The Mortgage Files

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

are usda loans worth the hype

Are USDA loans worth the hype?

By Scott Sheldon / September 24, 2023

The US Department of Agriculture guarantees loans for certain families in certain geographic locations. These loans can be potentially an affordable loan program to help a family who doesn’t have a down payment buy a home in an area considered to be less industrialized a.k.a. agricultural. If you’re looking to get a USDA loan, here…

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5 reasons you're not ready to buy a home

Here’s how your homebuying options change when interest rates fall

By Scott Sheldon / August 27, 2023

You and your family are thinking about buying a home, but the prospect of a 6.5-7.0% mortgage doesn’t sound all that appealing right? Do you want interest rates to come down so you can have a more affordable mortgage? This makes sense, but it’s a deeper problem and here are some things you should be…

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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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How different mortgage loan types impact how much money you can get for seller credits

How different mortgage loan types impact how much money you can get for seller credits

By Scott Sheldon / July 16, 2023

If you’re thinking about buying a home and you’re short on cash, here are a few things you might want to consider as it relates to downpayment and closing costs… There are two main mortgage types; government-backed loans, and government-insured loans. Government-backed loans are Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac while government-insured loans are FHA &…

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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 is a smart mortgage strategy for buying a home in 2023

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 earning more income affects your ability to buy a home.

How earning more income affects your ability to buy a home

By Scott Sheldon / April 3, 2023

If you’re thinking about purchasing a house, it’s not just your credit score and your down payment that counts, it’s also your income, as your income drives affordability. How much income you generate is going to determine whether you’re able to buy a home. Here are some things to know about income when buying a…

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