Buying a house isn’t just about the sticker cost or the monthly payment. A large part of your housing budget will also be your down payment. If you’ve seen lender ads before, you know that this number can be all over the board.
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Helping customers like you achieve their financial goals is all we do, which is why we’re arming you with our expert insight, tips, and advice to help you get there.
Buying a House: Today’s Down Payment Requirements and Options
August: APM Elevate Newsletter
August Economic Update with Elliot Eisenberg
The yield curve is currently inverted, which tells economists a lot about the economy and where it's headed. Elliot breaks down what it means, why it matters, and his thoughts on what it means for the near future.
How to Win Against Cash Offers in Today’s Housing Market
It’s tough out there, we know. Today’s competitive housing market can keep you trapped in a vicious cycle: Find a terrific house, make an aggressive offer, get your hopes up, get outbid, start over. Rinse and repeat. Some of the biggest competitors for homes on the market today pay cash, which can make it tough when YOU don’t have cash to buy the home outright yourself.
What is a Temporary Buydown?
A temporary buydown is when a party in a mortgage transaction pays a lump sum in order to reduce the interest rate temporarily for early years of the loan. This can help a buyer ease into the full mortgage payment at the beginning of the loan term.
Top Mortgage Questions for Today’s Market
Just when you think you’ve got it all figured out, the housing market changes. Well, here’s the truth: No one has it all figured out. Being mortgage professionals, however, we do understand the ins and outs of the market and how today’s climate affects your homebuying ability and the mortgage process.
20 Things to Do on a Hot Summer Day
It’s the dog days of summer—and we’d better take advantage of them while they’re here! Soon enough, it’ll be back to the grind. Let’s forget about that now, though. You’ve got sunshine to enjoy and water to splash in!
The Homebuying Process in 7 Easy Steps
The homebuying process…where do you even start? Buying a house may be a lifetime dream of yours, but for many buyers it can feel overwhelming at first. While it may seem like a lot, our APM Loan Advisors have your back. Our 100% focus is on getting hardworking people like you into the homes they deserve.
July: APM Elevate Newsletter
Economic Update with Elliot Eisenberg
Elliot is back with an update to talk about what's going on with interest rates. He talks about inflation expectations compared to released data, and how the markets have responded and will respond going forward. He wraps up with talk about recession - whether he sees one coming or not, and why.
The Value of a Loan Officer
If you’re planning to finance your home, you need the support of an experienced and local mortgage loan officer. You’re probably aware that they’re the ones who collect all that tedious paperwork, but the value of a loan officer goes far beyond that during your home purchase.
5 Benefits of Investing in Condos for First Time Home Buyers
Buying a home involves a lot of choices—locations, type of home, type of loan, and more. When it comes to the type of home, remember that a single-family home isn’t the only option. Condos can be great places to live, not to mention solid investment properties. That’s because the condo market continues to expand and may increase your options.
Ready to Go: 30-Day Moving Checklist
Moving into your new home is so close you can almost taste it! While the excitement is building, the stress might be as well when you consider all the things that you have to do before then—large and small.
Do You Know the House Rules???
In honor of National Homeownership Month, we wanted to explore the ins and outs of house rules. Do you have house rules? Are they followed? Wondering what the most common rules are—or the biggest faux pas you can commit as a guest in someone else’s home?
June: APM Elevate Newsletter
Economic Update with APM Consulting Economist Elliot Eisenberg
This month, Elliot talks about housing inventory trends historically, and how that is affecting our current inventory crunch. He also addresses the fears many have about a recession - or even a repeat of the events of 2006-2008 (hint: this is NOT a repeat!). His perspective on the coming months and years includes discussion on rates, rents, and the impending influx of buyers.
Homebuyers: The Pros and Cons of Investing in Condos
Single-family homes aren’t the only game in town when it comes to homeownership, building wealth, or fulfilling the American dream. Condos are another great avenue to achieve all three.
Apply for a Mortgage: A Complete Checklist
We all know the drill: House-hunting is fun, but a mortgage application … not so much. Collecting tax returns, proof of income, bank statements, credit reports, pay stubs, and other documents just isn’t as exciting as attending an open house and visualizing your family inside those walls.
That’s okay, though: We’ll make applying for a mortgage simple so you can get back to the good stuff—securing your American dream!
Loan Programs and Mortgages for Different Property Types
Many people think of an existing single-family home when they think about homeownership or buying residential real estate. Purchases of this type of property are common, after all. But there are other residential real estate purchases that might be perfect for your lifestyle and/or financial situation.
Start the Homebuying Process with a Mortgage Preapproval
You know you want to purchase a home—and that is so exciting! We feel your energy, we really do. But before you start looking online or driving around neighborhoods in search of your dream home, you need to get your ducks in a row and prevent unpleasant surprises that can delay the lending process.
As exciting as it is to go house hunting, there can be some surprises along the way. Not all of these surprises are fun, and the last thing you want to do when buying a home is realize you can’t qualify for the loan amount.
Mortgage Loan Programs for Nontraditional Borrowers
Let’s be real for a second. Mortgages are not cookie-cutter because borrowers are not all the same. There are, of course, some programs that can serve larger populations—hello, conventional mortgage and FHA loans—but there are plenty of people who aren’t accommodated by these programs for one reason or another.