The Mortgage Files

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

Which Mortgage Company For My Home Loan?

By Scott Sheldon / October 28, 2012

How to select the right mortgage company for competitive rates. Choosing the right mortgage company to handle your loan is much easier said than done. Mortgage companies have so many designations, “mortgage broker”, “mortgage lender”, “mortgage bank” and then there’s individual banks and local credit unions. Begin by understanding the differences between the various mortgage…

Does monthly mortgage insurance last for the life of the loan?

By Scott Sheldon / August 28, 2012

Monthly mortgage insurance can usually be removed at 20% equity if you have a conventional loan. The mortgage lender must remove the mortgage insurance at 22% equity.if you feel you have 20% equity in your property and your currently paying monthly mortgage insurance, contact your mortgage lender and request they remove the monthly mortgage insurance.…

What Is A Debt to Income Ratio?

By Scott Sheldon / August 24, 2012

A debt income ratio, DTI for short, is the percentage of your gross monthly income that is allocated for reoccurring monthly debt obligations plus your total mortgage payment. The way the math is calculated is by taking any consumer monthly debt obligations on a monthly basis and adding them to the proposed monthly house payment…

I have given you pay stubs, why do you need W2's

By Scott Sheldon / August 24, 2012

The answer is for a few reasons: Lenders did you make sure your in the same line of work lenders need to make sure you’re doing the same type of occupation lenders need to make sure you have a history of employment with that particular employer Paystub’s are only part of the full financial picture,…

How long does a preapproval to buy a home last?

By Scott Sheldon / August 24, 2012

As long is there no changes, to your credit, debt, income or assets a preapproval is good indefinitely from the time that you originally get preapproved with a mortgage lender to the time that you get into contract purchase a home. Upon getting into contract to purchase a home, you’ll want to provide updated financial…

What programs are available for first time home buyers today?

By Scott Sheldon / August 24, 2012

This depends on a few factors such as your credit score, income and assets. We usually recommend the following first time buyer programs, most notably the FHA program and the USDA program. These programs have very flexible credit qualifying guidelines by allowing less than perfect credit scenarios as well as flexible down payment options. For…

What is the minimum credit score I need to buy a house?

By Scott Sheldon / August 14, 2012

You will need at least at least the middle credit score of 640 or higher to buy a house. If you’re getting mortgage loan financing, such as an FHA loan or a USDA loan, the middle credit score needs to be 640 or higher. However, if you’re going with conventional financing, and you have a…

My mom is behind on her mortgage payment. How long does she have to wait to get a mortgage?

By Scott Sheldon / August 13, 2012

To secure mortgage loan today, you can have no thirty-day mortgage leads in the last 12 months. Your mom will have to wait a period of one year to be able to secure mortgage loan financing.