The Mortgage Files

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

How do I use the Delayed Financing Rule ?

By Scott Sheldon / December 15, 2012

I am currently in Florida, in a closing debacle with Suntrust Mortgage and want to cash out our savings and just close the home purchase and be done with the process, then try to recoup funds through some type of refi or home equity product. I have been informed by our realtor of this Delayed…

My loan is through Freddie Mac, why do need I cash to close on my HARP 2 Refinance?

By Scott Sheldon / December 13, 2012

What steps can be taken if the mortgage is now Freddie Mac?  Cenlar services the loan but doesn’t do refinancing.  I tried Quicken Loans but they wanted me to come out of my pocket for a lot of money.  I have 800+ credit, working, and just want a lower payment.  The market did depress the…

Why is My Home Loan Rate 3.5%, but my APR is 3.793

By Scott Sheldon / December 11, 2012

The difference in the interest rate and the annual percentage rate is the spread expressed as a dollar finance over the life of the loan. The aPR is always going to be higher than the mortgage rate because the APR, is a function of the total closing costs express as a dollar percentage over the…

Should I get a mortgage rate quote for a refinance from my current lender?

By Scott Sheldon / December 10, 2012

Many Big mortgage lenders who service loans and originate loans such as Citibank, Wells Fargo Bank of America etc. will many times offer sales promotions to their loan servicing channel. If you ever receive a phone call from your current mortgage lender offering your mortgage rate quote or refinance or telling you there is a…

Why Can't I Get The Refi Mortgage Rate I Saw In The News?

By Scott Sheldon / December 8, 2012

“Why can’t I get the mortgage rate for my refinance I saw in the news?” This question is asked on a daily basis. When you as a homeowner have a mortgage and are paying a certain percentage of the money you originally borrowed, you’re always going to be paying a little closer attention to those…

What loan programs are available to help me refinance if I'm underwater,my loan is not owned by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac?

By Scott Sheldon / November 1, 2012

If your loan is ineligible for the HARP 2 refinance program, you do have options. If you live in Sonoma County, or Santa Rosa or a the surrounding areas, you can refinance your loan for up to 97% of the current appraised value. You be looking most likely using a government loan which has a…

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…

We we choose to do a first and second mortgage to avoid PMI my broker told me the 1st loan can have a fixed rate but the 2nd loan has to be a variable rate. Is this true. I wish that we could have both at fixed interest rates.

By Scott Sheldon / October 15, 2012

The answer is no, you do not need to have a second adjustable-rate mortgage. You  are entitled to having a fixed rate second mortgage just as you are an adjustable rate note. While this is true, there are not many second lenders out there that offer fixed rate seconds paying principal and interest over time.…