To Jumbo or Not to Jumbo?
This information is easiest to explain through an actual experience with one of my customers... I just recently got a call from a past customer of mine. He desperately needed to…
How Pre-Approved is Your “Pre-Approved” Buyer?
I hope you have time for a quick (and amusing) story... Just last week we were working with a customer to get them pre-approved. We completed our pre-approval process and…
Is Your Non-Warrantable Condo Really Non-Warrantable?
Condos, condos, condos. I don't know about you but financing condos seems to have become a hot topic lately. Specifically, if it is non-warrantable...but no one likes labels, right? What is…
Non-Warrantable Condos
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3% Down Conventional Loan Options
Last week we mentioned the Home Ready loan program but some of our customers don't not fit best in that particular loan option. There are some other 3% down Conventional…
Five Hurdles to Mortgage Qualifying
Everyone has heard of the tightening of the credit market but what does that really mean to you? What does that really mean to you as a home buyer? Over…
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Value of REAL Pre-Approval
INTERESTING STATISTIC – One of my colleagues shared with me an amazing statistic: Almost 30% of real estate transaction in the US are falling through AFTER GOING UNDER CONTRACT. I…
Where the Heck Did FICO Come From?
Not too long ago, the credit world was much different than it is today. Credit bureaus operated in near secrecy, gathering information in ways that may surprise you. For instance, did you know that Retailer's credit (now Equifax) received information about you gathered by the Welcome Wagon hostess?
The Lender that Could – I Knew I Could
The mortgage business can be a confusing industry to understand. There are different types of loans, different types of lenders and different paths for loans after closing. All of these…
Don’t have a lot of money for down payment?
(All stories shared on Lending A Hand contain fictitious names with changes to insignificant details. The privacy and trust of our customers is our top priority.) I received a call…