The Mortgage Files

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

30 Year Mortgage Rates At 3.25%? Hmmm Not So Fast Cowboy!

By Scott Sheldon / August 5, 2012

So is it true 30 year mortgage rates are at 3.25%? Well that depends on how you look at it. The answer is yes if you willing to invest discount points to purchase your interest rate down, so long as your financial profile is completely flawless. Otherwise for the 99.9% us, 30 year mortgages are…

Government Loans: To FHA or USDA

By Scott Sheldon / July 1, 2012

Any home buyer putting less than 20% down today has probably been offered or researched the possibility of using a government loan to buy a home. Government loans offer flexible financing alternatives to the standard 20% down conventional loan. Although government loans do contain monthly mortgage insurance, these options allow for a more complete story…

How The Delayed Financing Rule Works: The Buy & Refi Solution

By Scott Sheldon / June 24, 2012

In 2011, Fannie Mae introduced to the mortgage market, the Delayed Financing Rule, effectively allowing a home buyer to pay cash for a property and then immediately re-mortgage that money back post closing on a new refinance transaction. Since 2011, Fannie Mae has been offering this product, but hasn’t had much effect in Sonoma County…

How To Get A Mortgage Loan Post Short Sale, Foreclosure or Bankrucpty Revisited

By Scott Sheldon / June 10, 2012

Not a week goes by when we are not asked “how soon can you buy a home or refinance a mortgage with a previous foreclosure, short sale or bankruptcy”. As the market continues to improve, many people are still seeking mortgage loans. Home buying opportunities have never been more affordable coupled with the low interest…

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…

HARP: Making Homes Affordable Aka The Underwater Refinance

By Scott Sheldon / March 19, 2012

Many Sonoma County Loans have been denied due to loan-to-value restrictions imposed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and an overall tight credit market. Last year the Obama administration announced the no loan to value refinance program for loans owned or guaranteed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. For the last several months, many have…

FHA Home Loans: Mortgage Insurance Premiums Set To Rise!

By Scott Sheldon / March 12, 2012

Thinking about purchasing or refinancing using the Sonoma County mortgage? If yes, the mortgage insurance premiums on FHA Home Loans are set to rise again on April 1. The Federal Housing Administration continues to keep a close eye on their capital reserves and as a result, have instituted higher costs on FHA Home Loans originated…

The Trend To Conventional Mortgages

By Scott Sheldon / March 5, 2012

Buying a house or refinancing a Sonoma County Mortgage? Since January 2012, there’s been a trend towards conventional mortgage loan financing. Conventional financing is your standard conventional/conforming loans ie: 30 year fixed rate mortgages, 15 year fixed-rate mortgages, 20 year fixed-rate mortgages etc. Conventional mortgages are the most basic types of loan products. They are…