California Mortgage Blog

How to Rock the 2023 FHA Loan Limits!!!  I ain't foolin'! Even though it seems like there's been nothin' but a whole lotta interest rate hikes in 2022, thankfully FHA borrowers, including first-time homebuyers, will see an increase to the FHA loan limit in 2023. This means that where the one-unit...

How (NOT) to Destroy Your Mortgage Approval!!!  Ever wondered about the most common (as well as lesser known) ways mortgage borrowers sabotage their own loan process?  Do they dispute credit items and try to fix their FICO scores? Do they change jobs without telling their lender or broker? Do the...

How to Rock the 2023 Conforming Loan Limits!!!  I ain't foolin'! Even though there's been a whole lotta interest rate hikes in 2022.  And even though there's been a whole lotta rumbling about home values declining in some areas, the FHFA will again be increasing the conforming loan limits into 20...

The 10 American Indian Commandments  This Thanksgiving weekend, while we enjoyed time with family, gave thanks for our great fortune as Americans and even let our 4th grader relay to us what he'd learned about the origin of the holiday itself, I did also manage to find a few minutes to do some ho...

How to Rock an Interest Rate Buydown!!!  R U gonna let the interest rate elevator bring you down? Look --- it's a tough real estate environment right now.  Sellers and builders still would die 4 to get the list price and buyers would laugh in the Purple Rain to keep their rate and payment as low ...

How to Rock a Low House Appraisal Value!!!  You found the perfect home... And the seller accepted your offer... And your mortgage application is underway... Until your appraisal comes in low.  What now??? Never mind all the bad advice that swirls around this dilemma.  There are a handful of effec...

How to Rock an FHA Home Loan!!!  Are FHA loans just for first time home buyers?   Is an FHA mortgage the best choice if you have bad credit? What if you have a low down payment, or even no down payment from your own savings? If you're ready to quit renting right here and right now, let's learn ho...

How to Rock Shopping for Mortgage Rates!!!  Have a rate quote but want to see if another lender, banker or broker can "beat it?" Concerned that the Fed will keep hiking rates and trying to decide whether to lock your rate today? Mortgage rate shopping doesn't need to be stressful if you follow th...

How to Rock a Housing Recession!!!  Is now a good time to buy a house? Are we headed into another housing recession? What happens if mortgage rates keep going up? Should I just keep renting while we wait to see what happens with the economy? Since these have been the predominant questions on our ...

How to Rock Adding a Co-Signer on a Mortgage!!!  When your fantasy of owning a home meets the reality of qualifying mortgage, it can sometimes mean that you'll need a little help.  And in more than a few of those cases, the most elegant solution can be a co-signer, technically known as a "non-occ...