real estate: Is a Bank Statement Mortgage Right for You?
- 03/15/23 08:29 AM
Is a Bank Statement Mortgage Right for You?
Let's face it, it can be VERY difficult for the self-employed to get some shelter when seeking the best mortgage. Why? Because they face a tough choice every year around tax time:
File the maximum allowable deductions and reduce taxable income as much as possible in order to pay less in taxes.
File with fewer deductions, maximize income and appear strongest in the eyes of a potential mortgage lender.
In reality, balancing these two is nearly impossible for most business owners and the lending industry recognizes that. In response, the self-employed can sometimes use a bank statement … (2 comments)
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real estate: How to Rock a Housing Recession!!!
- 09/08/22 01:18 PM
How to Rock a Housing Recession!!!
Is now a good time to buy a house?
Are we headed into another housing recession?
What happens if mortgage rates keep going up?
Should I just keep renting while we wait to see what happens with the economy?
Since these have been the predominant questions on our clients' minds, I thought I would take a step back to the basics and look at how to make the best decisions possible in uncertain times.
Are the lights going down on the real estate market? Let's take a look...
And the sun shines on the bay,
Rob Spinosa
SVP of Mortgage Lending
Guaranteed Rate
NMLS: 22343
Cell/Text: 415-367-5959
rob.spinosa@rate.com
Marin … (5 comments)
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real estate: How to Rock a 10% Down Payment!!!
- 07/14/22 12:17 PM
How to Rock a 10% Down Payment!!!
Why go home to your grungy apartment when you can buy your first home instead? Oh, what's that? Haven't saved the full 20% down payment? Live in a part of the country where home prices and loan sizes easily outpace the capacity of conforming, FHA and even VA loans?
Let's learn how to rock the best of the 10% down jumbo mortgage options, some without PMI, and jam on why with a changing real estate market, you may be in luck with half the down payment you thought it might otherwise take.
Jeremy's spoken,
Rob Spinosa
SVP of Mortgage … (3 comments)
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real estate: How to Rock a Mortgage Pre-Approval!!!
- 06/23/22 07:37 AM
How to Rock a Mortgage Pre-Approval!!!
Buying your first home is a daunting task and can be a huge undertaking for the first-time buyer. Shoot, even for a move-up buyer, the experienced downsizer or a seasoned investor, it can sometimes be difficult to know where to begin. But getting a mortgage pre-approval often remains the best first step in the process, and it's also a likely reality that your Realtor won't seriously consider showing you property until you are either pre-approved or pre-underwritten by a mortgage lender or broker. After all, it's really tough to know your purchase power and your budget … (3 comments)
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real estate: How to Rock Second Home or Rental Property?
- 05/19/22 11:55 AM
How to Rock Second Home or Rental Property?
Mortgage guidelines are positively prehistoric when compared to newer companies like AirBnB and VRBO, which have gained popularity as interest in short-term rentals has increased.
But when it comes to getting a home loan on a property that is not your primary residence, you have to state on your mortgage application whether you have a second (or vacation) home or you have a rental (aka investment) property, and there is no middle ground for a "vacation rental." However, there can be real consequences if you get the classification wrong.
So, let's rock the distinction between vacation … (11 comments)
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real estate: How to Rock Cryptocurrency As Your Down Payment
- 03/10/22 08:03 AM
How to Rock Cryptocurrency As Your Down Payment
The mere mention of the words "bitcoin" or "cryptocurrency" or "blockchain" is sure to evoke comments and reactions that will be far-reaching. There will be the speculators who rolled the dice and came up winners, or who are still white-knuckling their wild ride. There will be financial technicians who have been forced to grasp how this technology has the potential to disrupt the exchange of currency as we know it. But more than the reactions of either of these two subsets, you'll encounter the expressions of the mostly and mildly bewildered. Because really, when … (4 comments)
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real estate: Five Tips to Rock Home Buying in 2022
- 02/24/22 08:00 AM
Five Tips for Rocking Home Ownership in 2022
If you searched unsuccessfully for a home and suffered one heartbreak after another in 2021, 2022 hasn't necessarily greeted you with open arms either. Near non-existent inventory in many areas, fierce competition and rising interest rates have all conspired to make the landscape rockier still.
