There are numerous benefits to being self-employed – you’re your own boss. However, when it comes to securing a mortgage, the process deviates slightly from traditional mortgages. It often involves additional requirements and more administrative procedures. Here are some tips to help you get organized and approved if you’re self-employed.

Apply for a mortgage when your income is high. We understand this is easier said than done, but lenders will focus most on your income from the last two years. If your income fluctuates, it’s best to apply in a high-income year. This strategy can help you qualify for a larger loan amount and a lower interest rate.

Lower your DTI. Your debt-to-income ratio is one of the critical factors in getting approved. Therefore, it’s beneficial to pay down both business and personal debts. Also, avoid opening new lines of credit a few months before applying.

Don’t mix business and personal finances. Keep your business and personal finances separate by maintaining distinct bank and credit card accounts for business and personal use. This separation helps lenders easily discern business income and expenses and demonstrates that you are managing your business professionally.

Please feel free to give us a call or contact us through our pre-qualification app, and we can determine which product best suits your needs. You may be a candidate for a Qualified Mortgage (QM) or a non-QM lender. Either way, we can review and help you get started!

With summer around the corner, a lot of people are asking if a swimming pool will add value to their home (to be clear, we are talking about in-ground pools here).
The answer is, it depends. Studies show that it can add 5% or more to the value of your home, but these studies pre-date Covid. If you are in a warmer climate like Texas or Florida, pools can add more value and may be more desirable. In fact, if your home is in a high-end area where most homes have pools, lacking one can actually lower your home’s value.
Of course, you have to take into account the building and maintenance costs, as well as whether your yard has enough space to accommodate a pool while still leaving ample area.
It’s probably a good idea to add a pool for your own enjoyment rather than just building one to increase resale value. If you’d like more feedback on your property and how it fits into the market, feel free to schedule a consultation with us on our website for more details and the latest market conditions. We can also discuss lines of credit to fund pool development.

We all know that interest rates are higher than they were a year ago (and we all hope they don’t stay that way). A product that is becoming more popular is a 2-1 buydown, which provides a lower interest rate for the first year of the loan, then increases in the second year, and the third and subsequent years will have the full interest rate. To compensate for the lower payments, a fee is charged.

A buydown can be financed by either the homebuyer or the home seller. This payment can take the form of mortgage points or a one-time sum placed in an escrow account managed by the lender, which is then used to subsidize the borrower’s reduced monthly payments. Often, sellers, including home builders, utilize 2-1 buydowns as an incentive for potential buyers.

Buydowns are not available for all loans; for example, they are available on FHA loans but only for new purchases and not refinances. Check with us to see if a buydown makes sense for your situation.

Owning a house can come with many advantages, including an increase in property value when the real estate market is rising. Not only does this mean a profit when you put your home up for sale, but also grants you the ability to leverage equity as needed. If you have equity and are unsure of how to take advantage of it, here are 5 options.

Debt Consolidation – with interesting rates rising, the interest payments on credit cards and personal loans can be big part of the payment. If you have equity a loan to consolidate the debt into a lower interest rate may be worth considering (of course be careful not to incur too much new credit card debt).

Higher Ed – if you have children getting ready for college – a HELOC or home equity line of credit may offer a lower rate than student loans.

Medical Expenses – If you have outstanding medical bills a HELOC can potentially offer a lower rate and avoid credit score issues with late or missed payments

Home Improvements – if your home has increased in value, one of the most popular uses of equity is a home improvement office – this can be as large as a new edition, a kitchen remodel or a bathroom upgrade.

Of course, please schedule an appointment with us if you are considering leveraging your equity and we can advice you on your specific situation.

