Last month I wrote about advice I’ve been seeing popping up in my Facebook feed from Dave Ramsey on mortgages. There are several points that I just don’t find realistic for the average person who wants to buy a home, such as only using a 15 year amortized mortgage with 20% down payment and limiting your mortgage payment to 25% of your take home pay. I promised that I would share a follow up post where I review different scenarios comparing his advise to real life scenarios. [Read more…]
Buying a home is one of the most important financial decisions you’ll ever make — and understanding the mortgage process is key to making confident, informed choices.
In this section, you’ll find educational resources designed to help you navigate every step of the home buying journey. Whether you’re a first-time homebuyer, moving up to your next home, purchasing an investment property, or exploring options for a second home, these articles break down complex mortgage concepts into clear, practical guidance.
Topics include:
- Getting pre-approved
- Understanding credit and qualifying
- Down payment assistance programs
- Closing costs and escrow
- Appraisals and underwriting
- The mortgage process from offer to keys
My goal is to help you understand not just how to qualify — but how to structure your financing strategically so it supports your long-term financial goals.
If you’re buying a home in Washington State (or anywhere in the U.S.), and you want thoughtful guidance instead of pressure, this is a great place to start.
Should You Follow Dave Ramsey’s Advice on Mortgages?
September 29, 2021 by 2 Comments
Dave Ramsey is someone a lot of people follow for financial advise. Lately he’s been showing up A LOT in my Facebook stream pushing his thoughts on mortgages, home ownership and credit. Some of his ideas, I don’t totally disagree with. In fact, I shared a post that came from his group encouraging people to continue to pay rent and make their mortgage payments during the pandemic if at all possible (ie nothing is for free). However, I don’t support what he instructs his followers who are considering buying a home and I also have an issue with anyone who pushes their “team of vetted real estate agents”…I would be really surprised if there is not some sort of financial relationship associated with this referral arrangement.
Let’s take a look at what he encourages his followers to do with regards to buying a home or getting a mortgage. [Read more…]
Home Buyer Classes for Washington State
March 24, 2021 by Leave a Comment
If you are brand new or a little rusty at buying a home, there are some excellent options that are available for you. Some classes feature unique benefits for the students. Before taking one of the courses below, I suggest you reach out to a local, licensed Loan Officer to see if one class may be better suited for your home buying goals.
Here are a few online home buying classes you may want to consider: [Read more…]
Recent Interview in the Seattle Times about Seattle Homebuyers
October 8, 2020 by Leave a Comment
I’m honored to have been quoted in the Seattle Time‘s yesterday in Katherine Khashimova Long’s article “Autumn of heartbreak for home shoppers as Seattle-area prices hit new record highs”. My quote wound up being a tid-bit in the article and I thought it would be interesting to share some of the points that we discussed during the interview. [Read more…]
