Bad Credit: Common Misconceptions Regarding Mortgage Loans

What is the connection between a person's FICO credit score and his or her ability to get a mortgage? This is a common question for any prospective homeowner to ask, no matter what level of credit tha...

How Important is Credit in the Mortgage Application Process?

Your Credit History Your credit report is a representation of your last seven years of financial activity. It shows lenders how you have managed past accounts and how you are currently handling debt. ...

Your credit score and how it differs from your credit report

What is your credit report? A credit report is an extensive record of your financial history and how you’ve handled the obligation to repay your loans. Depending on how long you’ve been attached to li...

DTI: More Important Than Your Credit Score?

By definition, your debt-to-income ratio is a calculation of your total gross monthly debts or payments divided by your total gross monthly income. DTI is calculated both prior to a mortgage and with ...

Can You Qualify for a Jumbo Loan With Damaged Credit? Consider Newrez’s SmartEdge

What is a Non-Qualified Mortgage (Non-QM Mortgage)?  Non-qualified mortgages = non-traditional borrower options. Non-traditional means that the qualifying guidelines and loan terms are less restrictiv...

A Guide to More Money: Mortgage Edition (Refinance, Cash-Out)

Quiz time! As you read the summary notes for Refinances and Cash-Outs, there’s a common theme that ties them all together – see if you can find it. Refinance Looking at your current mortgage arrangeme...

New Years' Upgrades: How Do I Get Them?

Why Refinance? Over time, the value of your home goes up as you make improvements and the land value rises. With a cash-out refinance, you can use your equity to pay off debts – especially those with ...

When (and How) to Upgrade/Repair Common Home Appliances

Common Appliance Lifespans Let's look at a few of the most common must-have items in our homes, per a study published by Statista: Refrigerators Life: 13 to 14 years. Stoves/Ranges/Ovens Life: 13 ...