California Mortgage Blog

How to Rock a Bridge Loan   If you've been lamenting how tough it is to get your offer to buy a home accepted these days, think about how much more difficult it is for those who must buy a new home BEFORE selling their existing one.  After all, it's practically impossible to make a contingent off...

How to Rock Cannabis Income on a Mortgage Application   Fifty years ago, when the Doobie Brothers were flying high and the folks in China Grove were rising for another day, it would have been hard to imagine that marijuana would eventually be legal in some states.  But, not legal in all states an...

How to Rock a Mortgage Application Without Hurting Your FICO Score   "What's your rate?" "How much will I qualify for?" "Are you a banker or a broker or a lender?" Nope, nope and nope.  None of these are the #1 question we get before a prospective borrower makes an application for a pre-approval....

How to Rock Cryptocurrency As Your Down Payment   The mere mention of the words "bitcoin" or "cryptocurrency" or "blockchain" is sure to evoke comments and reactions that will be far-reaching.  There will be the speculators who rolled the dice and came up winners, or who are still white-knuckling...

Five Tips for Rocking Home Ownership in 2022   If you searched unsuccessfully for a home and suffered one heartbreak after another in 2021, 2022 hasn't necessarily greeted you with open arms either.  Near non-existent inventory in many areas, fierce competition and rising interest rates have all ...

Divorce Buyout Refinancing Explained   It's a sobering fact that nearly 50% of married couples will decide to go their separate ways each year. But what happens when there's jointly owned real estate involved? And what if that home has a mortgage on it as well? What's the process for one spouse "...

Is a No Cost Refinance a Free Ride?   Back in the '70's, Edgar Winter extolled the virtues of taking a free ride.  But since that time and especially when it comes to transactions in the financial world, most of us have been conditioned to know that nothing's ever free. So how does this square wi...

HELOC or Cash Out Refinance?   As a teenager in the '80's, our dilemmas were a little simpler --- should I stay or should I go? --- for instance.  But today's homeowner faces some additional complexities, especially when it comes to deciding the best way to finance a home renovation or other larg...

YouTube Thursday? That's the Way You Do It!  In keeping with the spirit of YouTube Thursdays, and adhering to my resolution to build a YouTube channel this year, I'm optimistic this post will count as my first contribution. This week, I'm covering the basics of cash out refinances, because as rat...

Making the Youtube Leap in 2022!  A few days ago, out of the blue, I got a call from Lynn Friedman, with whom I had last spoken years ago.  We were initially connected on Active Rain, and to the uninitiated, this is one of the true joys of the platform --- the ability to make a connection across ...