Most and Least Affordable Places to Buy a Home

Published on August 20th, 2020 by Refiguide.org. Reviewed by Peter G. Miller The Pandemic has upended the real estate market so far in unexpected and varied ways. Record low mortgage interest rates combined with people spending most of their time at home has caused a boom in home buying in many housing markets despite widespread… Read More »

Understanding Loan to Value Ratios

There’s a reason that lenders often reemphasize one common phrase throughout the homebuying process: it’s one of the most expensive purchases you’ll ever make. With that purchase comes risk, as real estate transactions are often established through financing that runs 30 years or more. The reality is, that financing is established on properties that can —… Read More »

Conventional Mortgage Loans vs. FHA

Are you house hunting? If so, there’s something else you should be thinking about before locking in your mortgage: wealth building. In a perfect world, you’d find a lender who could outline hypothetical outcomes and give you the lay of the land when putting a comparable Federal Housing Administration (FHA)-insured mortgage against a conventional mortgage… Read More »

How Does a VA Mortgage Loan Work?

Are you currently serving your country or a recently discharged military veteran? If so, you know your branch of service has likely instilled discipline, strong values, a sense of duty, and loyalty. Among those numerous positive outcomes that can result from military service, there’s also another one you might not have thought of — homeownership. … Read More »

How Low Rates are Great for the Housing Market

If you’re trying to buy a house, you need to understand all the aspects of obtaining a mortgage rate and the various factors that will influence that number. Why? If you go into your house hunt with no clear idea of how mortgage rates work, you’ll face a more complex process and potentially walk away… Read More »

Good Income, Little Savings? Mortgages with Little Down

Down payments are a big hurdle for many home buyers. Monthly mortgage costs are affordable but down payments are a hurdle. The good news is that there are ways around down payment roadblocks, you don’t have to be a victim of old-fashioned down payment requirements. The 20% standard Down payments have been a barrier to… Read More »

How to Engineer Lower Mortgage Rates

When it comes to mortgage rates no one knows what the future will bring. There is no better example than 2025. Many economists forecast mortgage rates of 5.75% and even more. What really happened was that rates went down. According to Freddie Mac, for the first 6 months of 2025 mortgage rates averaged 6.125% and… Read More »

Should You Get Bank Statement Mortgages?

Bank statement mortgages are becoming more common, loans where monthly bank statements can be used instead of tax returns to support a mortgage application. There is new evidence that bank statements can lead to better credit scores for many borrowers, especially those with lower credit scores. In turn, better credit scores can mean reduced mortgage… Read More »

Shouldn’t FHA Mortgages Be Cheaper?

FHA mortgages should cost less. This is a government program that churns out billions of dollars in annual surpluses, money that comes from borrowers. If FHA mortgage loans were less costly then more people – especially first-time buyers – could buy homes. That would be great for buyers and also sellers, lenders, and brokers. It… Read More »

Things to Know Before Starting the Mortgage Process

Mortgage rates have been rising as the US economy is gathering strength. Some renters who have been on the fence about buying a home have been starting to think about getting into the market before rates nudge above 7% in the next year or so. But buying your dream home is not as easy as… Read More »