Despite this, I've found five tips can be a universal help in getting you into contract, regardless of your own individual circumstances. Rock them with me on Youtube:
Ready to find Paradise City? Please give me a like or subscribe on YouTube!
Welcome to the jungle,
Rob Spinosa
SVP of Mortgage Lending
Guaranteed Rate
NMLS: 22343
Cell/Text: … (3 comments)
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real estate: Divorce Buyout Refinancing Explained
- 02/17/22 07:38 AM
Divorce Buyout Refinancing Explained
It's a sobering fact that nearly 50% of married couples will decide to go their separate ways each year. But what happens when there's jointly owned real estate involved? And what if that home has a mortgage on it as well? What's the process for one spouse "buying out" the other and how can any couple best plan for this division?
Obviously, a marital separation is stressful enough. The short video below aims to make it a little less so, at least when it comes to understanding the home loan options. Oh, and we rock some Frontiers-era Journey while … (9 comments)
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real estate: Is a No Cost Refinance a Free Ride?
- 02/10/22 07:33 AM
Is a No Cost Refinance a Free Ride?
Back in the '70's, Edgar Winter extolled the virtues of taking a free ride. But since that time and especially when it comes to transactions in the financial world, most of us have been conditioned to know that nothing's ever free.
So how does this square with the concept of a "no cost" refinance? We hear about these all the time and our clients ask for them. How does the no-cost strategy work and can it offer real benefit in the right situation? We cover all these timeless questions in this short, fun, rockin' video:
Decided … (1 comments)
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real estate: HELOC or Cash Out Refinance?
- 02/03/22 07:52 AM
HELOC or Cash Out Refinance?
As a teenager in the '80's, our dilemmas were a little simpler --- should I stay or should I go? --- for instance. But today's homeowner faces some additional complexities, especially when it comes to deciding the best way to finance a home renovation or other large purchase.
Using the equity in one's home has always been an enticing way to cost-effectively confront large-ticket expenses, but what's the best way to convert that equity into cash? Should you get a home equity line of credit (a "HELOC") or should you do a cash-out refinance? We get this question … (5 comments)
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real estate: YouTube Thursday? That's the Way You Do It!
- 01/27/22 07:48 AM
YouTube Thursday? That's the Way You Do It!
In keeping with the spirit of YouTube Thursdays, and adhering to my resolution to build a YouTube channel this year, I'm optimistic this post will count as my first contribution.
This week, I'm covering the basics of cash out refinances, because as rates begin to rise, cash out refinances still offer value to homeowners (where "rate and term" refinances begin to make a less compelling case). Also, we put a fun spin on the '80's hit "Money for Nothing," because while cash out refinances may offer a really cost-effective way to do home improvement, finance … (2 comments)
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real estate: Making the Youtube Leap in 2022!
- 01/06/22 06:10 PM
Making the Youtube Leap in 2022!
A few days ago, out of the blue, I got a call from Lynn Friedman, with whom I had last spoken years ago. We were initially connected on Active Rain, and to the uninitiated, this is one of the true joys of the platform --- the ability to make a connection across the country even though you may not share an immediate business need. This real estate fast track can fill a social and professional void that can often be lacking in our respective industries. Our conversation lasted longer than we both expected, I'm sure, but … (12 comments)
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real estate: The Four Horsemen of Deals Dead
- 09/03/21 07:48 AM
The Four Horsemen of Deals Dead
My wife likes to joke that all I do for my job is talk to people. "I hear you in there yucking it up all day..." So maybe there is always an element of the truth in jest, but an aspect of these conversations that she does not take into consideration is the near-constant battle I fight fending deals from The Four Horsemen; Delay, Indecision, Unfounded Expertise and The Unreasonable Pursuit of Perfection. When these vigilantes appear over the horizon of any real estate transaction, having a powerful defense can turn them away and save even … (21 comments)
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real estate: Median Home Price, Meet Median Buyer
- 07/23/21 08:14 AM
Median Home Price, Meet Median Buyer
A very long time ago I saw an email address that read 'averageandhappy@...' and I thought, "Wow, here I've been my whole life trying not to be mediocre and then someone just goes and finds happiness in all of it." I wasn't sure if I should be resentful or relieved...
