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How to prepare (and still save a lot of money!) when interest rates trend up.
If you’re a homeowner or maybe looking to buy a house soon, then talk of interest rate increases may have caught your attention lately. Of course, that’s understandable, but it’s also important to remember that we’re coming out of an unusually long run of record-low interest rates, so they essentially had nowhere to go but […]
Understand APR; your mortgage’s Annual Percentage Rate
When you’re in the process of applying for a mortgage loan, perhaps to buy your first house, there are a lot of terms thrown around. You might hear vernacular like “closing costs,” “Yield Spread Premiums,” and “Debt-to-Income Ratio” for the first time. There are even plentiful acronyms, like FHA, PMI, and one we’ll talk about […]
Are you a mortgage expert…or a novice? Take our home loan quiz and find out!
Have you owned a home for a long time? Have you taken out several mortgage loans in your lifetime, and even refinanced once or twice? Do you make a mortgage payment every month now? While that may describe the typical American family, there is still a general lack of knowledge when it comes to home […]
Everything you need to know about the LIBOR (including if your mortgage payment will rise because of it!)
Have you heard of the “LIBOR?” If you’re a homeowner with a mortgage loan or have credit card debt, this is something you should be aware of – and may affect your monthly payments! Today, I’ll cover everything you need to know about the LIBOR rate and how it may affect you. What does LIBOR […]
The current state of Realtor marketing – stats and facts to help you make it a great 2018!
According to recent data, there are 2 million real estate licenses issued throughout the United States. Of course, not all of those licensees may be actively selling real estate, but no matter how you slice it, that’s a lot of home sales professional – In fact, there were roughly 5.5 million residential home sales in […]
Jeff Compton’s top 10 mortgage blog posts of 2017.
2017 was an interesting and dynamic year for the mortgage markets, with interest rates staying near historical lows despite movement by the Fed, the return of 1% down and other loans that made it easier to buy, and a surge in equity for homeowners once again. However, there is still work to be done, as […]
10 Fast Facts about Guild Mortgage
1. Guild Mortgage was founded by Martin Gleich in 1960. However, the company was first called “Guardian Mortgage.” 2. Since then, Guild Mortgage has held true to its mission “to provide affordable home financing, unsurpassed service, and a dedicated workforce to meet our customers’ needs.” 3. It’s now one of the fastest-growing mortgage lenders, ranked […]
15 Charming, Interesting, and Bizarre Housewarming Traditions
Did you move into a new house recently and your neighbors, friends, and family brought you some food or other token of their congratulations? What about if they showed up with a gift of firewood, pineapples, or frogs? Believe it or not, those have all been housewarming traditions in the past, as the practice has […]
Understanding the important difference between REALTORS and Real Estate Agents
If you’ve bought or sold a home recently, you’ve probably encountered two terms that may be a little confusing. From news to ads to social media, we hear the labels “real estate agent” and “Realtor” used so often that you may think they’re interchangeable. But, in fact, a real estate agent and a REALTOR are […]