceptions out there floating around the internet about what you can and can’t do with the type of credit that you have. Here’s some things to consider if you’re worried about your…

Here is what to expect about today’s mortgage loan process

By Scott Sheldon / October 6, 2019

Mortgage loan financing is a little bit of a cryptic process to some people. Talk to your friend your neighbor your parent and everyone will have their story about what their individual loan process was some good, some bad and some in between. Here is the nature of mortgage lending and how the process works…

This FHA requirement might hurt your multi unit home buying chances

By Scott Sheldon / September 13, 2019

One of the perks of getting an FHA mortgage is the ability to purchase a primary home using just 3.5% down. The math however will change if you’re buying a multi-family property… You heard that correctly. You can buy a multifamily property using an FHA-insured loan up to four units with just 3.5% down. The…

Could the 30 year fixed mortgage get to 3%?

By Scott Sheldon / August 25, 2019

Interest rates right now are very close to their all-time historical lows. We’ve seen this a few times before. Here’s what you need to consider when getting what you perceive as the best mortgage rate… Mortgage rates are in flux and have been in flux since the United States started keeping track of these numbers…

Mortgage rate too good to be true? It probably is…

By Scott Sheldon / August 18, 2019

So, you got a mortgage rate that sounds too good to be true but now you can’t close Mortgage rates are presently near their historic lows on 30-year fixed rate mortgage with the average 30-year fixed being between 3.375% and 4.125%. As such people are refinancing in droves taking advantage of the dip in rates.…

How the mortgage process could get ugly if you have a difficult picture

By Scott Sheldon / August 11, 2019

Residential Mortgages in America today are designed for families to fit a box. If your financial profile in anyway is outside of that box, you might experience what otherwise might be a very difficult and challenging process, so it’s important to know how the process works. Here’s what you ought to consider … Here’s how…

Should you go FHA or conventional for purchasing your first home?

By Scott Sheldon / August 4, 2019

Buying your first home should be handled with extreme care including selecting which mortgage loan program makes the most financial sense. Following is what you ought to consider when looking at both mortgage loan programs … Loans backed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are conventional loans which require a minimum down payment of 5%…