The Mortgage Files

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

How child support and alimony can affect your ability to get a mortgage

By Scott Sheldon / October 16, 2018

How child support and alimony can affect your ability to get a mortgage When you apply to purchase or refinance a home the mortgage lender takes into consideration all your monthly fixed expenses, adds them into your housing payment and creates what’s called a debt to income ratio. Also called payment to income ratio which…

What to look for in a mortgage lender when buying a home

By Scott Sheldon / July 3, 2018

Contrary to widespread belief not all mortgage companies work the same. Buying a house is generally thought of as the most important financial transaction of your life and as such should be handled with extreme care and prudence. You want to make sure you pick the right mortgage company and more importantly the right loan…

Why the house that needs work should not be overlooked

By Scott Sheldon / June 11, 2018

If you’re purchasing a house whether it’s a primary home move up home or secondary home and the house needs work, don’t shy away from that. Here’s what you might want to think about when buying a house that needs some TLC… How bad really are the repairs? Just because you are pre-approved to purchase…

Why you need to buy a house if you have access to cash

By Scott Sheldon / March 28, 2018

Buying a house is probably the largest financial transaction most people will ever take on. Following is why you need to consider purchasing a house if you have access to cash… Buying a first home can be a pivotal moment in the milestones of life. Many people want the pride of being able to purchase…

The only 5 guaranteed ways to boost borrowing power

By Scott Sheldon / March 8, 2018

Interest rates are on the rise and the cost of funds is now hovering just below 5% on the average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage. Following are tried and true techniques you can use to improve your mortgage borrowing power. Paying off debt This one is huge. Minimum payments on car loans, student loans, credit cards and…

2 things to watch for buying a house in 2018

By Scott Sheldon / January 1, 2018

This local county housing market continues to evolve and show strong signs of growth and appreciation. Here is what you need to know if you are going to be buying a house in 2018… Two things to watch for is interest rates and home prices. Both heavily can affect your ability to borrow and ultimately,…

How your mortgage payment changes per every $100,000 in purchase price

By Scott Sheldon / December 11, 2017

One of the questions home buyers have when house hunting is the relationship between their monthly mortgage payment and how much purchase price they are looking to take on. Here’s what you can use as a guide when you’re house hunting to help determine that bridge that gap… In most instances, for every $100,000 of…

How much does it cost to refinance your mortgage?

By sonomacountym / November 14, 2017

If you’re trying to refinance your mortgage you should know what the costs are really are going to be and how they play into the mathematical equation of the total picture. Here’s what you need to know when it comes to refinancing your house and paying fees… When you refinance your house your closing costs…