The Mortgage Files

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

How to set realistic expectation for yourself when deciding to buy a home

How to set realistic expectation for yourself when deciding to buy a home

By Scott Sheldon / July 30, 2023

If you’re looking to purchase a house you need to be all in. That means you need to surrender to the expectations your realtor and lender have laid out for you so you can be successful. If you’re thinking about buying a house here are some things to consider… Your realtor and your lender are…

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What is a non-qualified mortgage and why do these loan types cost more?mortgage

What is a non-qualified mortgage and why do these loan types cost more?

By Scott Sheldon / July 23, 2023

If you’re thinking about purchasing or refinancing a home, you may have heard the term qualified mortgage. A qualified mortgage is a term coined by the CFPB that represents a full documentation loan with a debt-to-income ratio of 43%. Generally, most loans fit this category even though they sometimes allow debt to income ratio as…

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Should you buy a house or wait for the market to improve?

5 signs you should wait to buy a house

By Scott Sheldon / June 25, 2023

If you’re thinking about buying a home, but you’re just not sure. You’re probably better off listening to your gut. That looming credit card debt, or personal loan, that you just can’t seem to kick whatever the case may be here are five reasons you might want to think about waiting to purchase a home…

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Here’s how to buy a house even if you think your income may not qualify

Here’s how to buy a house even if you think your income may not qualify

By Scott Sheldon / June 18, 2023

If you’re looking to get prequalified to buy a home, one of the main elements, a lender will use to determine your ability to afford that home is your income. Your gross monthly income from your W-2 wages or your net income from your tax returns is what the lender will use as a basis…

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How to ease lending qualifications when buying a home

Here is a smart mortgage strategy for buying a home in 2023

By Scott Sheldon / June 11, 2023

If you’ve been on the fence about buying a home and you’re thinking about potentially getting prequalified. Here are some things you should give some consideration to… You might be telling yourself “I don’t want to buy a home right now because interest rates are kind of high.”  The question becomes in relation to what?…

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How numbers in the mortgage process may change

How numbers in the mortgage process may change

By Scott Sheldon / June 4, 2023

When you apply for a home the lender analyzes your credit score, your income credit score, and assets in determining your eligibility to buy a home. If anything changes in the process, numbers can as a result… Numbers can change in the process in any number of the following ways- insurance on your home is…

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How hourly wages impact mortgage loan approvals

Why hourly wage earners sometimes have a hard time getting a home loan

By Scott Sheldon / May 9, 2023

You’re all excited to purchase your first home, you have a good job, you have a good down payment, and you’ve got a good credit score. What could go wrong, right? Here’s an occurrence that happens pretty frequently you might not know about and more specifically what to do about it as it relates to…

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When you’re applying for a home loan, make sure you tell your lender everything

When you’re applying for a home loan, make sure you tell your lender everything

By Scott Sheldon / April 23, 2023

If you’re thinking about getting prequalified to buy a home, maybe you have some issues with your credit history in the past, or maybe you cosigned for someone else’s property. These are the types of things you might think might not matter to a mortgage company granting your home loan, but they do matter. If…

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