Washington State Mortgages, Made Clear. Buying or Refinancing? Let's find the right loan together.
Buying a condo or townhome in Washington means you’re not just qualifying for a mortgage — you’re buying into an association’s finances too. This guide walks through what to check before you write an offer, how HOA dues factor into your qualifying ratios (now and later, if you refinance), and how reserve funding, litigation, and special assessments can affect your financing. [Read more…]
A low appraisal on a refinance is one of those moments that can feel like the whole transaction is falling apart. I just worked through this with a borrower on an FHA refinance — the appraisal came in below what we needed, and we had to decide quickly how to respond. We got through it, and the experience is a good reminder that a low appraisal is not necessarily the end of the road.
Here’s what your options actually look like when this happens. [Read more…]
One of the more pleasant surprises in a mortgage transaction is when the automated underwriting system comes back and tells you an appraisal isn’t required. It saves time, saves money, and removes one of the more unpredictable variables from the process.
Here’s what appraisal waivers are, what they’re called now, and what you need to know about how they work on conventional conforming loans in Washington state. [Read more…]
One of the most common questions I get from buyers starting the mortgage process is some version of: “How many times is my credit going to be pulled?”
It’s a fair question — people worry about their scores dropping, and there’s a lot of misinformation out there.
Here’s a straightforward answer for Washington State homebuyers and homeowners refinancing. [Read more…]
