The Mortgage Files

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

Are There Any More First Time Home Buyer Loans?

By Scott Sheldon / November 4, 2014

Unfortunately not, there is no specific Santa Rosa or Sonoma County first Time home buyer program available anymore. Down payment assistance options come in the form of pulling money out of retirement accounts such as stocks, bonds, IRA and 401(k) options. Another fantastic source for a down payment is gift funds. Many potential homebuyers are…

Is USDA Eligible For A Santa Rosa Rosa Mortgage?

By Scott Sheldon / September 10, 2014

No,unfortunately it’s not, the USDA mortgage loan program, is only eligible in certain parts of Sonoma County. Santa Rosa, California is not considered to be a less densely populated area according to US Department of Agriculture. Additionally, Santa Rosa, Rohnert Park, Cotati, and Penngrove are also not USDA eligible. If you are looking for a…

Why Is My Financed Loan Amount On My FHA Loan Bigger?

By Scott Sheldon / July 28, 2014

Buying or refinancing a home? An FHA loan much like a USDA loan, has two forms of mortgage insurance. There is an upfront mortgage insurance premium, UMFIP for short, which is based upon 1.75% of the base loan amount ( difference between the down payment amount or appraised value relative to equity) which is then…

Can I roll the fees into my loan when buying real estate?

By Scott Sheldon / April 17, 2014

When you decide to purchase a home, you’ll have certain hurdles to overcome separate from the real estate purchase negotiation. Down payment Depends on which loan program you can qualify for what the property occupancy is. Assuming you’re purchasing a primary home- down payment can be as little as 3.5% or in some cases 0%…

Do Tax Losses On Closed Business Hurt My Chances To Qualify For A Mortgage?

By Scott Sheldon / April 5, 2014

No as long as the business is actually closed it should not hurt your ability to qualify from an income standpoint. For example let’s say you opened up the side business a couple of years ago, claimed some monetary losses on http://bayarearealestatetrends.com/your tax return, but have subsequently closed the business. Lender will not need to…

Should I Be Concerned About A Light Documentation Loan Offer?

By Scott Sheldon / March 26, 2014

Absolutely yes, here’s why… On January 10, 2014, qualified mortgages took shape for the entire mortgage industry mandating lenders specifically document of borrowers ability to repay. Because of of these new regulations, if you receive a mortgage quote offering less the normal documentation such as not needing a pay stub for example if you are…

Can I Get A Mortgage With Limited Or No Supporting Financial Documentation?

By Scott Sheldon / February 28, 2014

Generally no-in order to get a mortgage these days you must be able to support an ability to repay. An ability to repay the debt by virtue of having income to offset the liability is what home lenders look for. When purchasing a home, bank on providing tax returns, W-2s, pay stubs and bank statements.…

How To Document A Foreclosure, Short Sale Or Bankruptcy For Mortgage Lending

By Scott Sheldon / January 23, 2014

Getting a mortgage after foreclosure, short sale, or bankruptcy, or even a combination of the two is absolutely doable. However depending on the credit circumstance different documents could be needed for properly documenting the previous  derogatory credit item. Here’s how to properly document any one of the big three credit issues Foreclosure- can be documented…