All posts by Colin Robertson
Umpqua Bank Mortgage Review: Want Your Home Loan From the Largest Bank in the Pacific Northwest?
While nonbanks have taken center stage in recent years, there are still some depository banks that dole out tons of mortgages. One example is Umpqua Bank up in Roseburg, Oregon. Aside from offering checking and savings accounts, they also originate ... Read More »
2021 Conforming Loan Limit Rises to $548,250
Thanks to another year of stellar home price appreciation, the 2021 conforming loan limit will increase to $548,250, per the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA). This is the maximum loan amount for mortgages that can be acquired by Fannie Mae ... Read More »
Why Adjustable-Rate Mortgages Are Bad News Right Now
With mortgage interest rates as low as they are at the moment, you may be looking beyond fixed-rate options if you’re in the market to purchase a home or refinance an existing home loan. After all, while 30-year fixed mortgage ... Read More »
Castle & Cooke Mortgage Review: Are They the Key to Your Castle?
Today we’ll take a close look at “Castle & Cooke Mortgage,” an independent mortgage lender with a sizable presence in the Southwestern United States. They’re a retail, direct-to-consumer lender that has been around for about 15 years, yet they still ... Read More »
It’s Taking a Really Long Time to Get a Mortgage Right Now
Similar to the increased waiting times to get a COVID-19 test these days, it’s taking an extended amount of time to get a mortgage to the finish line. The reason is simply unprecedented demand, just like those COVID-19 tests. The ... Read More »
Don’t Let Your Current Lender Talk You Out of a Mortgage Refinance
What I’ve seen and heard through the years is certain lenders not being so forthcoming with existing customers wanting to refinance their mortgage. For example, when a homeowner goes to inquire about the “awesome low rates,” their first instinct may ... Read More »
VIP Mortgage Review: A Top-10 Arizona Mortgage Lender
If you live in State 48, there’s a pretty good chance you’ve heard of “VIP Mortgage,” either because you’ve been a customer or you’ve seen one of their ads. Regardless, they are a major mortgage force in Arizona, having closed ... Read More »
First Mortgage Direct Review: An Online Mortgage Lender That Appears to Offer Low Rates
If you’ve been shopping mortgage rates online lately, perhaps via the Zillow marketplace, you may have stumbled upon “First Mortgage Direct.” The online mortgage lender appears to advertise quite a bit on Zillow, so I thought we’d take a deeper ... Read More »
USA Mortgage Review: #1 Mortgage Lender in Missouri?
If you live in the USA and need a mortgage, perhaps you’ve thought about applying at “USA Mortgage.” Makes sense, right? It just so happens that USA Mortgage is located right smack in the middle of our fine country, in ... Read More »