What Causes Home Prices to Fluctuate?
April 19, 2019
The median sales price of a house in the United States is currently between $188,900- $279,500. There is such a large price range because many different factors can play into a home’s sales price. If you are looking to buy or sell soon, keep the following factors in mind when determining costs. The price of… Read More
Sprucing Up the House for Spring
April 12, 2019
Open those windows and turn off the heaters, warmer weather is on the way! Winter has faded, and the trees are starting to bloom, spring is finally upon us. Warm weather fans rejoice! As spring season is setting in, it’s a good idea to make a home maintenance checklist of items to prep your home… Read More
FED Says No More Hikes
April 9, 2019
Recently, the Federal Reserve decided to hold interest rates steady and indicated that no more hikes will be coming this year. This is very encouraging to homebuyers looking to purchase a new home or to refinance their current mortgage. Mortgage rates have been hovering around their lowest levels in more than a year, which in… Read More
Scotsman Guide Top Originators of 2018
April 1, 2019
The Scotsman Guide has released their tenth annual Top Originator rankings for 2018. This guide provides the most comprehensive, intensely verified list of the top-producing mortgage professionals of the nation. The rankings include not only the originators who are closing the most dollar volume and the most loans, but also the leaders in niche areas,… Read More
Top Loan Originators in the Country 2018- Mortgage Executive Magazine
March 12, 2019
Once again, Mortgage Executive Magazine compiled a list of the Nations Top 1% of Mortgage Originators. To be eligible for such an achievement, each Loan Originator was required to produce a minimum of $30 million in 2018. These leading mortgage professionals continually dedicated their time and energy and worked extremely hard to make sure their clients received… Read More
New Down Payment and Closing Cost Assistance Loans
February 8, 2019
First Home Mortgage is excited to roll out a new program to assist first-time homebuyers, community partners and veterans with down payment and closing cost assistance. The FHLB program provides loans up to $7,500 to homebuyers that can be used towards the down payment and/or closing costs of their new home. These loans are forgivable… Read More
Fed's Halt on Rising Rates
February 1, 2019
The week of January 27, 2019, the Federal Reserve had their 2-day rate-setting meeting and decided not to raise interest rates. Although the Fed does not directly affect long-term mortgage rates, this is a positive outcome for borrowers looking to purchase a new home or refinance to a lower fixed-rate. Mortgage interest rates have been… Read More
Can You Buy a Home With Student Debt?
November 29, 2018
According to The Institute for College Access & Success, about 65% of college seniors who graduated in 2017 had student loan debt. In Maryland, the average amount of debt was $29,314. Many potential homebuyers think with a mound of student debt it will be nearly impossible to purchase a new home. Luckily, there are options… Read More
Maximum Conforming Loan Limits Announced for 2019
November 28, 2018
The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) announced the maximum conforming loan limits for mortgages to be acquired by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in 2019. Starting January 1, 2019, in most of the U.S., the maximum conforming loan limit for one-unit properties will be $484,350, an increase from $453,100 in 2018. FHFA’s house price index… Read More
5 Home Loan Milestones
November 15, 2018
Buying a home may seem a bit complicated, and sometimes it can be. It is important to understand what to expect when preparing to buy a home, and what to expect during the home buying process. Below we’ve provided a short outline of the five main milestones of the home buying process. Pre-Qualification You’re ready… Read More