mortgage: Closing Costs...What Are They, and What Are They For? - 06/24/13 01:36 PM
I’ve been a REALTOR® in the Central Valley for over eight years now, and I’ve sold a lot of homes in my career.   I have been able to work with many amazing people that are both buying and selling homes in Lodi, Stockton, and surrounding areas.  As you would expect I get asked a LOT of questions about all aspects of real estate and what’s involved with buying or selling a home, but one of the most frequent questions I get asked is, “What are closing costs?”
I thought about writing a long, detailed blog explaining all of the ins … (3 comments)

mortgage: Become a Preferred Buyer - 11/02/12 07:52 AM
Become a Preferred Buyer When you begin house-hunting in Lodi and Stockton, CA areas, it will help you narrow down the homes that you consider if you know how much you can afford to pay. You can do that by getting pre-qualified, or you can take the process one step further by getting pre-approved.
Many people get confused by these terms and think they mean the same thing, when actually they are quite different. Being pre-qualified doesn't mean that you have a commitment from a lender; it's merely an indication of how much home you can afford. The pre-approval process, on … (5 comments)

mortgage: Are There REALLY Less Past Due Mortgages? - 11/25/11 02:37 AM
According to Lender Processing Services (LPS), there were 6,298,000 mortgagesgoing unpaid  in the United States as of the end of October.
Although that sounds like an incredibly HIGH number of delinquent mortgages, that total is actually less than the previous months.
At the beginning of this year, there were 6,870,000 delinquent mortgages.  Compare that to the beginning of 2010 that showed 8,118,000 and you can clearly see how there’s been a major decline in the total numbers of past due mortgages.
CLICK HERE for more on this story.
Does all this mean that we’re nearing the end of the housing problems?  I wouldn’t go so … (4 comments)

mortgage: Should You Pay Off Your Mortgage Loan? - 02/24/11 02:33 PM
Back in the "old days", it was the 'American Dream' to not only buy a home, but also to actually pay off that debt.
There were actually "Note-burning" parties.  You would gather all your friends and family around so they could watch you burn your mortgage note papers once you paid off your loan.  I've heard from many people over the years that attended those parties and how exciting it was for the host.
It seems that no one ever pays off their mortgage these days.  Is it because of the amount of the loan, or the fact that no one … (6 comments)

mortgage: If You Eat Your House Will That Void Your Mortgage? - 12/15/10 07:59 AM
There are many ways of trying to get out of paying a debt.  One of those debts is a home mortgage.  Many people are struggling these days to pay their mortgage due to higher payment amounts due to rate increases, or loss of income, divorce, medical bills, etc.
But I came across one individual that thought she would just eat her house and then since there would no longer be a house, then of course there would be no longer a mortgage, right? 
I'm thinking that it's not that easy.  Eating this gingerbread house might make Ciara's imaginary debt go away, … (4 comments)

mortgage: 6 Reasons it Pays to Shop Around Before Choosing a Mortgage - 10/16/10 06:53 AM
1. To get the best interest rate possible Over the life of a $200,000, 30-year fixed rate loan, a one-tenth of a point difference in interest rate could save or cost you thousands of dollars. 2. To pay lower loan fees Once your loan application is accepted, the lender will get back to you with a good-faith estimate (GFE), including an itemized list of all the costs associated with the loan. If there are any parts of the GFE that you don’t understand, don’t be afraid to ask the lender to explain each fee that is listed. 3. To avoid a … (5 comments)