by Irene Moustakas | Apr 21, 2014 | Featured, Tips
This is a document that I send to clients whom are refinancing their home mortgage. There are a number of “heads up” items listed, all of which are meant to prepare you for any hiccups or annoyances in the refinance process. Many of these will also apply...
by Irene Moustakas | Mar 3, 2014 | Featured, Tips
Can you purchase a home or refinance your existing mortgage and not pay anything to do so? The simple answer is yes, but it definitely needs more explaining. There are costs associated with every purchase and refinance; the question is how they are paid. The best way...
by Irene Moustakas | Jan 23, 2014 | Tips
Your qualifying ratio, also called the debt-to-income (DTI) ratio, is one of the three main factors in getting a loan. The other two are the Loan-to-Value ratio (considering down payment or equity), and your credit score. There are many other factors in getting a...
by Irene Moustakas | Jan 21, 2014 | Featured, Rates, Tips
Rising interest rates can drastically reduce the max purchase price you qualify for. Depending on the loan amount, a rise in rates of just .25% can potentially cost you hundreds of dollars (in particular with the high loan amounts in our Bay Area). But even with...
by Irene Moustakas | Sep 26, 2013 | 1st Time Homebuyers, Featured, Tips
Even though housing supply and demand has leveled off compared to the earlier part of this year, demand does still outweigh supply (the inventory of homes on the market). So it is critical to be as competitive as possible when you are up against other buyers putting...
by Irene Moustakas | Sep 17, 2013 | Featured, Tips
Even though the lending industry has slowed down greatly since interest rates increased in early summer, it is still a busy time. If you are applying for a loan to purchase a home, then most likely you have offered terms with a short contingency removal and Close of...