The Mortgage Files

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

The number one thing you need to watch out for on FHA and VA mortgages

By Scott Sheldon / September 2, 2020

Both programs offer extremely attractive interest rates, incredibly flexible qualifying, and also support less than perfect credit. Overall the programs are very favorable to producing an outcome that is practical and affordable. However, there is something you need to know about government mortgages that can be particularly difficult depending on your financial situation. Here is…

New fee for residential conventional mortgages

By Scott Sheldon / August 13, 2020

The Federal Housing Finance Agency just rolled out August 12th, 2020 new change to conventional mortgage refinances. Here’s what you need to know going forward… Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are now assessing  50 basis points loan level pricing adjustment on all refinances for conventional loans going forward. For example, a mortgage that was offered…

Buying a house? Expect multiple offers

By Scott Sheldon / July 16, 2020

Believe it or not, the pandemic has created a unique situation where many markets are experiencing multiple-offer situations on properties for sale. If you’re going to get pre-approved or begin looking for a house here is what you might want to be aware of and what you can best do to position your chances of…

Should you buy a condo or a single family home?

By Scott Sheldon / June 26, 2020

When it comes to purchasing a home especially a first home what you decide to purchase can affect your affordability. Here’s what you might want to think about when you’re deciding to purchase a condo versus a single-family house… When you purchase a condo your payment is comprised of principal, interest, taxes, and insurance and…

Minimum credit scores changing on mortgage programs due to Coronavirus

By Scott Sheldon / May 12, 2020

If you are in the market for mortgage loan financing or will be in 2020 this information could be very pertinent to your situation. Here is what you need to know about what is going on right now and likely will happen throughout the rest of this year… The Coronavirus pandemic is not only a…

6 common mortgage loan scenarios you cannot circumnavigate

By Scott Sheldon / January 2, 2020

For some people getting a mortgage can be very challenging based on their financial profile. Following are some things to consider if your financial profile need some extra work and attention These are not all, but these are just some of the scenarios that can mortgage companies often see… I don’t want to apply for…

Could the 30 year fixed mortgage get to 3%?

By Scott Sheldon / August 25, 2019

Interest rates right now are very close to their all-time historical lows. We’ve seen this a few times before. Here’s what you need to consider when getting what you perceive as the best mortgage rate… Mortgage rates are in flux and have been in flux since the United States started keeping track of these numbers…

Here is the magic cash to payment formula to use when buying a home

By Scott Sheldon / April 28, 2019

Buying a house is a large financial investment. People when seeking a mortgage generally are looking to keep their payments as low as possible in relationship to their income and fixed costs. Here’s what you should look for when deciding how much cash you want to put in your home buying project… The general rule…