Washington State Mortgages, Made Clear. Buying or Refinancing? Let's find the right loan together.
I'm Rhonda Porter — a licensed Mortgage Advisor with 25+ years of experience helping homebuyers and homeowners across Washington State find the right loan with confidence. No jargon. No pressure. Just honest guidance.
Some of my favorite weekends start with a ferry ride and no real agenda. This past weekend was one of them. The sun came out — that rare, luminous Pacific Northwest spring sun that makes you cancel everything — and my husband and I decided it was finally time to check something off my local wish list: the Bloedel Reserve on Bainbridge Island.
Your Offer Was Accepted — Now What?
Join Me for a LIVE Homebuyer Workshop on April 29th
Grab your lunch and your laptop — we’re wrapping up the Homebuyer Workshop Series with our final class, and it’s a big one.
Most first-time buyers feel pretty confident once their offer is accepted. And then the emails start. Documents to sign. People you’ve never heard of asking for things. Deadlines you didn’t know existed. A closing date that suddenly feels very close.
If that sounds stressful — it doesn’t have to be. That’s exactly what this class is for.
When you get a mortgage rate quote, the interest rate is only part of the picture. Every rate comes with a price — and that price is expressed as either discount points or rebate credit. Understanding how this works gives you real control over your closing costs and monthly payment. [Read more…]
If you’re getting ready to buy a home, one of the first things you’ll hear is that you need to get preapproved. But what does that actually mean — and how is it different from being prequalified? And what about a loan commitment letter, or being pre-underwritten?
These terms get used interchangeably, but they are not the same thing. The difference matters — especially in a competitive market where sellers are evaluating the strength of every offer on the table.
Here’s a simple breakdown of each level and what to look for. [Read more…]
If you work at Amazon, Microsoft, Google, or any of the hundreds of tech and corporate employers in the greater Seattle area, there’s a good chance equity compensation — restricted stock units, restricted stock grants, or stock options — makes up a meaningful portion of your total pay. Understanding how mortgage lenders treat this income is essential before you apply, because the rules are more nuanced than most buyers expect and the guidelines have recently been updated.
Here’s what Washington State tech workers and equity-compensated buyers need to know. [Read more…]
