Entries by Loan Processing

How to Finance Your Dream Home Remodel

Thinking about upgrading your kitchen, building a backyard oasis or tackling a long-overdue repair? Home renovations can be exciting, but they’re rarely cheap. The good news: You may not need to drain your savings or take out a personal loan. Two common options — cash-out refinancing and home equity lines of credit (HELOCs) — can […]

How Credit Scores Impact Mortgage Loans

Securing a home loan with bad credit can be challenging, but it’s not impossible. While eligibility criteria and terms vary, improving your credit score can work in your favor. Why Your Credit Score Matters Your credit score gives lenders an idea of how reliable you are at repaying debts. Higher scores suggest that you’re likely […]

Protecting Your Privacy: How to Stop Unwanted Marketing Calls and Credit Bureau ‘Trigger Leads’

When you embark on securing home financing, your credit report plays a crucial role. However, we believe you should be aware of an important aspect of this process. When we pull your credit report, the major credit bureaus—Experian, Equifax, Innovis, and TransUnion—can legally sell your information to other companies. This practice, known as “trigger leads,” […]

4 Ways to Identify a Quality House Flip

House flipping has become a popular practice in recent years. Investors purchase older, often rundown homes and restore them to their former glory with a little DIY magic. While these stories make for good television, they don’t always have a happy ending for the buyer though — in the real world, quick flips can correspond […]

When should you tap into home equity?

Your home can be a valuable financial resource if you’re looking to fund an important project or consolidate debt. Accessing your equity through a loan, home equity line of credit or cash-out refinance can be a smart move in the right circumstances. However, it’s important to carefully review the potential risks involved. If you’re considering […]

Don’t Be Fooled By Mortgage Scammers

After getting a loan, it’s not uncommon to see an uptick in mail regarding your financing. Some of these letters and postcards come directly from your lender or legitimate third-party solicitors. Unfortunately, others can come from ill-intentioned mortgage scammers. Luckily, there are ways to protect yourself from junk mail and scammers. The most important thing […]

4 Reasons Refi Applications Get Denied

Refinancing allows borrowers to reduce their monthly mortgage rates and payments, shorten loan terms and convert home equity to cash. But refinancing can be complicated — even responsible borrowers with relatively high credit scores and a history of timely payments can be denied. What are the most common reasons why a refinance application may be […]

What does PITI mean for your payments?

Buying your first home is an exciting milestone, but it can come with its fair share of jargon. One term you may encounter is PITI. It might sound like alphabet soup, but PITI — principal, interest, taxes and insurance — is the backbone of your mortgage payments. Whether you’re a first-time buyer or looking to […]

Your Guide to Down Payment Assistance

As you may know, saving for a competitive down payment was one of the primary obstacles homebuyers faced in 2023. With high prices and rising mortgage rates, many buyers have turned to down payment assistance (DPA) for relief. But while DPA can reduce upfront costs and make homeownership more accessible, it’s not necessarily for everyone. […]

Your Guide to Down Payment Assistance

As you may know, saving for a competitive down payment was one of the primary obstacles homebuyers faced in 2023. With high prices and rising mortgage rates, many buyers have turned to down payment assistance (DPA) for relief. But while DPA can reduce upfront costs and make homeownership more accessible, it’s not necessarily for everyone. […]