A good credit score is part of getting approved for a mortgage, it will also help you get a lower interest rate.
Here are some quick things to do to check and possibly improve your score.
Before we get started though, the first thing you should do is get your credit report!
You can order it free here – https://www.annualcreditreport.com Now that you have your report lets get to those tips! 🤓
1. Check for Errors! You want the report to be clean and mistake free. Check if there are misspellings of your name or addresses. Other things might be duplicate accounts, incorrect account information, closed accounts that are still listed as open, fraud etc!
2. Clean up the Errors! If you found something wrong the next step is to get the errors fixed. You can contact the major three bureaus directly to fix any errors! Be prepared with paperwork to back up your case! Here are links to the three bureaus on how to address errors: https://www.experian.com/blogs/ask-experian/credit-education/faqs/how-to-dispute-credit-report-information/ https://www.equifax.com/personal/credit-report-services/credit-dispute/ https://www.transunion.com/credit-disputes/dispute-your-credit
3. Pay Late Or Past Due Accounts This is important! Pay these off whenever possible. Here is a pro-tip: if you have an account with a late fee or in collection – contact them before paying and ask them to remove the record entirely if you pay the account off. This will really help your score!
4. Pay On Time Ok this is obvious but its important too – even if its the minimum payment make sure you get the payments in on time.
5. Open New Accounts Or Increase Your Limits This will help your credit to improve your credit utilization rate – how much of your available credit you use. The lower the rate used the better so don’t open a new card and max it out – just open it and use it a little and pay it off monthly if possible.
These are five quick tips that can really help boost your credit before you apply for a mortgage. If you are ready to apply contact us today and we will be glad to review the options with and see what best fits your needs!

Many Americans have considered moving in the last few years. Some are lucky enough to work remotely, others may be lured by housing prices. If you are considering moving here are seven things to consider.

1. Housing and Cost of Living: Research the cost of housing, groceries, utilities, and other expenses in the area to ensure that you can afford to live there.
2. Job market: If you are moving for a job, make sure it is secure and that there are other job opportunities available in the area.
3. Education: If you have children, consider the quality of the schools in the area. You may also want to consider the availability of higher education institutions if you or a family member plans to continue your education.
4. Safety: Research the crime rate in the area and consider the overall safety of the neighborhood.
5. Climate: Think about whether the climate of the new area is one that you can tolerate.
6. Amenities: Consider what types of amenities are important to you and whether the new area offers them. This might include things like libraries, parks, recreation centers, shopping, and dining.
7 Quality of life: Think about what is important to you in terms of your overall quality of life, and whether the new area offers those things.

As we say goodbye to 2022, if you are planning on buying a home in 2023 here are 5 things to do.
Put Savings In A High-Yield Account
If you are planning on buying you will need your money to be “liquid” or relatively easy to access for a down payment.
Check Your Credit
You may have heard this before but it’s important, so we’ll say it again. Review your credit report to make sure there are not any errors or attempts at identity theft that can erroneously lower your credit score.
Down Payment or Closing Costs Assistance
It’s a good idea to check to see if you qualify for down payment or closing cost assistance or grants.
Monitor Your Market
Real estate is local as they say so keep an eye on the areas you are looking to buy to see if there are trends in prices and inventory
Get Preapproved
You can fill out our approval qualifier on our website and we’ll help you see how much you can qualify for and pre-approval, this will help you to know you’re buying range.

From Our Family To Yours
We wish you and your family a safe and happy holiday with plenty of good food and cheer!

As 2022 comes to end its a good idea to do a year end financial checkup.
1. Review your budget and savings plan
Analyze your spending and saving for the year. Your savings might not have gone to plan this year and that’s ok – focus on replenishing your emergency fund first if needed and recalibrate plan for 2023 if needed.
2. Maximize Retirement Plan Contributions
If you participate in a 401k make sure you maximize contributions before the December 31 deadline, you have until April for Roth contributions
3. Review Your Insurance Coverage
Check your insurance coverage in many parts of the country housing prices went up, make sure you home is covered under current market prices. Also check your liability coverage and consider getting an umbrella liability policy that covers all your assets, you can get a million dollar policy for a few hundred dollars a year!
4. Health Savings Account
Make sure you contribute to your health savings account (if needed) as there are great tax benefits. Also check to see if you need to reimburse yourself from the account for out of pocket payments you made during the year!
5. Charitable Contributions
Finally remember to give if you can! Even if you don’t itemize your returns you can still deduct up to $300 for charitable contributions!

While there have been some strong headwinds for the housing market this year, we’ve seen some room for optimism recently. Specifically, three pieces of positive news for home buyers. The first is that after a sharp run up in interest rates, we have seen rates fall sharply in the last two weeks after hitting a high in October.
The second piece is a softening of home prices. We are seeing a deceleration of rising prices and price points are not written in stone at this point.
Finally, there is higher housing inventory today, so home buyers have options!
If you are thinking about a purchase now or after the holidays, be sure to fill out our home purchase wizard on our website and we can see what best fits your needs!