Mortgage Tips
Simple mortgage tips to help you better prepare for the mortgage process and ideally save money on your mortgage.11 Ways to Build Home Equity
These days, home equity is booming. At last glance, total equity on mortgaged properties was around $10 trillion, with about $6 trillion of it tappable, per recent figures from Black Knight. Yes, that’s a “T” not a “B.” But you ... Read More »
What Is the Loan-to-Value Ratio? (LTV)
Let’s talk mortgage basics: “What is the loan-to-value ratio?” If you’re currently shopping for a home or already going through the mortgage process, chances are you’ve heard the phrase loan-to-value ratio get thrown around on more than one occasion. You ... Read More »
Renting vs. Buying a Home: 55 Pros and Cons
It’s time for yet another mortgage match-up, so without further ado, here’s a biggie: “Renting vs. buying a home.” Or a townhouse for that matter… This is certainly an intimidating question, and one that’s difficult to sum up in one ... Read More »
Do I Qualify for a Mortgage?
Sometimes I tend to skip past the seemingly basic mortgage questions, assuming everyone already knows the simple stuff. Unfortunately, that’s not the case, and what may appear basic isn’t really so straightforward. So let’s talk about qualifying for a mortgage. ... Read More »
Mortgage Rates vs. Home Prices
Mortgage Q&A: “Mortgage rates vs. home prices.” Today, we’ll take a look at the impact of both home prices and mortgage rates on your decision to buy a piece of property, along with the relationship they share. Obviously, both are ... Read More »
The Return of Refis, Falling Home Prices, and Negative Equity?
The real estate market is kind of strange at the moment. Everyone expected mortgage rates to jump in 2019, but so far they’ve done the exact opposite. At the same time, home price appreciation has slowed in much of the ... Read More »
How to Pay Off the Mortgage Early
Timeless mortgage Q&A: “How to pay off the mortgage early?” If you’re looking to pay off your mortgage quickly, now might be an easy time to do so because mortgage interest rates are very attractive. Assuming you’ve had your existing ... Read More »
PITI: What Does a Mortgage Payment Consist Of?
More fun and exciting mortgage Q&A: “What does a monthly mortgage payment consist of?” Have you ever been curious what you’re paying each month to live in your shiny new (or possibly dingy old) home or condo? Or how much ... Read More »
loanDepot’s Mello Smartloan Can Shorten Mortgage Closing to Just 8 Days
In yet another effort to push mortgage lending firmly into the 21st century, loanDepot has debuted its proprietary “mello smartloan” technology, an end-to-end digital mortgage loan intended to cut out the paperwork and lengthy turn times. It should also make ... Read More »
Is the 30-Year Fixed Mortgage Going Extinct?
It’s that time again when we fret about the viability of the 30-year fixed mortgage. This last occurred in 2014 when Dick Bove warned that the Fed’s tapering of mortgage purchases would mean curtains for the popular loan program. Say ... Read More »
