The Mortgage Files

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

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…

How Interest Rate Locks Work

By Scott Sheldon / January 4, 2012

In the mortgage finance world mortgage lenders and mortgage brokers work off interest rates on a daily basis. Interest rates change very frequently, sometimes upwards of several times daily. Most mortgage companies have their eye on what’s happening with rates and can advise you on making the appropriate choice whether to lock in or whether…

Mortgage Tip: Buying A House With Ease

By Scott Sheldon / December 27, 2011

Buying a house these days can be a sound financial decision. Low interest rates plus low house prices makes buying a house today something that is within the grasp for many families. As the market has continued to tighten from an underwriting perspective buying a house can be a simple process or it can be…

Best Mortgage Rate Quote Vs. Locked Rate

By Scott Sheldon / December 23, 2011

Securing a mortgage loan today for a purchase or refinance is looking very attractive with interest rates near 4% on long-term 30 year fixed rates. Over the last couple of months, mortgage rates have hit record lows three times what the last one being last week with a 30 year fixed rate mortgage hit 3.94%.…

Mortgage Rates Improve On Jobs Report

By Scott Sheldon / December 2, 2011

Mortgages rates across the board improved today on the news of the unemployment rate falling to 8.6% from 9%. The unemployment rate has not been this low for 2 1/2 years. Initially, the stock market improved on the news on .4 % change in the unemployment rate with a liquidation of bonds. During trading this…

Fed Minutes: Mortgage Rates React

By Scott Sheldon / November 23, 2011

The Federal Reserve’s minutes of the last meeting came out yesterday and it was revealed the Federal Reserve will continue to inject money into the economy to spur economic growth in the form of quantitative easing. The Fed meeting minutes also revealed they are positioning themselves to be in lockstep coordination with the financial markets.…

Beware Of "Advertised" Mortgage Rates

By Scott Sheldon / November 9, 2011

Newspapers, the Internet, television and media sources are not the best places to research accurate mortgage interest rates. Advertised mortgage rates are just that, they’re advertised. Real mortgage rates are something else entirely and can change multiple times daily. The reason why you need to be aware of advertised mortgage rates is because the information…