Down payments and closing costs are two of the financial hurdles associated with buying a home in California. Even for borrowers who have plenty of income to cover their monthly mortgage payments, closing costs can still be an obstacle. But…
Across California, homes have become more expensive over the last couple of years. This is the result of strong demand and limited supply within local housing markets. As a result of these trends, more and more California home buyers are…
If you want to buy a house in California but can't come up with a 20% down payment, you still have some financing options available. But there's a chance you'll have to pay for private mortgage insurance, or PMI. This…
Today's blog entry will give you some insight into the minimum credit score needed for a mortgage loan in California. We'll also look at the average FICO credit score among home buyers who successfully closed on their loans. This will…
This article is part of our "good time to buy a home" series. In previous blog posts, we looked at whether or not it's a good time to buy a house in California (as a whole) and also within the…
First-time home buyers tend to have a lot of questions about buying a house in California. So we've created a blog series that addresses some of those frequently asked questions. Today's question is: What are the minimum mortgage requirements for…
The down payment is one of the biggest considerations for most Bay Area home buyers using mortgage loans. And with rising home values in the region, the average down payment on a house in the Bay Area has risen as…
We are well past the midpoint of 2017, which means that some California home buyers are already looking ahead to 2018. And many share the same questions: What will the real estate market be like? Will I pay more if…
This is part of an ongoing series in which we answer common questions among home buyers in California. Today's question is: What do I need to qualify for a home loan in California? What are the minimum qualification criteria for…
A lot of military members in California use the VA loan program when buying a home. But the FHA mortgage program is also a popular option, particularly among first-time buyers with limited funds for a down payment. It begs the…
