by Irene Moustakas | Jun 3, 2024 | Uncategorized
Did you know that Americans owe an astounding $1.13 trillion in credit card debt? That’s a number that’s hard to picture, isn’t it? Inflation and increased interest rates have contributed to this growing number, and it certainly shows us that many American households...
by Irene Moustakas | May 23, 2024 | Uncategorized
If you are looking to purchase a home or refinance your existing mortgage, you may want to look beyond simply walking into your bank. Many people secure a real estate loan through their bank because they don’t always realize that other options may exist. I started out...
by Irene Moustakas | May 1, 2024 | FHA, Industry News, Loan Programs and Products
An FHA loan is a government-insured loan that allows as little as 3.5% down payment. Besides allowing little money down, its other advantages when compared to a Conventional loan is that it typically carries lower interest rates, it is more forgiving with lower credit...
by Irene Moustakas | Apr 15, 2024 | 1st Time Homebuyers, Industry News, Loan Programs and Products
Registrations for the Dream for All program opened up on April 3rd, and there are now 2 weeks left to register for a voucher. Vouchers are limited and determined by lottery. The Dream for All program serves to help first time and first generation homebuyers get their...
by Irene Moustakas | Mar 29, 2024 | Uncategorized
The most likely reasons for needing (or wanting) to buy out a partner or co-owner of a home are due to divorce or inherited property, but of course, other situations can arise. Most people do not have the cash on hand to simply buy the other out; or even if they do...
by Irene Moustakas | Mar 7, 2024 | Uncategorized
Phase 1 of CalHFA’s Dream for All program, which launched in March 2023, was in such high demand that the allocated funds of $300MM were all accounted for within 11 days, per KQED. The program helped 2,182 new homeowners purchase a home, with 55%...
by Irene Moustakas | Mar 4, 2024 | Tips, Uncategorized
This flyer has been posted on my blog since its inception in 2018, but I have just updated it to be a little more relevant. In the previous version, I recommended not packing away your checkbook, but that hardly seems relevant these days, in addition to title...
by Irene Moustakas | Feb 28, 2024 | 1st Time Homebuyers
Housing Trust Silicon Valley (HTSV) is a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) that helps Silicon Valley residents secure down payment assistance to purchase their first home as their primary residence. HTSV has two programs with different features and...
by Irene Moustakas | Feb 7, 2024 | 1st Time Homebuyers, Loan Programs and Products
Did you know that there are some lenders and organizations that offer down payment assistance (DPA) programs? Most require you to be a first time homebuyer and they stipulate maximum income limitations per county and/or household size. But there can be some great...
by Irene Moustakas | Dec 7, 2023 | Tips
‘Tis the season for hot cocoa, holiday parties, and Christmas shopping! It is also the season that we are more susceptible to fraud and identity theft. Monitoring your credit is key, and one additional thing you can do is to freeze your credit. What this means...