Sean McDowell's (smcdowell) Blog

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Mortgage and Lending - Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation - NMLS#196636
RECENT BLOG POSTS
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I just came from my weekly Rotary meeting and one of the newer members asked me what I do for work.  I mentioned that I had a mortgage practice and they were just so sorry for me.  The news media is killing our industry from the outside.  I'd like to start sharing some GOOD or GREAT things that h...
04/09/2008
I've really been working hard to offer my first time homebuyers good alternatives to down payments etc... and have been really delighted with the CalHFA, CalPERS, and other programs.  I turned to these when I was dealing with a school teacher recently and thought there may be other opportunities ...
03/26/2008
On December 20th, 2007, the President signed the Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act of 2007 into law, creating headaches for the IRS but some great last-minute tax breaks for many homeowners in 2007. One major provision temporarily spares homeowners the tax burden associated with canceled mortg...
03/18/2008
1) Three months prior to securing your mortgage, DON'T apply for, close, or pay off any credit cards, loans, or other kinds of credit without speaking to your mortgage professional first. Any one of these actions, as innocent as they might seem, could seriously affect your credit score, adding si...
03/18/2008
A credit score is an extremely important financial tool. It provides access to the financing you need in order to buy a car, a home, or pay for college tuition, among other things. Since higher scores equate to lower costs and vice versa, it's vital to understand the factors involved in calculati...
03/18/2008
Junk mail is not only annoying, it's expensive, too! Did you know that over the course of your lifetime you will spend up to 8 full months perusing junk mail, half of which you'll throw away without ever even opening? It's true. Americans reportedly pay $370 million to haul 5.6 million tons of u...
02/17/2008
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When it comes to real estate, foreclosures aren't the only big story in the news. Builders and sellers are reportedly offering huge savings and massive incentives in order to pull in buyers and compete in today's marketplace. Business Week recently revealed that some big builders have been aucti...
02/17/2008
In late December 2007, Congress decided to freeze the expansion of the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT), an outdated tax law from 1969. While this was great news for some 25 million tax payers, the late date of this congressional action will reportedly create major delays in the processing of tax r...
02/17/2008
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Sean McDowell

Mortgage Consultant & Co-Author of Mortgage Maze
local_phone(714) 697-8667
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