The Mortgage Files
Nationally syndicated mortgage news and advice from Senior Loan Officer Scott Sheldon.
How to align expectations with market conditions to buy a home
You have decided to you want to buy a home. You supply the lender with all your paperwork, and you know you can afford a mortgage even if it’s a little outside of your payment comfort, but for whatever reason you just can’t seem to get into a contract. The stars are not aligning, which,…
Read MoreWhy rising interest rates can be good news for some homebuyers
Rising interest rates, for some homebuyers, can be beneficial. While it is true, rising interest rates do diminish purchasing power for the right situation, it actually could be beneficial. Here is what to know… Most people look at the big picture. They look at interest rates, the cost of funds and make a determination about…
Read MoreWhat is a non-qualified mortgage and why do these loan types cost more?
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…
Read MoreWhy the current mortgage dilemma is a bigger problem than most think!
If you have a really low mortgage rate on your home right now, but you want to buy another home, there needs to be some sort of justification, for giving up the historic, low-interest rate to go into a higher-priced mortgage, here are some things consumers have to weigh out as a relates to making…
Read MoreHere is a smart mortgage strategy for buying a home in 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?…
Read MoreHow to avoid common self employed mortgage mistakes
If you’re self-employed and trying to get prequalified to buy a home period it is not only the income you show on paper, the total picture matters. Here’s what you need to know if you self employed and applying for a mortgage loan… You’re your own boss, you don’t work for anyone else, and you…
Read MoreShould you refinance to become more lendable?
Most families who own homes generally don’t want to refinance unless they can lower their interest rate, pay off debt, consolidate obligations, and/or fix up their homes. Those are all tangible benefits associated with refinancing your home. There are some other things you might want to consider particularly if your situation has some financial obstacles……
Read MoreShould you buy a house in this real estate market?
For many, the idea of buying a home is the American dream. The home purchase needs to be within your monthly budget. Here are things to consider in today’s present real estate market and how you can use those to your financial advantage as it relates to buying a family home… It’s no surprise interest…
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