Once upon a time, back in olden days (before 2008), a borrower with income that they couldn’t document easily was no problem: they’d get a “stated income” loan, meaning that they could “state” their income, and the lender would accept…
Homes in the Seattle area are appreciating at the fastest rate in the nation. Over the last 12 months, for example, homes in Seattle have gone up 14.1%, Bellevue 12.1% and here in Sammamish, 12.2%. Even though those rates—what real…
Getting a mortgage is not something you do every day. If you’re lucky, you may only go through the process a few times in your life. One aspect of getting a mortgage that makes many uncomfortable is the strange terminology…
Let’s face it: we have been living in a nice dream world for a long time. Rates have remained at historically low levels for nearly a year—on December 30 of last year, we saw a plunge in rates followed by…
You have already noticed that rents are rising in the Seattle area. Real estate values are, too. The appeal of our beautiful region draws people like a magnet—and more people mean higher demand for housing, which means higher prices. Rents…
We have been seeing some welcome appreciation of home values in Seattle and surrounding areas. This means that homeowners now have more equity than they had last year, and this leads to the possibility of some choices—all of which can…
With mortgage rates still at historically low levels, why are some homeowners still laboring with higher interest rates? If they can save money, what stops them from taking a step that will put money in their pockets each month? We…
“I think we just found our dream house!” Luis and Miriam had been clients for several years and we had become friends. I have helped them with several refinance loans over the past several years. The most recent refinance was…
It’s a fair question. With the proliferation of online, highly automated lenders that claim all you have to do is “push a button” to get your mortgage, you might wonder why working with an actual flesh-and-blood loan officer is worth…
"My offer on a home was rejected because I will be getting an FHA loan. Is this legal? Isn’t that some kind of discrimination?" The truth is, a seller can opt not to accept an offer with FHA or VA financing—and…