The Mortgage Files

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

Why A "No Cost Mortgage" Still Costs

By Scott Sheldon / August 26, 2012

“There’s no such thing as a free lunch.” Such words have never been more relevant to consumers being pitched to take out a no cost loan. No cost mortgage mortgages have been around since the mid-90s and offer consumers the ability to pay no closing fees. The general closing costs, you’d otherwise pay in procuring…

Want the Best Mortgage Rate? Let's Talk Monthly Debt Oligations

By Scott Sheldon / August 19, 2012

Sonoma County Mortgage Rates are quite low. In fact locking-in a 30 year fixed rate mortgage around 4% is pretty common these days. Whether purchasing or refinancing, securing the best mortgage rate is on everyone’s mind. However, while getting the lowest rate is certainly an admirable goal, qualifying for that mortgage loan become something else…

Why Mortgage Rates Are Not All The Same

By Scott Sheldon / July 22, 2012

Purchasing a home or refinancing a mortgage? Now is a fantastic time to consider taking out a home loan. Mortgage rates are still at ridiculous lows and home affordability has never been more attractive. The question everybody asks when getting a mortgage is “what interest rate am I going to get or what is your…

Sonoma County Home Loan Refinance: When and How

By Scott Sheldon / May 10, 2012

There’s an old saying amongst homeowners that you shouldn’t refinance your mortgage unless you can save 1% in interest rate. So in other words, if your mortgage is 5% for example, and you can get for 4.125% on a new home loan refinance, you shouldn’t do it because you’re not saving the full 1%. This…

FHA Mortgage Rates Vs. Conventional Mortgage Rates

By Scott Sheldon / April 22, 2012

Searching for a home financing? If yes, consider the most common types of mortgage loans available today. The two most common types of mortgage loans are government loans and conventional loans. When we say government loans, we are referencing FHA Mortgages and USDA Mortgages. VA Mortgages also fit under this category although VA financing is…

Buying A Home Or Refinancing A Mortgage: Same Guidelines Apply

By Scott Sheldon / April 9, 2012

Lets get one thing straight… no matter what mortgage company you work with, banker, broker, direct lender all mortgage loan qualifying is the same. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and HUD have the same guidelines across the board, with small subtle differences from company to company. There is only one bond market and mortgage rates…

Mortgage Refinancing: Is Now The Right Time?

By Scott Sheldon / April 1, 2012

If you are considering refinancing a mortgage loan, you need to make sure the net tangible benefit is large enough in order to justify doing so. A last several weeks, mortgage rates have touched on a historic market lows with a 30 year fixed-rate mortgage dropping down to 3.75% for a short time. As the…

Home Loan Denied: Consider Re-Applying With A Different Mortgage Company

By Scott Sheldon / February 20, 2012

Getting your home loan request denied, is certainly not a fun thing to deal with. Lots of times certain mortgage companies have internal mortgage loan underwriting requirements which might be more constrictive than a competitor of theirs. Not every mortgage company has the same set of guidelines and standards. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and…