Years have passed and I've had the opportunity to observe the real estate market in my corner of the universe, namely the San Francisco Bay Area, which includes Marin County, the city of SF, Oakland/East Bay and the Silicon Valley. Few would consider this an "average" market … (2 comments)
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real estate: Divorce Buyout Mortgages
- 04/25/21 08:47 AM
Divorce Buyout Mortgages
I don't think it would have surprised many married couples to learn, as they worked from home in a room that may have doubled and tripled as a dining room, nursery and rec center, that divorce filings were up 34% over the first half of 2020 and as pandemic despondency set in and influenced nearly every aspect of work, home and social life.
I would be the last one to make light of the stresses that COVID imposed on marriages and households, but instead I did see this unique time as equally opportune for shining a bright light on how … (8 comments)
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real estate: Buying a Home All Cash, Then Getting a Mortgage
- 04/14/21 07:59 AM
Buying a Home All Cash, Then Getting a Mortgage
Back in a real estate market a long time ago and in a mortgage galaxy far, far away --- otherwise known as 2009/2010 --- some buyers needed to purchase a home with cash, then hope to refinance after they had the keys in hand. The reason for this? Bad credit? Nope. Extinction of stated income loans? Sorry, try again. The reason was often that the homes were not eligible for financing --- many had been ravaged by the neglect of economic downturn. Plumbing was torn out, there were holes in the walls and … (26 comments)
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real estate: It's Cool to Conform in 2021
- 11/29/20 09:13 AM
It's Cool to Conform in 2021
If you know me, you know that I don't like to stick to convention. I was the teenager who skipped college, moved to Hollywood and played rock guitar. In my 20's, I saved up vacation time not for sandy white beaches but instead for expeditions to the harsh mountain environs of the world's highest peaks. In my 30's, I dove (literally) into the sport of triathlon --- an endeavor, to quote my Aunt Marge, that would be something she'd "rather die a thousand deaths" before contemplating. When I come to the fork in the road where straight and … (5 comments)
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real estate: Marin County Vote by Mail Ballot Drop-Off Locations
- 10/18/20 08:54 AM
Marin County Vote by Mail Ballot Drop-Off Locations
This election cycle, there has been much disinformation propagated about voting by mail, and in an effort to help fellow community members arrive at the truth, I am providing below the drop-off locations as an additional way to submit your ballot prior to November 3. To receive an absentee ballot, you must have first registered online. Once you've received and completed your ballot you can mail it back or drop it off. At any time, if you need help or additional information, you can access it at www.marinvotes.org.
San Rafael
Albert J. Boro Community Center, 50 Canal … (1 comments)
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real estate: The Seven Real Estate Stages of the Pandemic
- 10/05/20 08:09 AM
The Seven Real Estate Stages of the Pandemic
By now, some of us have lost a loved one, friend or community member to COVID-19. Though if the cavalier denialism exhibited by some Americans is an indicator, there are still many who have yet to share the magnitude of such a loss. But even putting one's head in the sand about the medical realities of the coronavirus cannot spare us the social, emotional and economic impacts.
It's accepted as true that though we all grieve a loss, everyone grieves in a unique manner. One of the most referenced works on the topic was written in … (17 comments)
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real estate: How To Win a Real Estate Bidding War
- 08/18/20 08:59 AM
How To Win a Real Estate Bidding War
What's the one thing you can do to make your offer to buy a home stand out? What's the secret sauce, the magic bullet, the key to success?
If you answered, "There isn't one," you're pretty close. Truth is, I haven't found any singular aspect of any offer that assures success. All-cash offers, zero-contingency offers, overbid offers, offers with colorful "love letters," etc., none of them provide any guarantees to the hopeful buyer. But there is one thing I've noticed that does increase the odds dramatically --- stacking advantages.
More often than not, we observe that the winning … (18 comments)
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Is a Bank Statement Mortgage Right for You?
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