BLOGS

Could You Take Your 3% Mortgage Rate With You? What Homeowners Should Know About the MOVE Act

Quick answer: Not yet, and maybe not even under this bill. The MOVE Act is a proposed law in Congress that would eventually require Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to buy "portable" mortgages, ones where you could take your rate, balance, and terms to your next house. It's not law. And even if it passes,

What Happens If the Home You're Buying Doesn't Appraise?

Quick answer: If the appraisal comes in lower than your offer, your lender won't loan you more than that appraised value. You've got four options: pay the difference in cash, renegotiate the price with the seller, challenge the appraisal, or walk away and keep your earnest money (if you have an appr

What You Can Actually Negotiate Besides Price When Buying or Selling in Downey

Most people think negotiating a home deal starts and ends with the price. Offer, counter, meet in the middle, done. That's maybe a third of the actual conversation.   Price gets all the attention because it's the easiest number to point to. But in almost every deal I work, the real leverage shows up