Michigan’s Down Payment Assistance Program: A Great Time to Buy a Home
Purchasing a home is a significant milestone in one's life, but it can also be a daunting task, especially for first-time buyers. Typically, the cost of a down payment is one of the most significant barriers to homeownership. Fortunately, the state of Michigan has a program that can help. The Michigan Down Payment Assistance Program... Read More
What is an escrow account? How do they work?
If you are looking at obtaining a mortgage or already have one, more than likely you will need to deal with an escrow account. It can be difficult to understand the timing and moving piece within the escrow account. Inevitably, if you have an escrow account your mortgage payment will change each year. Understanding how... Read More
Maximum Loan Limits Increase Nationwide
Most of the loans done in the United States end up with Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, or The Federal Housing Administration (FHA). All three agencies have Maximum Loan Limits, meaning that regardless of someone's qualification there is a cap on the loan amount. Over the last few days all three announced increases to those limits. ... Read More
Buying and Financing HUD Homes
Simply Put We LOVE Financing HUD Homes! HUD homes are foreclosed homes. They are homes that the previous owner took out a FHA loan and were subsequently foreclosed on. HUD/FHA then takes those homes and resells them. Not only are HUD homes listed for sale on the local MLS but they are also listed for... Read More
Home Renovation Loan Process
Since COVID hit, the housing market has been crazy! With housing in high demand, the competition is getting tough out there. Buyers are looking for alternative ways to buy a home and many have turned to renovation financing. In fact, our renovation volume tripled in 2021. There are a number of reasons for this, but... Read More
Understanding Property Tax Increases
Many home buyers have been facing a very challenging market over the past few years. The current supply of homes on the market just can’t keep up with the huge demand out there. It’s not uncommon for a home to come on the market and be sold in a matter of days after receiving multiple... Read More
USDA Rural Development Expands Loan Eligibility to Existing Manufactured Homes
Great News! Home buyers looking to purchase a manufactured home can now do so using the USDA Rural Development program. That means buyers can take advantage of zero down financing and low mortgage insurance rates when the purchase a manufactured home. This is huge for the more rural communities in Michigan were there are many... Read More
Restoring History with an FHA 203k Renovation Mortgage
This is a story of a home owner who purchased a home with extensive fire damage. They brought this 1870's historic home back to life using a FHA 203k Renovation mortgage to complete all the needed repairs and more. A piece of Kalamazoo, Michigan's history has been restored!... Read More
Manufactured Home Loan Programs
Great news! It keeps getting easier and easier to finance manufactured homes. Here are four possible ways to finance manufactured homes! The basic programs that will work for manufactured homes are: FHA - 3.5% down FHA 203k Renovation - 3.5% down VA - 0 Down Conventional - 5% down Rural Development - 0 Down MSHDA... Read More
$100 Down FHA Financing!
Great News! Effective Oct. 1, 2016 HUD homes financed with FHA-insured financing are eligible to be purchased with only $100 down. This sales incentive is for properties in Michigan and Ohio. You can get a list of HUD homes for sale in your area at HudHomeStore.com or give me a jingle and I will hook... Read More
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Jumbo vs Conventional Loan
JUMBO LOAN VS. CONVENTIONAL: WHAT KALAMAZOO MOVE-UP BUYERS MUST KNOW
Are you shopping for a luxury executive home or a custom build in Texas Township, Portage, or Richland?
Yesterday, a move-up buyer walked into my office after touring a gorgeous five-bedroom home near Texas Corners. The listing sat well above their previous starter home price point, and they were trying to calculate their down payment strategy.
They asked me, “Jeremy, at what price point does our mortgage switch from a standard Conventional loan into a Jumbo loan? Do Jumbo loans require massive 20% cash down payments?”
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