Home buyers tend to have a lot of questions about the mortgage underwriting process in California. That's partly because this process happens without their direct involvement, for the most part. What is underwriting? What does the underwriter do? How long…
This article explains the minimum down-payment requirements for conventional home loans in Bay Area. A "conventional" mortgage is one that is not insured or backed by the government. Borrowers who use a conventional loan to buy a home in Bay Area…
Are you in the market for an asset depletion mortgage loan in California? Or maybe you’ve heard about this financing strategy but aren’t exactly sure how it works? In either case, keep reading! In this article, we will explain how…
Update, November 30: It's official. California conforming loan limits have been increased for 2022, and by a lot. Here's an updated blog post with the revised figures for all counties. California loan limits are expected to rise in 2022, in…
As a home buyer, there are certain steps you can take to increase your chance of qualifying for a mortgage loan in California. We've covered five of them below. The process of qualifying for a mortgage loan in California can…
Some home buyers in the San Francisco Bay Area use the 5-year adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) loan to finance their purchases. This is a unique type of home loan that might work well in specific situations. But it's not for everyone.…
Some Bay Area home buyers use the adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) loan to finance their purchases. These loans have unique features that are useful in some situations but less appropriate in others. These mortgages are given their "adjustable" labels to differentiate…
Given the expensive nature of our real estate market, some home buyers worry that they cannot afford the down payment for a Bay Area home purchase. After all, the median price point for our market is currently around $1.3 million.…
Some home buyers in California choose to pay mortgage points at closing in exchange for a lower rate. This strategy can pay off over time, by reducing the monthly payments and the total interest paid in the long term. But…
It's no surprise that the San Francisco Bay Area is an expensive real estate market. In fact, we have some of the highest average home prices of any metropolitan area in the country. A recent report showed that the average…
