The Mortgage Files

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

Does the house you want to buy need work?

5 reasons you’re not ready to buy a home

By Scott Sheldon / October 30, 2022

Buying a home is considered to be the American dream. Buying a home however is also not for everyone as it requires careful consideration of planning, a little bit of success, and the right people working for you. Just because you can buy a home doesn’t necessarily mean that you should. Here are five reasons…

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2023 Confirming Loan Limit Rise

2023 Confirming Loan Limit Rise

By Scott Sheldon / September 25, 2022

The federal housing finance agency recently released its 2023 conforming loan limit. The new loan limit for 2023 is $715,000. Here is what this means if you’re purchasing or refinancing a home… Each year the Federal Housing Finance Agency which oversees Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac releases its annual loan limit. The annual loan limit…

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

Should you take out an adjustable rate mortgage?

By Scott Sheldon / September 4, 2022

With interest rates as high as they are consumers want adjustable-rate mortgages for payment relief. If you’re thinking about an adjustable-rate mortgage versus a fixed-rate mortgage here are some things, you need to be aware of… The first few years of the mortgage loan are called a teaser rate.  A teaser rate is short-term and…

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

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

By Scott Sheldon / July 31, 2022

One of the biggest challenges is trying to pinpoint the right time to buy a home. Interest rates are in flux and housing prices are high in most markets. So, how do you decide when to pull the trigger for the big-ticket purchase? The first is to focus on the things that you can control.…

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Five guaranteed ways to improve your home purchasing power

Five guaranteed ways to improve your home purchasing power

By Scott Sheldon / May 2, 2022

It is no surprise that interest rates are on the rise. As interest rates rise home spending power i.e., buying power diminishes. If the same loan amount and the same purchase price now cost more per month that can start to wane on your debt-to-income ratio which could prove to be problematic with your mortgage…

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how a recession could impact your home buying

What the Federal Reserve rate increase means

By Scott Sheldon / April 24, 2022

The Federal Reserve increased the Fed funds rate by 25 points to slow down the highest inflation seen in 30 years. As a result, here’s what this means for interest rates, credit cards, and home equity lines of credit.   In short, everything is going up. Mortgage rates are also higher but not because of…

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Why not all first time homebuyer programs are created equal

Why not all first time homebuyer programs are created equal

By Scott Sheldon / April 10, 2022

If you are just starting in life and trying to get your footprint in the real estate climate; the information in this post is for you. Everyone must start somewhere and buy that first home. That first home is always the big one it is by far the hardest and most emotional. It can also…

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You can refinance with up to 65% debt to income ratio

You can refinance with up to 65% debt to income ratio

By Scott Sheldon / December 5, 2021

For many people looking to save money. Refinancing can prove to be a very financially beneficial outlet. If you’ve tried to qualify for a mortgage before or have had some income challenges in your business or due to Covid- 19 for example here are some things to be aware of as it pertains to refinancing…

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