by Irene Moustakas | Oct 4, 2022 | Uncategorized
Today is my 21st anniversary in the mortgage business! I’ve been through quite the ups and downs, from rates being 8.0% when I started, going through the credit crunch era/housing bubble burst of 2008, the wildly low 2%/3% rates of 2020 and 2021, and now the...
by Irene Moustakas | Aug 30, 2022 | Uncategorized
Have you lost out on a home because the seller chose an all-cash offer over yours? It can be quite frustrating, but one of my lenders is now offering a solution, called the “cash compete” loan. This will allow you to offer all cash on a property you would like to...
by Irene Moustakas | May 9, 2022 | Uncategorized
Well, unfortunately, they are currently a reality. For many people just entering the housing market and considering buying, it’s a little easier since this is where interest rates are now and that expectation has been set. For those that were preapproved a few months...
by Irene Moustakas | May 3, 2022 | Uncategorized
Every year, the esteemed Scotsman Guide honors the nation’s top-producing residential mortgage originators. This year, I am graciously excited to receive the 2022 Scotsman Guide Top Originators Award! I qualified as a top mortgage broker, by most loans closed, and by...
by Irene Moustakas | Mar 28, 2022 | Uncategorized
California voters voted “yes” to Proposition 19 in November 2020, but there is an active petition to repeal it; if you are interested in adding your signature and are a Santa Clara County voter, please reach out to me by April 8th. I believe that most voters read the...
by Irene Moustakas | Mar 7, 2022 | Uncategorized
Just in the past week, I have had two clients approach me to check on interest rates and if refinancing makes sense since they now have an influx of cash from a rental property sale. For both of them, their goal was to pay down their primary home’s mortgage with the...
by Irene Moustakas | Jan 19, 2022 | Uncategorized
The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) has announced that pricing of interest rates for vacation homes and high balance loans will be increasing. The implementation date of these increases will be April 1, 2022, which means lenders are starting to roll the...
by Irene Moustakas | Jan 13, 2022 | Uncategorized
Well, we knew it wouldn’t last forever. Rates in the high 1% (10 or 15 Year Fixed) and 2% range quickly have become a thing of the past. There are two main reasons for this: Rising InflationThe Federal Reserve started tapering its mortgage stimulus program, with the...
by Irene Moustakas | Jun 28, 2021 | Uncategorized
Have you tried to refinance in the past year or so into historically low interest rates, but did not get approved because you didn’t qualify due to low income? It’s so disheartening to know you can save so much money, but don’t fit within...
by Irene Moustakas | May 20, 2021 | Uncategorized
Most people have heard of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and usually in conjunction with one another. And if you have ever received a home loan, it is highly likely that your loan is or was owned by one of these two government-sponsored enterprises. Fannie Mae and...