Plain answers on down payment help, investor loans, self-employed income and what moves mortgage rates. Written by Robert Shamie, with every source named and dated.
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Fidelity Residential · NMLS #103098 · Equal Housing Lender
Mortgage rates fell for the week. The Fed held its policy rate on Wednesday, and bonds rallied late in the week on tech-sector jitters. What moved and what comes next.
Read the articleA HELOC is a line you draw on at a variable rate. A home equity loan is one lump sum at a rate that does not change. How a New Jersey homeowner chooses between them.
Read the articleOn a New Jersey rental, the property tax bill is part of the payment the rent has to cover. How taxes move a DSCR loan's ratio, and what to check before you buy.
Read the articleMortgage rates fell for the week as Treasury yields dropped on Thursday, and the weekly national survey moved lower. What moved, what it means and what comes next.
Read the articleMortgage rates rose seven weeks in a row into October, then eased. Why they moved, what Fannie Mae's new forecast says, and how to plan around it.
Read the articleWhen your tax returns do not show what you earn, a bank statement, 1099 or asset-based loan may fit. How each one works and how to choose.
Read the articleIt is not free money, it is not only for first-time buyers, and several programs have no income limit. What is actually true about down payment help.
Read the articleA DSCR loan is based on a rental property's own rent instead of your personal income. How the ratio works, what is still checked, and who it suits.
Read the articleSmall apartment buildings and mixed-use buildings can be financed on their rent. Why five units changes the rules, and what lenders look at.
Read the articleSome down payment assistance is forgiven after you meet its conditions; some is paid back monthly or when you sell. How each works and how to compare them.
Read the articleDown payment assistance is usually a second loan signed at the same closing as your FHA mortgage. How it works, who offers it and what to ask.
Read the articleYou can hold a rental in an LLC and still finance it, but the company does not take you out of the picture. What business purpose means and what lenders ask for.
Read the articleA practical checklist for self-employed borrowers: what almost every lender asks for, what each income route adds, and habits that keep the file moving.
Read the articleMortgage rates follow the bond market more than the Fed. How mortgage-backed securities, the 10-year Treasury and the spread between them set the rates lenders offer.
Read the articleThe Fed sets a short-term rate between banks, not mortgage rates. How its decisions and its holdings of mortgage bonds reach the rate on a home loan.
Read the articleGet a quote, or talk it through with a licensed loan officer.
This page is general information, not a commitment to lend. Programs, terms and eligibility depend on credit, income, property and underwriting review and are subject to change without notice.